About Therapy
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy and counselling give us a way to think and talk together about both current difficulties and the life experiences that may have helped to form them. Exploring these aspects of your life together can be very enlightening and helpful in terms of challenging thinking patterns – both conscious and unconscious – that may have become entrenched over time, and can fuel anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties and other maladaptive behaviour.
These thinking patterns can become exhausting, and therapy offers an unhurried space to begin making sense of yourself and your world at your own pace in a quiet, confidential environment. Sometimes when emotions run high it can be difficult to understand our feelings, let alone manage them, making everything feel overwhelming. Having another mind to think alongside our own at these times can feel calming and give us the needed space to begin challenging our fears.
Different therapists can take different approaches to the way they practise. Here are some of the most common approaches to be found:
Dynamic Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis
Dynamic psychotherapy is a more analytical type of therapy. The word ‘dynamic’ relates to how the unconscious mind interacts with and influences the conscious mind – a relationship that is always flowing and changing. Another important dynamic is in the relationship between the client and the therapist, which can reflect the significant interpersonal relationships in the life of the client – particularly (but not exclusively) in his or her early years.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
CBT takes a more pragmatic approach to therapy, helping people identify and challenge patterns of thought and behaviour that may be contributing to difficulties. Often used as a shorter-term therapy, it can be particularly effective for problems such as anxiety, depression, phobias and obsessive behaviours.
Other approaches
Some other psychotherapeutic approaches such as Gestalt, Humanistic and Behavioural therapy involve more of a focus on the ‘here and now’ in the life of the client, and less of a focus on subconscious drives and past experiences. However, it is important to bear in mind that no psychotherapeutic approach is mutually exclusive, and they will all share common elements and goals.
Supervision
Supervision is an important part of psychotherapeutic practice. It provides a regular space for therapists to reflect on their work with an experienced colleague, helping to ensure that clients receive thoughtful, ethical and well-supported care.
Anything discussed in supervision is treated with the same respect for confidentiality as therapy itself. Personal details are not shared unnecessarily, and the focus remains on understanding and supporting the therapeutic work in the best interests of the client.
Besides maintaining regular supervision, I also work as a supervisor for other psychotherapists and trainees.
My Practice
While I have a psychodynamic background, I draw on elements of other modes of therapy in my work, while keeping at the forefront the view that in therapy there is no wrong way to feel and think. I can offer four specific types of therapy depending on your needs and circumstances:
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy explores emotional patterns and defences that may have developed over time and gradually become difficult to cope with. Having another mind to think alongside our own can help us make sense of emotions, fears and defences, past and present, and develop a deeper understanding of ourselves and our relationships.
Neuro-Attuned Psychotherapy
Neuro-attuned psychotherapy brings psychodynamic thinking together with an awareness of how adaptation, overwhelm and difference can shape our emotional lives. Therapy offers a reflective space to better understand long-standing patterns and reconnect with aspects of yourself that may have become hidden or difficult to express.
EMDR
EMDR is a structured therapeutic approach developed to help people process traumatic experiences. It can also help with experiences that continue to feel overwhelming, distressing, or difficult to move beyond. Sessions are worked through carefully and at a pace that feels manageable.
Couples Therapy
Relationships can become strained for many reasons, leaving both partners feeling stuck, disconnected or unheard. Couples therapy can help create a clearer understanding of the patterns, misunderstandings and emotional needs within a relationship, whether the hope is to strengthen the relationship or navigate a difficult ending with greater understanding and care.
Accreditation
I am an accredited member of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). BACP Accredited members must pass a stringent assessment process, demonstrate substantial post-qualification experience (typically 450+ supervised client hours over at least two to three years), demonstrate a sustained commitment to continued professional development, be fully insured and be subject to regular audits.
