About Therapy
What is humanistic therapy?
I am trained humanistically, which means I believe in a person's inherent ability to know what they need, and how to become the best version of themselves. My role is to provide a safe and confidential space to allow that process to flourish. Importantly, this requires me to be empathic with your experience, to not judge anything you bring to our sessions, to be authentic and real with you and accept you just as you are in the moment.
The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change
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- Carl Rogers -
What can I expect?
I won’t tell you what to do or what I think of it — instead, I’ll support you in getting curious about your emotions, patterns, and beliefs.
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In practise, this might look like reflecting on what you've told me, asking clarifying questions to make sure I've understood and offering empathic responses to what I hear. It might also look like challenging a perspective, engaging in compassion with you or practising experience or thought experiments together. Finally, I might also invite you into some mindful practises, like breathing, grounding or visualisation exercises.
With empathy, honesty, and space to be truly heard, we can figure things out together at your pace.
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I work in a warm, collaborative way that combines Person-Centred, Gestalt and Transactional Analysis approaches. In simple terms: I believe in your potential, your autonomy, and your ability to grow when you feel safe, seen and supported.​
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I like for our sessions to be a collaborative effort. While I can lean on my training and experience to bring what I feel will be of benefit, I would also encourage you to be an active participant in this process. To recognise and request what works for you and what you would like from the sessions. Together, we can create an environment and structure to help you achieve your goals in the most successful way for you.
How does therapy work?
In essence, psychotherapy works by fostering self-awareness, facilitating emotional healing, and equipping you with the tools to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.
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I work with a basis of awareness, autonomy and empowerment. First to become aware of what is happening for us, how and why we are reacting and behaving the way we do. By increasing that awareness, we can begin to recognise whether or not these behaviours are still working for us, and it grants us the autonomy to choose whether or not to follow them. This is, sometimes, easier said than done, which is where the empowerment comes in. We then need to have the resources and confidence to change them and create new responses or behaviours.
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​Research consistently demonstrates its benefits in improving emotional well-being, reducing symptoms of mental health disorders, and enhancing overall quality of life
​​Therapy is a gift. It is a chance to finally be heard, understood and supported​.
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- Bessel Van Der Kolk -