Psychodynamic Counselling
Psychodynamic counselling looks at the way in which our earliest relational experiences influence our unconscious and create our sense of self. Where these experiences are positive, or Good Enough, we can develop healthy self esteem and a resilience to adversity. However, where these experiences have been less than positive, neglectful or abusive, we can develop a sense of self which is fragile, self-punitive, or which seeks out similar unhelpful or abusive situations in life. This can lead to patterns of behaviour and emotions which are repeated in our work, relationships and experience of life. It can be difficult to identify and change these patterns on our own, but through a trusting and empathic therapeutic relationship, we can explore the meaning of our experiences, recognise and break these patterns and learn how to be more true to ourselves, in relation with others.
My approach
Psychodynamic theory underpins all of my work, alongside congruence, empathy and a non-judgemental stance, which are the core conditions of a person centred approach, fundamental to all healthcare and support work. However, it is the relationship between us which is of first importance. My aim is to provide you with a safe, empathic, inclusive and non-judgemental space, in which I try to see your world from both the inside and the outside and, in doing so, we can learn from one another and thereby discover new ways of being.
Psychotherapy or counselling
Psychotherapist, counsellor and therapist are not protected titles and therefore the terminology can be confusing. Psychotherapy is often used to describe working at depth, once a week, over a long period of time and can be facilitated by a suitable trained and experienced counsellor, psychotherapist, or psychoanalyst, the latter being able to offer multiple sessions per week. My diploma is in Human Relations and Counselling and therefore, I am a counsellor. However, I have been trained to work at depth, over a longer period of time and I maintain my on-going professional development, including further training, learning, reflective practice, supervision and my own personal therapy.
Short and Long Term Counselling
I offer both short-term and open-ended counselling. In short-term counselling, we could look at a specific difficulty or challenge in your life, or determine whether longer-term work would be useful to you. In open-ended counselling, we would have the time to explore your experiences at a deeper level. In both cases, we would aim to end by mutual agreement. However, you will always maintain the right to end whenever you wish, without reason.