Approach

Hilma af Klint

Hilma af Klint - The Swan No. 13

As an integrative counsellor I use a range of modalities, philosophies and approaches which I adapt to suit each client’s specific needs. These are listed below. I believe in working collaboratively with my clients to discover what that might be.

My position is to walk alongside you with whatever you may be going through. I welcome the thoughts and feelings that may be difficult to express elsewhere and will help you to understand them.

I take a non-judgemental stance so we can explore your experiences with curiosity and compassion. I’ll ask thoughtful questions to help us get to the heart of the matter, and offer honest reflections to support that process.

We will consider the ways you have responded to life’s circumstances and develop the courage and flexibility to explore new paths forward. Paths that feel more aligned with who you are now and what you wish life to be.

  • Rather than me sitting in an ‘expert’ position, I believe you are the expert of your own life, capable of healing and growth.

  • I view relationships as central to our wellbeing and that the therapeutic relationship can help facilitate awareness and positive change.

  • We will probably spend some time thinking about your past experiences and how they shape your current thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

  • We will reflect on your experience of the here and now such as what freedoms and choices might be available to you or what brings you meaning.

  • We may pay attention to your bodily sensations and/or physical symptoms to see how they relate to your emotions.

  • I will support you in understanding your autonomic nervous system and how this influences your emotional regulation and trauma responses.

  • We may consider your relationship(s) with your significant caregiver(s) and how it influences your current relationships.

  • We may explore your unconscious through archetypal symbols, visualisations and dreams, recognising how we are made of many parts.

  • I recognise the importance of your connection to the spiritual or transcendent aspects of the human experience and welcome their exploration.

  • I recognise the importance of your connection to the more than human world, including relationships to plants, animals and land.

  • I consider how social categories such as gender, sex, sexuality, race, class, disability, neurodiversity and age create a unique experience of discrimination and oppression.

  • I consider how some psychiatric practices may be harmful or oppressive, considering how social and economic factors contribute to poor mental health.