FAQs

My work is integrative and humanistic, which means I don't follow a single therapeutic model or predetermined programme. I draw on different theories and approaches depending on what is happening for you and what seems useful. These can include somatic and trauma-informed approaches, Solution Focused Therapy, attachment theory and other psychological perspectives. The starting point, however, is you - rather than trying to fit your experience into a particular model.

Somatic therapy brings the body into the therapeutic conversation. Alongside thoughts and emotions, we may pay attention to things such as physical sensations, breathing, posture, movement or changes in your nervous system. My work is online and does not involve physical touch. Because seeing some of the body can be useful in somatic work, I may sometimes suggest adjusting your camera position so that I can see more than your head and shoulders. You remain in control of what we explore, and you don't have to do anything that doesn't feel right for you.

Solution Focused Therapy is an approach that pays particular attention to what you want to be different, what is already helping, and the strengths, resources and possibilities that may be available to you. I draw on Solution Focused ideas where they are useful rather than using them as a fixed programme. Sometimes understanding how something developed matters; sometimes it is more useful to look at what you want next and what might help you move towards it. Often there is room for both.

Therapy with me is collaborative, curious and responsive. There isn't a predetermined programme to follow, and I won't assume that I already know what you need. We might explore your history, notice patterns, pay attention to what happens in your body, experiment with something different, or simply create enough space to think properly about something that has become difficult to see clearly from inside it.

There isn't a predetermined number of sessions. Some people find that the work they want to do takes months; others choose to work for considerably longer. We'll pay attention to whether therapy continues to be useful to you rather than deciding at the outset how long you should need it.

Humanistic integrative psychotherapy draws on several different therapeutic approaches rather than asking you to fit into one particular model. My work is informed by person-centred therapy, Gestalt, attachment theory and ideas from object relations. Although these approaches differ, they share an interest in how we develop through our relationships with other people, and how those experiences can continue to shape the way we understand ourselves, relate to others and move through the world. Being integrative means I can draw on different ideas depending on what is useful for you, rather than applying the same theory or technique to everyone. The humanistic part is equally important: I see you as a whole person with your own history, circumstances, strengths and ways of making sense of your life. Therapy therefore isn't about me deciding what is wrong with you or telling you who you should become. We work together to understand what has shaped you, what may be happening now, and what might help you move towards a way of living that feels more like your own.