Your Inner Space

My approach is one of helping people resolve deeper causes rather than to provide band-aid solutions. I work in an holistic and experiential way, incorporating mind and body awareness, working with your strengths and helping you to bring out potential.

 

I understand that each person is different and that counselling and therapy also needs to be an individual solution, tailored to your needs and personality.

 

I draw from my training and experience with a number of styles of counselling and psychotherapy including meditation/mindfulness based Somatic Psychotherapy (IST - Inner Space Techniques), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution Focussed Brief Therapy and Trauma Focused Psychological Therapy. Some approaches are more suited towards the short or medium term, whereas others are more suited towards resolution of deeply held issues and effecting changes in the personality.

 

Whether you work with me for just a few sessions or ongoing over longer periods of time, I feel it is important to offer you an environment where you feel safe, heard and where your therapeutic needs are being met.

 

I employ a collaborative approach and aim for therapy to be an empowering process. I have a warm, gentle and down to earth manner and bring my professional experience and insight to assist you with change.

 

I have experience working with clients presenting with:

• anxiety

• depression

• anger

• grief and loss

• the effects of trauma and abuse

• stress

• low self-esteem

• family of origin issues

• work related issues

• Chronic fatigue and burn-out

• psychosomatic aspects of health issues

• finding meaning and life direction

• life transitions

• creative blocks

 

My therapeutic approach is built around the following elements.

 

Safety and empowerment

I believe that an environment of safety is needed to bring about change. Throughout the therapy process I aim to help you get in touch with strengths and resources that help you to feel comfortable and empowered to work through what you need to work through.

 

Meditation and mindfulness

I find that meditation and mindfulness are ways to go beyond the surface where you can discover and draw from deeper inner qualities and potential. More than just techniques, they allow awareness and growth and facilitate change.

 

The inner space of meditation allows clients to become aware of the less conscious workings of the mind. Once made conscious, issues and limiting life patterns can be brought to resolution. When the "knots" of the mind begin let go, a greater sense of self is revealed. From this greater perspective, change becomes possible. Healing comes from "being more". Without such metaphysical openings, psychological and health issues tend to go around in circles, escaping resolution.

 

Mindfulness or awareness is a facilitator of change in daily life. As your awareness grows so change comes naturally. You know yourself more and you are able to integrate your self discoveries into your life.

 

For those who feel they can't meditate or who have never experienced meditation or mindfulness practice before, practising in a therapeutic environment with a trained professional helps to cut through mental chatter.

 

Changing deeply held core material

Conditioning, core beliefs, memories and emotional dispositions shape our personalities; our perceptions, habits, behaviours and attitudes. This usually works in an unconscious way and may either support how we want to express ourselves in different areas of our lives or limit it. Bringing this core material to conscious awareness allows for deeper self understanding and change.

 

The mind-body connection

The body acts as a gateway to formative memories and experiences. In somatic (body-orientated) psychotherapy, through awareness (mindfulness and meditative methods), the body is a pathway to become aware of memories, patterns and core beliefs and a powerful way to integrate new experiences and bring about change.

 

Non-judgement, acceptance and empathy

I offer a non-judgemental, safe space for clients to explore and resolve difficult material. Often, when people seek therapy, they have not been able to experience this kind of acceptance and empathy previously. These conditions allow for self-acceptance and are the basis for self-knowledge and change.