I am a psychotherapist with an MA in Gestalt psychotherapy and am passionate about working with and alongside both individuals and couples. I provide a nurturing and non-judgemental space which encourages self-awareness and personal growth. Having a consistent space where you are able to bring your concerns, fears, hopes and uncertainties allows for a deepened understanding of your patterns and habitual ways of thinking and being. From this place of understanding we can move together to look at ways to change what no longer serves you.

I also work as a filmmaker and co-founded and ran a psychotherapy centre in London for 8 years. My focus now is on my private practice here in Somerset. Most of my sessions are in person, however I do offer a few online slots.

Having worked with clients for over 15 years I have come to realise that the most important aspect of therapy is the relationship between client and therapist. I have found that meaning-making together —facing the inevitable messiness that life and relationships are made up of— brings about a fuller understanding and acceptance, the first steps towards creating lasting change.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Couples Therapy Training (2017), Gestalt Centre

• MA in Gestalt Psychotherapy (completed 2016), London Metropolitan University

• TME qualified Mindfulness in the Workplace Trainer (2014), TME

• Diploma in Gestalt Counselling (completed 2013) Gestalt Centre, London

• Diploma in Transpersonal Counselling (completed 2009) Pheonix Institute, Melbourne

• Bachelor of Creative Arts (completed 2006), University of Melbourne

INDIVIDUAL THERAPY

My hope is to provide a safe place for you to express your full self, to be understood and to understand while supporting you in becoming more accepting of yourself. Through self acceptance you can move into more choice-full ways of being and begin to find meaning in your life even through stressful and difficult times.

It is through increased self awareness that real and lasting change can occur, and I find witnessing and co-creating these changes to be a deeply fulfilling part of my work. These changes often begin as reconfigurations of our inner landscape, a deepening of awareness, which often ripples out into practical shifts and changes we can see in our lives.

It is in relationships that our traumas are created and it is within them that they can be explored, understood and transformed. Creating a trusting and solid bond with someone allows us to face and undo these ways of being that have caused us suffering. In this way I work relationally, meaning that I bring how I am impacted by you into the session. This allows us to see what relational dynamics feel familiar and perhaps outdated, and what new ways of relating and contacting the world may bring more connection and fulfilment for you.

Finding the right balance of challenge and support is a vital part of the therapeutic process and something that is continual part of my work with my clients.

I work with a range of issues, including but not limited to, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma (ptsd), stress, self harm and personality disorders. I also work with people who are generally feeling well in their lives but have a yearning to explore their potential and understand themselves more deeply.

COUPLes therapy

One of my main passions is providing couples therapy. I thoroughly enjoy working together with couples on increasing awareness around relational patterns,  deepening intimacy, tolerating and celebrating differences and also providing support with endings if couples need it.

Our attachments patterns tend to be aggravated by those close to us, especially our intimate partner. Understanding these patterns and how they activate and provoke each other within the relationship is a big part of the exploration. The work also often tends to be about finding a balance between the desire to merge and the desire to differentiate. Working between these two poles can provide a wealth of wisdom, re-balancing and revitalising a couple’s energy.

What to expect from our first session: The time will be focused on exploring what it is you'd like to get out of therapy - you and your partner's expectations and hopes. I'll also want to get some background information about you both, your current support system and some facts about your childhood. We'll talk more deeply about how I work and whether we would be the right fit. It really is important to find someone you resonate with, where you have a strong sense of: 'yes this person can help us'. This session should give you the answer to that and I encourage people to ask as many questions as they would like to. 

How I work: Working from a Gestalt perspective means I focus on the here-and-now in order to explore and understand what patterns may be stopping you from experiencing yourselves and each other in a more meaningful and fulfilling way. I work relationally, meaning I bring how I am experiencing and relating to you into the session. In this way we can build trust and connection and which allows us to explore and understand the dynamics between your more deeply. Often this leads us to looking at childhood patterns which are being repeated in your adult relationship. Understanding and reassessing the need for these patterns helps us to understand and redefine the way you relate to one another, giving you the tools to embrace change and work towards a more fulfilling and balanced relationship. 

It is amazing how often just having someone witness a relationship dynamic can bring about huge understanding and shifts. A big part of my work is to provide this witnessing, alongside guiding, mirroring, and becoming familiar with and unknotting stubborn patterns.

Each couples session is 90 minutes. I provide both short term and long term therapy.

what happens in the first session and is it paid for?

We meet either online or in person and get a feel for each other and figure out if we’d like to work together. The first session is paid for and is the same rate as the other sessions. It really is important to find someone you resonate with, where you have a strong sense of: 'yes this person can help me', this session should leave you feeling clear about that one way or another. I also offer shorter introductory Zoom or phone calls, however I think it’s best to decide whether you want to continue with any therapist once you have had a full session with them.

what is gestalt?

Gestalt is a type of therapy which focuses on the here-and-now. We look at what’s happening now and explore how it might be an echo from your past. There is an emphasis on the body - how are your patterns and ways of being felt in your body? Gestalt therapy explores the benefits and drawbacks of what’s happening in the here-and-now and encourages experimentation with changing things up a little.

How long is each session?

Individual sessions are 50 minutes and couples sessions are 1hour and 20 minutes

How often do we meet

Once a week for individual sessions. For couples we meet once a week for 4 weeks and then find a rhythm that works, usually but not always, every fortnight.

how long does therapy continue on for?

As long as you feel it needs to, although as a general rule couples therapy tends to be shorter than individual. Sometimes we decide from the start that a few months or a year seems right, other times it may feel more suitable to leave it open-ended.

is there ‘homework’?

I almost never give concrete homework in individual therapy unless it something that you and I decide would be helpful. When working with couples I may suggest it, but only occasionally.

how do i know it’s working?

You may begin to understand yourself and your patterns of relating more clearly. Acceptance is a big part of the therapeutic process and you can find that you’re less critical of yourself, more embracing of parts you may have previously wanted to hide or been ashamed of. Sometimes a therapy session can be difficult and you may feel like things are being stirred up for a while before they resettle into something more fulfilling. After a time of working with a therapist you should start noticing changes in your life, in how you make decisions and how you are in your relationships.