My Approach to Psychotherapy

For me, the most important aspect of psychotherapy is the therapeutic relationship. Through this relationship, we will create a safe space where you can express your thoughts and feelings, and we will work collaboratively to help you find ways to approach issues you may be having, and ways for you to cope better with your life. I will help us achieve this by listening to you empathetically and without judgement. I will also support you by asking you questions to help you reflect aspects of your life, which may, at times, involve compassionate challenging of your current ways of thinking and how you perceive your issues or difficulties.

My approach to psychotherapy is influenced by the psychotherapeutic theories I have been trained in. I am an integrative psychotherapist, which means I work with multiple theoretical approaches. These include psychodynamic theories, the person-centred approach and cognitive behavioural therapy.

What is the psychodynamic approach to psychotherapy?

The psychodynamic approach to psychotherapy originated from Sigmund Freud’s ‘Psychoanalysis’ in the early 20th century from his research into the origins of human behaviour and personality. This approach has changed and advanced since then, but in a nutshell, it focuses on how unconscious processes within us may be influencing our current behaviours. In therapy, this can involve looking at how early childhood experiences and relationships may be playing a role in our current difficulties.

What is the Person-Centred Approach?

The person-centred approach was founded by Carl Rogers in the 1940s and is a client-led approach to therapy which helps clients reach their potential. It evolved from the Humanistic approach which is guided by the belief that all individuals have the capacity for growth and have the ability within them to solve their own difficulties when provided with a suitable environment. This environment can be created in therapy where the client is afforded a safe, non-judgemental space by the therapist where they can feel listened to and understood and engage in honest self-exploration.

What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) evolved from and is an amalgamation of aspects from the cognitive and behavioural approaches to therapy, which developed in the 20th century. CBT is guided by the concept that our thoughts, feelings, physicality (bodily sensations) and behaviours are all interconnected, and that negative thoughts, feelings and behaviours can sometimes cause us to feel stuck in a negative cycle. CBT can help clients to focus in on these negative patterns to find ways to intervene to help them cope better with life. CBT is a more directive form of therapy than other approaches, and can involve the therapist providing some education around thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and can also involve worksheets and homework to help clients develop psychological tools to change their way of thinking and manage problematic emotions and behaviour.

So what does all this mean for me?

Every client is unique, and so my way of working will be different with each of my clients. I will do my best to tailor my approach to suit your needs. This will be a collaborative effort, so I will look for feedback from you throughout therapy to ensure that you are finding my way of working helpful for you. If you don’t like ‘homework’, no problem, we will find another way to help you approach your difficulties. If you prefer things unstructured, that’s fine, I will take your lead. If you want to focus on your past, that’s great, we can explore that together.

If you’re not sure what you want, that’s fine too. Together, we will figure out what you need from therapy and how we can go about achieving it.