WHAT TO EXPECT

My Approach and background

I believe in the enabling potential of a collaborative relationship which is compassionate, honest, attuned and involved. I consider relationship as the fertile ground for all therapeutic work.

I explore challenges and struggles as a natural part of being human; I don’t see disorders or diagnoses as the defining point of our work.

My original training gave me an understanding of developmental psychology & philosophy (both Eastern & Western models) combined with methods and ideas from different but compatible psychotherapeutic schools. The theories that have best stood the test of time in my practice are from the Existential schools, Jungian philosophy and Interpersonal Neurobiology.

As importantly, my interest and understanding of the human condition is enriched by the mythopoetic realm and my daily encounters with the natural world in all its wisdom.

I hold a BACP-accredited post-graduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling.
I trained as a relationship therapist at The Centre for Relational Couples Therapy.
Each year since qualifying, I have deepened and broadened my capacity as a therapist, through continued training, personal therapy, supervision and self-directed learning. Experience is what matters most, but I won’t allow experience to become a byword for routine. I read widely, allowing many fields to inform and challenge me. I keep up with established and new ideas and practices in philosophy, psychotherapy, neuroscience and cognitive health.

How long?

People often ask how long they need to commit to therapy. It really does depend. I work with some people for a matter of weeks, with others I work for months or years.

Many of the structures that keep us in a bind formed a long time ago and have been maintained for years, so patience is needed.

Sometimes, the quality of attention that can be experienced in therapy is enough to clarify and resolve things in suprisingly swift order.

For some, the motive to attend therapy changes over time, moving from crisis to ongoing journey of interest.

Whatever the circumstance, I believe it is best to approach therapy with an open-ended intention. I have noticed how the psyche tends to put on a good but superficial show if a deadline is imposed.

When we are generous and unconditional in our invitations to the inner realm, meaningful encounters with our deeeper truths are far more likely to unfold. So even if the work ends up being relatively brief, it will have greater meaning and more lasting utility when we offer patience.

How often?

Relational Therapy is a creative process. Like all creative processes, therapy benefits from a combination of structure and freedom. I advocate the structure of a weekly commitment and the freedom of an open-ended approach.

We will find a time that we will jointly commit to on an ongoing basis. I will commit to your process and give notice of planned absences and I ask that you do the same.

How much?

£75 a session for individual work (50 minutes)
£110 a session for couple work (60 minutes)