What happens next?
It's important that you find a therapist you are comfortable and can connect with. I offer a 20 minute initial consultation, where we look at the reason/s why you're seeking counselling, any goals you might have for therapy and discuss any questions you may have for me.
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If we decide to proceed, we will spend our first few sessions exploring your history, relevant life events and experiences and as we continue, we will start to identify the issues holding you back and establish your current goals for your therapy. Of course, these goals can be very broad (e.g. to feel happier) or much more specific (e.g. to find a job) and are invariably flexible and open to change as time goes on.
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We will meet once a week in one of my offices or online. The number of sessions we have together will depend on many different things, including the issue/s you would like support with, your financial situation, the pace you are comfortable working at and the depth at which you would like to work.
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People develop patterns of feeling, behaving and relating to others throughout their childhood to protect themselves. But many of these patterns become outdated in adulthood and are no longer helpful - often hindering a person's wellbeing, relationships and/or careers. Often, it is these patterns that we will explore from the outset, first seeking to understand the root of them, then seeking to interrupt those patterns and finally uprooting them.
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Therapy works best when clients are open, entering into the relationship with the expectation that self-discovery and growth usually involve challenging oneself. And this is why I like Robert Frost's quote "The only way out is always through".
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Would you like to work creatively? Psychotherapy can encompass more than just talking. We can explore anything that is meaningful to you, through many different mediums, whatever you feel comfortable enough to work with.
I invite you to bring in (or suggest we play around with) any of the following, or feel free to be creative beyond this list. Video clip; Song; Poem; Creative writing; Dance; Music; Nature walks; Toys; Art; Photos; Pictures; Dreams; Story; Special objects
“A wonderful harmony is created when we join together the seemingly unconnected”
Heraclitus
Ways we can work together
My space is orientated around you, and so we create a space for us. We all have different ways of making sense of the world, as well as different ways of coping with the most difficult parts of life. Part of our work is to decipher, honor and stand down the unhelpful coping mechanisms, part of it is to bring forward, enlighten and nurture parts that have not been nurtured. And in doing so, we start to make sense of the story we have lived through, our part in it, and what we do and do not have control over now.
Using intuitive creativity in the therapy space can help us to tap into more deeply embedded, hidden and unconscious parts of Self, which in turn can allow a deeper sense of autonomy over our thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
Understanding our parts
We can use many ways to discover and identify different parts of ourselves, which can include 'shadow-work'. This is down to personal preference and can include:
- Narrative
- Working in nature
- Working with sand-trays
- Using architype cards
- Working through pictures
- Somatics
- Two chair work
- Painting/drawing/doodling
Understanding our Script
('the story of your life')
We can start to make sense of our story through seeing it play our in ours or other people's iterations. This in turn means we can start to see where we can evolve our own story into the one we want to live out.
Some creative ways we can work include:
- Understanding childhood fantasies
- Looking at favoured childhood stories
- Working with songs and music
- Creative writing/composing music
(piano available for pianists in Alresford)
- Dreamwork
- Fantasy Island work
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Outdoor Therapy
(Thursdays)
In outdoor therapy sessions we can walk, choosing from one of several different length routes and terrains. Alternatively, we can sit at our base on comfortable and cozy seating, often warmed with a fire. You can decide each session what you'd prefer.​​
Numerous studies demonstrate the clear and many benefits of being surrounded by nature: lowering blood pressure, reducing cortisol levels, enhancing concentration and memory, and boosting the immune system.
Natural light, abstract shapes, antimicrobial properties of phytoncides (released by trees), natural movement of both flora an fauna, plus moving our own bodies, together with ever changing seasons all have a part to play in the restorative nature of... nature!
We will be outside whatever the weather, apart from high winds, so suitable clothing is important. We have some shelter from a canopy or and many blankets for warmth.​
The space we use is privately owned farmland and woodland, which reduces the likelihood of coming across others whilst we're in session, apart from the odd roebuck or squirrel.​​
If this sounds like your kind of thing, or something you'd like to try out, book in for a single session and see what you think.