How I work
There are many different schools and approaches to therapy. I call myself an integrative practitioner, by which I mean that I draw upon successful models, such as person-centred counselling, transactional analysis, with its humanistic philosophy, Gestalt therapy, CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and psychodynamic therapy, to use the tools that I believe will be appropriate to meet a client's needs. You can read more about my qualifications on the next page.
Whilst having the support of friends and family is important, having someone to talk to who is there to pay close attention to you and your thoughts and feelings, without being biased or trying to placate you, can be very helpful. I aim to provide objective support and appropriate challenge to the people with whom I work.
There are no guarantees with therapy, which is why it is so important to find the right person for you. Research has shown that what produces the best chance of success is the quality of the relationship that you and your therapist create together, which is sometimes known as the therapeutic alliance. What this means is that as you develop trust in me, you become able to show more of yourself.
The initial consultation
Choosing the right therapist can be both daunting and expensive.
I offer a free half hour initial session for us to meet and get a sense of one another. During this, I'll want to know something about how the issue that has brought you along affects you and what you hope to gain from therapy. I'll also want to find out about your history, including your working life and relationships. You will have a chance to ask any questions you may have about my practice. We'd then be able to decide together whether to meet on a regular basis, or if an alternative referral is more suitable for you.
With all my clients I build in regular reviews so that we can both check that we are going in the right direction together.
