If you’d like to know more about my overall approach, session format, and whether we’d be a good fit, see How I work.
Some of the reasons people come to me
Feeling triggered. You’re having a strong reaction to certain things or situations that you can’t explain: a throwaway comment from a colleague leaves you incredibly anxious, or the possibility of conflict leaves you frozen with fear. You might be experiencing flashbacks or dreams about a difficult past experience.
Difficulty being ‘in the moment’. You might have trouble enjoying things and focusing on the here and now. Perhaps you’re scanning for issues or threats, even when you know they aren’t there. Often this is related to past experiences where you did need to be hypervigilant, but this behaviour is no longer needed. You would like to be able to enjoy the here and now, without scanning for trouble.
Relationship difficulties. You want to have calmer, more fulfilling relationships. Perhaps you’re having difficulty communicating your needs to the people in your life, or you find yourself having disproportionate reactions to interactions with your loved ones. You’re repeating unhelpful relationship patterns, and want to change that.
Feeling blocked or stuck. You might feel that you are shackled , mentally or emotionally, but you are not quite sure by what.
A specific fear or phobia. You may be afraid of something specific, for example car journeys, flying, death, or dogs. Or you may become very anxious about specific situations: exams; an upcoming holiday; weddings. EMDR is incredibly effective at targeting these kinds of issues and reducing or eliminating the reaction. Find out more about doing EMDR with me.
If this resonates, get in touch to explore working together.
My approach
The approaches I am trained in are:
Psychodynamic. Helps you to understand ‘the presenting past’ — to explore how past experiences and unconscious patterns shape your current thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It also helps you to identify relationship patterns, resolve deeper emotional issues, and move forward.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Helps you to identify and challenge negative thoughts and behaviours, understand what triggers you and why, and learn practical skills to manage your emotions and tackle everyday challenges.
Person-Centred. Provides a non-judgemental, supportive space to explore your feelings. This approach is the bedrock of my practice, and is collaborative: we are curious together about what might be happening, and why.
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). A cutting-edge, evidence-based therapy endorsed by the World Health Organisation, the NHS, and NICE. It reprocesses unresolved experiences from the past so they no longer trigger strong reactions in the present.
If we decide to work together, we would usually have some sessions understanding the lay of the land: what is going on for you, and what you would like to change. After 2–3 sessions, I will suggest the approach I think will be most helpful, and check you’re happy with that.