Individual therapy

Therapy offers a safe, welcoming and reflective space in which to understand and to be understood; to be and to become who you are, on your unique life’s journey.

The regularity and consistency of weekly sessions offers a unique opportunity for self-exploration and support, in which to look together into any areas of concern for you, towards a deeper sense of self-understanding, choice and fulfilment in the present.

My approach

As a psychodynamic therapist with a Jungian and somatic orientation, my stance is one of special curiosity towards the information – and often wisdom – held within dreams, the body, and even the very challenges that may bring us to therapy in the first place.

My practice is rooted in a body of theory known as relational psychoanalysis (best known for its work on attachment theory), which takes the view that our early life experiences powerfully shape our present-day ways of relating, experiencing and moving through the world.

As a trauma-informed practitioner, I draw from the fields of somatic psychology and polyvagal theory, taking a gentle, psycho-educative, body-based approach to working with the symptoms of trauma with the aim of rediscovering – or perhaps uncovering for the first time – a felt sense of safety and aliveness in the body.

However, therapy is not only about looking backwards, but looking forwards, towards the direction that your current strengths and struggles lead in your onward path of unique, personal development; what is termed, in Jungian language, individuation.

Indeed, as well as being a way of supporting areas of difficulty and suffering within our lives, therapy also aims to help us live more fully, in a greater sense of aliveness, authenticity and connection in the present.

I view the therapeutic relationship itself as central to the transformative process that therapy can be. Over time, the building of a reliable, trusting therapeutic relationship can become the container within which a deeper healing unfolds.

How I work

Psychodynamic therapy is a form of depth psychotherapy and, as such, typically unfolds over a longer period of time, in a long-term (anywhere from around 9 months to several  years) or an open-ended therapeutic relationship. As such, it is best suited to individuals with a curiosity and commitment towards their personal development and self-understanding.

However, shorter, fixed-term and single-issue focused work (anywhere between six sessions to around 6 months) can also be suitable and beneficial for some individuals and concerns. The duration of therapy best suited to you and your circumstances can be discussed during the initial consultation.

These sessions are yours, a space for you to be as you are.

It is my intention to offer an environment that is safe, accepting and open in which you can speak freely about how things are for you and feel seen, heard and responded to.

While I offer reflections and perspectives that I hope may be valuable, I am non-directive, and my aim is to facilitate your own Self-connection. It is what you choose to bring to each session that will guide the focus of our work.

Relationship therapy

Couples seek out therapy for a wide range of reasons: To resolve an issue of conflict and get unstuck from unhelpful patterns of communication. To reconnect emotionally, rekindle sexually, and repair broken places in intimacy and trust. To navigate a significant change in the relationship or life circumstances. And generally to learn how to better love one another.

It is normal to encounter difficulty in intimate relationships. The myth that relationships should be easy and come naturally can lead many couples to delay the decision to try counselling, but you don’t need to reach crisis point to seek support. 

In fact, it is often the places we struggle most in our partnerships that offer the greatest potential for growth and transformation. With intention and commitment, tending to your relationship can transform it from a place of frustration and difficulty to a source of personal growth, fulfilment and true intimacy. This is where couples therapy can help.

My approach

I use a reflective, active approach that draws focus to the ‘how’ of your interactions as a couple, as well as the ‘what’ and the ‘why’:

the particular issues you bring to sessions, and their roots in your personal and relationship history. My aim is to help you shed light upon the habitual patterns of relating that may underlie places of ‘stuck’-ness and difficulty, to support you in learning to better hear and attune to one another, and to develop skills to communicate more authentically and effectively.

In the process, I hope to help you learn something new about yourself and your partner, and to utilise the challenges you encounter as opportunities for growth – both as individuals and as a couple – towards a relationship of deeper joy and connection, freedom and fulfilment.

While I draw from an eclectic range of approaches and techniques in my approach to couples therapy, I have a special interest in Imago Relationship Therapy, a method centred around fostering a deeper, safer quality of connection through intentional dialogue, in which I hold a foundation certification.

Who I work with

I work affirmatively with individuals and relationships across the spectrum of gender, sexuality and relationship diversity,

heterosexual and LGBTQ+, monogamous and non-monogamous, married and dating.  I see couples at all stages of relationship, whether this means deepening into commitment, navigating a change in relationship style or status, or uncoupling.