What is Integrative Counselling?
There are many different approaches to counselling - some prioritise past experiences, some prioritise behaviours, others look into your thinking patterns, or relationships, or spiritual life. Some therapists will direct you toward what they see as the right direction, others will leave all the answers up to you. It can feel impossible to find the right therapist, using the right approach, within this maze of options.
Integrative therapy recognises that all these approaches have value, and that each individual client may need an individual blend of many of them.
Some of the approaches I work with are below.
Psychodynamic
Psychodynamic
Psychodynamic
It's not always clear why we think, feel, and behave in the ways that we do. Especially if it seems that we are working against ourselves, or hold negative core beliefs and values. Psychodynamic work allows us to uncover the roots of ourselves - how did we become who we are? Who gave me this belief about myself? What function is this behaviour serving for me?
Humanistic
Psychodynamic
Psychodynamic
There exists inside all of us a desire to find safety, grow, and become comfortable in our own skin. Humanistic work starts with safety - in the therapy room you can explore any aspect of yourself and your life without fear of shame or judgement. You may use the session to talk about anything you like, explore any issue, and my job is to help you to feel understood.
Existential
Psychodynamic
Trauma Counselling
These are the Big Questions in life - the ones we often turn away from as they can seem too distressing to confront. Death, loneliness, meaninglessness, uncertainty, freedom - it's not always easy to discuss issues like these. Existential work helps us to explore and come to terms with the upsetting givens in life, and find a way to meaningfully integrate them into our understanding of ourselves and our lives.
Trauma Counselling
Internal Family Systems
Trauma Counselling
Trauma isn't what happened to us, it's the wound that we're left with. That wound may leave us with panic, anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, and a host of other symptoms. Healing that wound can require a more directed approach than simply talking about it. In fact, talking about traumatic events from the past can often be triggering in itself, and even retraumatise us.
Trauma counselling works with the body to help resolve the feeling of threat, come back into the present, and restore authentic connection to the world.
I am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP-II)
Internal Family Systems
Internal Family Systems
Internal Family Systems
IFS understands that we are all made up of 'Parts', and these different parts often want different things. IFS allows us to get to know all our parts, the roles that they play and the inner battles that they may have with each other. IFS is a more directive form of psychotherapy that aims to get all of the Parts round a table, including those who may have been exiled away, and find The Self who can welcome them all, and give them all a voice.