The Way I Work

Change begins here

My aim is to offer a safe, caring, professional, non-judgemental and confidential working relationship based on trust, openness, joint participation, and free from counselling ‘jargon’. My role is supportive and facilitative in helping you find and connect with your inner strengths and resources, become stronger and make changes so that you are able to cope better in your world.

The work may vary from simply wanting to offload to more complex, lengthier work. The work varies from short-, medium- to long-term. It may involve acquiring new life skills, strategies and/or learning specific techniques, for example to help with panic attacks or anger management.

You may be reluctant to look at the past, thinking it is not relevant or that it is a frightening and confusing place to go. Even though our work may take us there, the purpose is ultimately future-oriented to help you make better sense of the present and put in place new awareness and learning to cope better with the future.

I offer knowledge and expertise, having been trained in a variety of approaches.

  • My main theoretical approach is Person-Centred. I am interested in you as a person behind any problems, diagnostic labels and medical and/or psychological conditions which you may present. I want to help you connect with your inner strength, grow stronger and become more confident in your abilities to handle whatever life throws at you.
  • I incorporate other theoretical approaches, particularly Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Transactional Analysis and Gestalt, into my practice.

To bring alive these theoretical approaches, various techniques can be used in sessions to support the talking therapy and, where appropriate, I will discuss with you whether you would like to use any of them. These include:

  • chart work and writing exercises
  • a range of creative techniques, such as artwork and stonework
    I have a particular interest in art and creative techniques stemming from a time before I was a matrimonial Solicitor when I gained a place at Chelsea School of Art and considered a career in art.
  • visualization
  • breathing and relaxation techniques
  • focusing (5 senses)