My role as therapist is to provide a safe space for you to express your thoughts and feelings and explore the aspects of your life that you feel are important. Developing a trusting, understanding relationship with a therapist is fundamentally important to the success of therapy, as research has consistently shown, so I aim to provide a space in which that relationship can form. I will not judge you, direct you, or set goals for the therapy. My role is to facilitate a process whereby you can find your own meanings, truths and solutions.

 

I draw on a number of therapeutic approaches and am most extensively trained in the existential approach. This approach emphasises the human condition as a whole and aims to use psychotherapy to examine and work with our capabilities and unexplored possibilities while acknowledging our human limitations. This approach sees the creation of meaning as a fundamentally important aspect of human life. Part of the role of psychotherapy therefore is to clarify and develop personal meaning.  

 

I also incorporate mindfulness in my approach to therapy. Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of our present moment experience and can enable us to experience life more fully. It can significantly change the way we relate to difficult feelings and experiences and enable us to appreciate more fully the good things in our lives. Mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and help with depression and anxiety. While working with you I will use my personal practice of mindfulness to enable me to be fully present during our meetings while at the same time inviting you to develop greater awareness of your own moment to moment experience. This may involve experimenting with mindfulness practices within the session and at home if this is something you would like to do.

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The existential approach to psychotherapy does not view human problems illnesses to be cured, and behaviour is not judged and categorised. Therefore, you will not be expected to adopt a particular way of living, or to see life according to anyone's theory about it.