Psychotherapy is a journey of self-discovery

It is a process that can support us to understand who we are,  make sense of our experiences, and access our inner wisdom and resources to fulfil our innate potential and live life fully.

---

I offer a growth oriented process to enhance self-awareness and understanding, facilitating the process of individuals realising their potential. My spiritual understandings of the unity and connectedness of all life underpins my work and, I believe, honours our shared humanity and the potential we each have for growth and development.

I work holistically and use an integrated approach to address the multiple and unique needs that you bring.  I focus on your strengths and capabilities and support you to develop increased internal and external resources.  I seek to encourage people to trust themselves and their capacity to heal, grow, thrive and live a full and meaningful life. 

My work is informed by clinically proven psychotherapy theories and I am committed to ongoing professional development.  I draw upon a range of therapeutic tools and my work is influenced by a number of theoretical orientations including, Transactional Analysis, Existential and Humanistic Psychotherapy, Attachment-based and Emotionally Focused Therapy, Compassionate Focused Therapy and Mindfulness and Somatic based approaches.

Central importance to my practice is establishing a shared understanding of the work to be undertaken.  I will work collaboratively with you and view the therapy process as a mutual endeavour to support you in achieving your self-determined goals. I will invite you to adopt an open, accepting, compassionate, curious and self-reflective stance towards your inner experiences. Through attentive listening, sensitive enquiry and skilled reflection, I will guide you to think flexibly and consider things from different perspectives, facilitating new learning and understanding, and expanded possibilities of relating to self and others.

What to expect

Commitment

I am committed to providing you with a professional, ethical, confidential and secure environment in which you can come to understand yourself better, make sense of your experiences and your relationships with others. This process happens through meeting regularly and the focus will be on providing you with an opportunity to enhance self-understanding.

Freedom to express & feel

You will be invited to say whatever is on your mind and have the freedom to feel and give expression to a range of emotions. Psychotherapy works by providing questions, attuned reflections, interpretations and prompts that can assist you to understand and express yourself freely and will support you to develop a more authentic relationship with self and others.

Therapy is a journey

Psychotherapy is typically not a quick fix although sometimes significant change can occur after a couple of sessions. The length of therapy depends on a range of factors and together we can determine what will best suit your needs, budget and what you are hoping to achieve from therapy.

Emotionally safe environment

The therapeutic process can be uncomfortable and confronting, as previously denied or avoided aspects of self and experience are uncovered and sometimes explored for the first time. This can sometimes result in a temporary increase in emotional distress. An important aim of the psychotherapy process is to support you as you process and integrate these painful elements of your experience in an emotionally safe and healing therapeutic space.

Meaningful therapy

Current research in psychology suggests that much of our suffering arises out of our best intentioned efforts to change, suppress, eliminate or control painful events and challenges that arise in life. Psychological flexibility is the path out of suffering. To lead a psychologically flexible life we need to value acceptance and willingness, adopt a kind and compassionate stance towards self, and have the courage to make room for the inevitable pain of life. The psychotherapy process can help you to access the inner resources that best support you to do so.

Respect & dignity

When you engage in psychotherapy services, you have the right to be treated with respect; the right to freedom from discrimination, coercion, harassment, and exploitation; the right to dignity and independence; the right to services of an appropriate standard; the right to effective communication; the right to be fully informed; the right to make an informed choice and give informed consent; the right to support; rights in respect of teaching or research; and, the right to complain – as set out by the office of the Health & Disability Commissioner.

Often that which is the hardest to digest, to process, to integrate into our life experiences… is what ultimately transforms us in a positive way.