Julia Fry Online Brighton

At the start of therapy clients tend to be very self-critical and judge themselves by the standards set by others. Their ideal self seems very different from their present self. Feelings about themselves tend to be negative, although they may mask this for the benefit of other people.

During therapy clients may feel even more critical towards themselves, and notice contradictory views of themselves. Over time acceptance of themselves and all the aspects and perspectives of themselves occur. The self that grows and develops through therapeutic exploration is welcomed as worthwhile and the gap between ideal self and present self is closed, resulting in less judgement, and more authenticity.

My sessions are always client-led and I warmly accompany you to explore at your own pace and in your own ways in a safe, non-judgmental environment. I am a counsellor with around two years experience and I have worked in both the public and private sectors. In the public sector I have worked with people with cancer at MacMillan, with women with complex trauma at Swan Women’s Centre, and with children with anxiety (neurodivergent and neurotypical) in a primary school at Place2Be. I have delivered creative group therapy, using Arts for the Blues guidelines (Aithal et al, 2023).

My counselling approach is humanistic / creative and I draw on person-centred theories from Carl Rogers and his daughter, Natalie Rogers, who built creative ways of working into her father’s talk-based therapy. I am trauma informed, drawing on a range of theories for parts-based work (Schwartz, Fisher), and body-based work (van der Kolk, Levine), with a self-compassion focus (Gilbert, Brach, Mate, Neff).

I also have over seven years experience of trauma informed coaching with people who are neurodivergent to accept themselves as worthy despite the messages of unworthiness coming from an ableist society. Approaches: Coaching Creative therapy Creative group therapy Feminist therapy Humanistic Integrative Person-centred Relational Trauma informed Coaching