“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens” - Carl Jung

As an integrative therapist, I have studied more than one style of therapy. Being able to draw upon different approaches can be very helpful in order to identify the best techniques for each client to feel comfortable and make good progress. I offer counselling in Blackheath Standard SE3 and also on zoom.

Psychodynamic

Psychodynamic therapy looks for clues from your past to help us to understand together who you are today and why you do the things that you do. This might be looking at your childhood and key figures from the past or it could be looking at events that you have experienced. Once we can understand links you may experience a sense of acceptance or closure. Or there may be things you would like to change. This is something we can work on together.

Compassion Focussed Therapy

Often times, we are much more critical towards ourselves than we would ever be toward someone else. CFT is primarily a piece of work managing a strong inner critic. Without compassion we can be our own worst enemy and bad habits can form. CFT encourages all 3 threads of compassion, self compassion, compassion for others and receiving compassion. By exploring your experiences of compassion we will develop a plan to boost your compassion reserves.

This approach includes some practical exercises, some linked to mindfulness and others involve creativity or journalling to practice self expression and guide a compassionate journey.

Person-centred

Person-centred therapy (sometimes called humanistic) is a process we go through to help you to take charge of circumstances. When life throws enough challenge our way we can come to feel disempowered, and we feel we cannot help ourselves, we cannot move forward and we feel lost. At the heart of this approach is the belief that you can help yourself and you do have the tools you need but need some support to reconnect with them. I can help you to re-find this power and support you while you find your feet again.

Parts Therapy (IFS & VD)

Internal Family Systems and Voice Dialogue are techniques for addressing the conflicting parts we hold in our personalities. We all have multiple parts that each have their own agendas and motives as well as fears and strategies. For example your inner critic may be present at the same time as a compassionate part. A few other examples of parts may be: saboteur, denier, addict, justifier, clown, rescuer, volcano, victim, despondent, dramatic, escapist busy bee, pleaser, stoic, bully, avoidant planner, analyst, unlovable, unworthy, rejected, vulnerable traumatised, abandoned, invisible, broken, betrayed powerless, shamed, guilty, caretaker, controller, overachiever and perfectionist. Parts can feel adult or childlike. The parts therapy techniques I have studied allow the parts a voice so that we can come to understand the different points of view without judgement. This often provides a lot of new self awareness and relief from the pressure of parts.

Cognitive Behavioural

Cognitive behavioural therapy involves us looking at your thinking habits. We consider how the way that you think affects the way that you feel and the way that you behave. If we identify ‘problem thoughts’ then we can use practical exercises to create a shift in your thinking. CBT can be very useful for anxiety and depression and even for obsessive compulsive disorders.

Ancient Philosophies

Though my psychotherapy training did not extend to training in philosophy specifically my therapeutic approach is influenced by Buddism, Taoism, Stocism, as well as yoga philosophy.

Ancient philosophy has so much to offer to our experience of the modern world. We all want to experience more inner peace, harmony in relationships and society, be able to flow with life and cultivate acceptance, meaning, fulfilment, purpose, value, acceptance and compassion.

Philosophy has much to offer for human suffering whether that is day to day life or existential matters of change, living well and coping with death.