My approach to therapy is flexible, varied, and tailored to your individual needs. I tend to describe my approach as either 'exploratory' or 'structured' therapy, as outlined below. However, in practice, our sessions may incorporate elements from both approaches. I offer both short-term and longer-term interventions, and we will decide together what best suits you during our initial consultation, with ongoing reviews throughout our work together.

Exploratory Psychotherapy

Much of my work adopts an exploratory approach to therapy, drawing on psychoanalytic, trauma-informed, and attachment-based models. This approach aims to help people understand their behaviour, thoughts, and feelings more deeply. By exploring your experiences, we hope you will gain a deeper understanding of yourself and consider ways in which you could enact change. There is a particular emphasis on the meanings we ascribe to our actions and motivations. We may be interested in understanding how past experiences continue to influence you in the present. This does not imply an exclusive focus on your childhood; however, we will consider how it, along with other significant life events, may have shaped you.

Our focus will be on your experience of the world, aiming to understand your relationship with yourself and others and its impact on your mental health. We will explore how your relational experiences might influence your coping mechanisms for current challenges. It's possible that some coping strategies you've developed are now hindering your ability to live as you wish. While you may be aware of some of these patterns, others might be outside your awareness. Our therapy aims to enhance your understanding of these patterns, assisting you in contemplating changes to improve your relationships, mental health, and overall enjoyment of life.

Structured Psychotherapy

In structured psychotherapy, we may utilise models such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). These approaches are more practical. Upon establishing a mutual understanding of your issues, we will embark on learning new coping skills and problem-solving techniques. We will examine patterns of behaviour or unhelpful thinking styles that contribute to your challenges. Our efforts will be directed towards goals we establish together, with a focus on the present.

Your active participation in your therapy will be greatly encouraged. This includes undertaking tasks between sessions, which may involve practising skills learned in therapy, monitoring your symptoms, or experimenting with new behaviours. This active engagement is crucial for the effectiveness of structured psychotherapy, as it applies what has been discussed in sessions to your everyday life, thereby facilitating change and improvement in your mental health and well-being.