I am trained in several modalities therapeutically and each of these are listed below for you to read and decide which approach may best suit you.

Person-Centered Therapy

This approach uses a non-authoritative style which allows clients to take more of a lead in sessions so that they will discover their own solutions. The therapist is non judgmental and offers empathy and unconditional positive regard acting as a compassionate facilitator. Listening and acknowledging the client’s experience without leading or taking the focus away from the client. The therapist is fully present to encourage and support the client guiding them through the therapeutic process without interfering with the client’s process of self-discovery. This promotes self-confidence, a strong sense of identity, trust and belief in oneself, and the ability to build healthy relationships with themselves and others. To trust his or her own decisions. This approach, alone or in combination with other types of therapy, can be helpful for those who suffer from grief, depression, anxiety, stress, abuse, or other mental health conditions.
This person centred process facilitates your journey of self-discovery, self-acceptance, and provides a pathway towards healing and growth.

“Therapy is the arena of unresolved issues and unfinished business”

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy or (CBT) is a short-term therapy directed at current issues and based on the idea that the way a person thinks and feels affects the way he or she behaves. The emphasis is on problem solving, and the goal is to change the clients’ thought processes and patterns in order to change their reaction and responses to tough situations. A CBT approach can be applied to a variety of mental health issues and conditions and is appropriate for children, adolescents, and adults and for individuals, families, and couples. CBT can be used in combination or alone to treat depression, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, addictions, OCD, anger issues, panic disorders, phobias, eating disorders, marital difficulties, pain symptoms and many more. CBT in practice incorporates learning to identify painful and upsetting thoughts about current issues and to see if such thoughts are realistic or irrational. If these thoughts appear to be unrealistic, the therapist will support you in learning new ways to process information, and skills that can help change thought processes. Homework is a big part of CBT and helps both the therapist and client track progress.  The aim of CBT is to encourage clients to become more pro-active in their own treatment so they can understand what is best for them to improve their lives.

“Time present and time past are both present in time future and time future contained in time past”

Hypnotherapy & Mindfulness

Hypnotherapy is basically hypnosis under the guidance of a trained professional it induces a trance-like state of focus and concentration achieved through relaxation, visualisation and talking techniques. The trance-like state is likened to being totally focussed in a book, or captivated by a movie, music, or even your own thoughts. Whilst in trance clients can focus their attention inwardly to identify and use natural resources deep within their subconscious that may help them to change or feel empowered again after a loss of identity. Hypnotherapy is often used alongside other forms of therapeutic intervention and it can be used to treat substance misuse, addictions, anxiety, depression, phobias, sexual issues, unwanted behaviours, and bad habits. It can also help with insomnia, communication, and relationship issues. It can support people with chronic pain to feel better, and act as a calming influence for those under stress. The therapist will help you get into a relaxed, focused state and ask questions about how you are feeling to support reflection, and offer positive ways that can help change the way you think and behave. Unlike media portrayals of pocket watches and pendulums Hypnosis is a gentle but effective way of addressing thought processes and releasing negative views. You will not be unconscious, out of control or asleep, you will hear the therapist’s suggestions, and it is your choice if you wish to act on them or not.

“Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eyes”

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)

NLP therapy involves all of the senses and the use of appropriate language and articulation that supports behavioural change. It improves the client’s self-awareness, confidence, communication skills, and social interactions. The aim of of NLP is to help the client focus on their world view and see how it impacts themselves and others. It promotes self reflection and recognition of if it is necessary to change one’s thoughts and behavior patterns that cause negativity and block progress. NLP is useful when treating  addictions, fears and phobias, anxiety, low self-esteem, PTSD and identity issues. NLP therapists may use different techniques such as visualization, scoring one’s thoughts and feelings to track progress and forming mental images of desired outcomes using all of the five senses. The therapist may encourage the use of positive language over negative words and help you to recognise your inner critic. NLP therapy can be short or long-term, depending on the issues presenting and how the individual progresses.

“You can be whoever you want to be, the only person standing in your way…. Is you”

Sandplay Therapy & Story Telling

These two approaches are particularly good when working with children or adolescents and many adults who have suffered child abuse in their history have benefitted from it. Sandplay involves the use of sand and miniature toys that represent figures in the lives of the client. They use these to draw their stories in the sand and much of this is non-verbal guided by the therapist the client chooses their toys and sets the scene explaining if they wish to what is going on in their story. Sandplay therapy is an intervention that makes use of a sandbox, toy figures, and sometimes water, to create scenes of miniature worlds that reflect a person’s inner thoughts, struggles, and concerns. It’s useful for those who have suffered some form of trauma, neglect, or abuse. I have in my therapy room a sandbox and miniatures for anybody wishing to try this type of therapy.

“The soul is ever searching for the light of truth..”

Emotional Focussed Therapy

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a short-term therapy that looks at adult relationships and attachment/bonding. Together the client and the therapist explore patterns of relating to others and seek to create pathways to make more secure bonds and develop their trust to move relationships to a healthier, place.  This approach is beneficial for everyone, children, families, couples and individuals in distress. It helps address negative emotions such as anger, fear, loss of trust, or sense of betrayal in their relationship. EFT can also help reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression or trauma.
The therapist will encourage you to explore your current emotional issues and then help you discover emotions that you may not realize you have. Sometimes past resentments resurface and vulnerabilities may arise that were blocked by the more immediate emotions in your current relationship. You will learn to express emotions in a way that will help you connect, rather than disconnect with your partner or family member. Changing negative thoughts and communication styles to positive ones and sometimes this is done via tapping on meridian points to alleviate stress guided by the therapist.

“Even in life’s darkest hours we continue to learn, grow and reach towards the light.”

EMDR- Eye Movement De-Sensitization & Reprocessing Therapy

EMDR is a non conventional type of psychotherapy created to eliminate bad feelings associated with flashbacks, and negative memories from traumatic events. Unlike other types of therapy EMDR deals with the crisis of emotions as opposed to the traumatic incident itself. Treatment includes watching the therapist’s fingers, or a light bar that moves in different directions to stimulate the brains responses and works on unblocking the brain when clients are stuck in anxiety, trauma or depression. It can be done using headphones and listening to specific beats in either ear at regular intervals or via pulsating paddles held in each hand controlled by the therapist to stimulate the nervous system.

EMDR has been highly successful in treating severe trauma victims and front line crisis workers such as soldiers, police, firefighters and medics. EMDR was originally developed to treat symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and phobias. It can also be used to treat depression, eating disorders, addictions and sexual dysfunction. In this type of therapy it is not necessary fro the therapist to know everything they work with the resulting negative emotions from your trauma so you won’t necessarily have to reveal all the details of your traumatic experience. Through EMDR negative emotions are addressed, minimised and often eliminated therapists will share techniques to help you deal with disturbing feelings and then guide you through a process known as desensitization. EMDR is effective quite quickly and often only a few sessions are required to shift trauma until you get to a point where you can bring up memories of the traumatic event without experiencing the negativity that brought you to therapy in the first place.
The aim of EMDR is to fully process old negative experiences and filter out the emotions attached to those experiences. Thoughts and feelings that are no longer helpful or healthy are replaced with positive thoughts and feelings that will encourage healthier behavior and social interactions. EMDR therapy occurs in stages and is facilitated by the therapist in a systematic way guiding the client through each phase addressing each negative emotion until those memories lose their power over them emotionally.

Bhudda once said:

“What you think you become… what you feel you attract… what you imagine you create.” Reflect on this and change your life for the better”