APPROACHES I USE
PERSON CENTRED COUNSELLING - YOU ARE THE EXPERT
Person Centred therapy is at the heart of all the approaches I use. It was developed in the 40's by Carl Rogers and was a bold move away from the traditional model of therapy where the therapist is considered the expert. It's based on the belief that every human strives for and has the capacity to fulfill their own potential. So what do I do? facilitate the right conditions for your growth.
I will facilitate and hold the space safely, in a way that will allow you to explore your feelings, beliefs, behaviours and world-view. I respect and value you for who you are and where you are at and will accept you without judgment. I will be alongside you as you bring what you feel is important to the sessions and assist you in identifying your resources, self-understanding and empowerment.
"People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be. When I look at a sunset, I don't find myself saying, "Soften the orange a bit on the right hand corner. I don't try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds." Carl Rogers
SOLUTION-FOCUSED BRIEF THERAPY (SFBT) - MEET YOUR GOALS
If you want to do 12 block sessions together I will be integrating some of the ideas of Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). It is a short-term goal-oriented approach which involves the identification of particular goals, focussing on the solutions that will help you to fulfil your future hopes.
I will create a space that enables you to look at what you want to achieve and how your life might look different after you have achieved it. I will encourage you to start looking at your situation in a different way that can help you to implement changes and overcome barriers. I will ask questions that are forward looking and will help you to reflect on where you are at and where you want to go.
I will always validate you and acknowledge your achievements and the difficulties you may face and aim for you to feel 'seen' and understood in our work together.
TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS (TA) - UNDERSTAND YOURSELF AND RELATIONSHIPS
TA can be used in our work together to help you to gain an understanding of yourself and your social interactions with other people.
There may be times where you are unhappy with the way you behave in certain situations or you might feel upset or frustrated with the way you are being treated by another person. Sometimes you might feel drained by your relationships or feel unable to create healthy boundaries with others.
We can use TA practically together to provide the conditions for helping you to better understand your relationships (friends, family, partner, work-colleagues etc.) and to improve your communication, personal reflection and self-awareness, in order to write a new 'script' and promote change in these relationships and in your life.
ATTACHMENT THEORY - LOOKING AT BONDS AND CONNECTIONS WITH OTHERS
Attachment theory looks at our bonds and connections with others, usually within a parent-child (caregiver-child) or romantic relationship.
Together we can identify how early bonds with care-givers may have impacted the way you have formed relationships with others later on in life and how you emotionally connect and behave in your relationships. Our style of attachment can inform how secure and safe we feel in our relationships with others and we can explore your experiences together to help you understand feelings that arise.
CREATIVE THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS - ARTY EXPRESSIVE STUFF
We can use aspects of expressive art therapy such as sand trays, creative writing and drawing/mark making in our sessions together.
I have found that it can be helpful for individuals to contact an inner part of themselves by physically holding/experiencing an object, where words alone may not feel enough to express their emotional landscape.
Sometimes you might feel stuck with speaking in therapy. We can use creative techniques that can help bypass our 'thinking' mind and allow us to access areas of our unconscious that will enable us to express thoughts and feelings that may have been repressed. Working in this way can help you to reflect in a new light, in a new way that you might not have seen before. I will support you to explore your inner and outer world which can initiate change, emotional growth and transformation, using your innate human gift to create.
You don't need to be an artist to engage in this type of therapy!
'Am I living in a way that is deeply satisfying to me, and which truly expresses me?'
Carl Rogers
CONTACT
Hangleton Way
Brighton
East Sussex
BN3 8BL