Motivation
During my doctoral training and working life I have worked with individuals and families from a variety of backgrounds and of different abilities and feel it is important to continue to do so. I have worked with people of all age ranges and currently continue to work with children and young people, and their families outside of my private practice. I enjoy the feeling of being helpful to my clients and seeing them move on to a more fulfilling life, with them becoming their own therapists.
Approach
As a clinician, I take an empathic and compassionate approach, whilst at the same time helping you to find ways of challenging yourself on the road to self-improvement. When I say self-improvement, I mean you improving your ability to nurture yourself, utilising more helpful thoughts and actions.
We begin by exploring any current difficulties you may be experiencing or what you would like to be different in your life. We then think about your past in an attempt to understand what you went through. This can be brief, or it may take a little longer, but it is necessary in order to help us uncover your inner strengths and resources that have helped you through your life. At other times the narrative of your life becomes clearer as we go through sessions and you acquire new skills.
In our sessions, I will provide you with a non-judgemental open space, where you can talk about what is on your mind, whilst sometimes redirecting us to how this may relate to your life overall or where you aspire to be.
My preferred way of working is integrative – adapting my approach to the individual’s needs, drawing on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and systemically-informed approaches. This is because Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is the first-line evidence-based treatment for a number of difficulties. Additionally, I am always guided by you in choosing how we work on reaching your therapy goals.
I have experience in helping individuals overcome a range of difficulties, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, phobias, low self-esteem, and others. I also helped individuals find ways of coping with chronic pain and other physical health problems. Finally, have assisted parents in finding ways of supporting their children through behavioural and mental health difficulties. This involved both practical advice and attachment-based parenting support.
Philosophy
When we think about our health, we often focus on the physical side, overlooking our mental health. However, we know that both need to be considered together and both need to be nurtured equally in order to see improvements in either.
I believe that through determination and work on ourselves we can get back on track to the life we want to be living and grow as people. Therapy can help an individual identify any barriers that may be getting in the way of them achieving their goals and find ways of overcoming these.