The way I work....
There are many different types of therapies and this can be confusing - counselling and/or psychotherapy are talking therapies. I work in a way that suits the individual or couple drawing on different styles of therapy and this is called 'Integrative.' This means integrating different theories to inform how I help my clients. I find that as a person becomes more comfortable in the process I can ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of their inner world and what they feel will help them. I believe people know the answers, but need the confidence in themselves to be able to find solutions.
My integrative model...
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/3/1/19311885/published/integrative.jpg?1680092472)
The therapies that I draw on are: Cognitive Behavioural therapy or CBT where we may look at unhelpful thinking habits and behaviours; Gestalt therapy looking at how unexpressed emotions can get stuck in our bodies making us feel uncomfortable; Transpersonal therapy which looks at how a client connects with others and their outside world. These therapies are underpinned by Person Centred therapy, which is about developing a stable therapeutic relationship where I offer, respect, kindness and autonomy. It is clear from my work that once a person begins to understand what is going on with themselves they will feel less overwhelmed and find strategies to cope.
Working with Trauma...
Trauma comes in many forms and I have recently completed training on working with the affects of trauma on the limbic system or nervous system and how it can impact people's lives both emotionally and physically. We now understand that the brain is integrally connected to our bodies and it is scientifically proven that trauma and/or chronic stress has a significant emotional and physical impact on a person and so is taken far more seriously in the medical world. My job is to help a traumatised client to recognise the over stimulated (anxious) response or understimulated state (depression) and work towards a greater equilibrium or well-being and this comes through recognising and then changing restrictive or damaging patterns of behaviour.
Areas I work with…
- Abortion
- Abuse
- Addiction
- Affairs and betrayals
- Alcoholism
- Anger management
- Anxiety
- Attachment disorder in children
- Behaviour problems
- Bereavement
- Bipolar disorder
- Bullying
- Burnout
- Depression
- Discrimination
- Dissociation
- Domestic abuse
- Drug addiction
- Emotional abuse
- Family issues
- Feeling sad
- Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Health anxiety
- Learning difficulties
- LGBTQ+ counselling
- Loneliness
- Low self-confidence
- Low self-esteem
- Menopause
- Mental health
- Miscarriage
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Passive-aggressive behaviour
- Physical abuse
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Postnatal depression
- Pregnancy and birth
- Redundancy
- Relationship problems
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Separation and divorce
- Sexual abuse
- Smoking
- Spirituality
- Stress
- Suicidal thoughts
- Trauma
- Work-related stress