Approach

I always try to maintain flexibility in my approach. People see psychologists for different reasons; they also differ in their personalities, personal histories, and general approach to life. As a result, there is no one method that works for all people or at all times. My choice of approach or intervention arises from the development of a shared understanding of a person’s experience, desires, and needs. 

Therapeutic frameworks I draw from include:

` Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy (including intensives)

– Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy

– Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

– Humanistic / Existential Therapy

– Psychodynamic Therapy

There are also basic assumptions that, regardless of therapy type, inform my work. These include:

– The importance of satisfying and rewarding interpersonal connections. My work is strongly influenced by attachment and interpersonal neurobiology research linking improvements in our ability to get our interpersonal needs met — that is, to feel seen by, understood, and connected to others — with significant improvement in our individual mental health and wellbeing. In other words, by changing our interpersonal lives, we also change our internal lives.

– The usefulness of gaining knowledge, understanding, and insight into ourselves. Gaining an increased awareness and understanding of ourselves — including our habits of thinking, our emotional life, and our relational patterns — can be extremely empowering, and result in an increased sense of control and choice in our lives.

– That people have an innate drive towards health, growth, and restoration. When people experience periods of poor mental health, or feel ‘stuck’, there is often some kind of obstacle getting in the way of this natural drive towards growth and health. As a psychologist, one of my tasks is to work together with people to help identify — and remove or resolve — this obstacle or barrier.