About Me

My practice is based on the belief that psychotherapy can help with problems that stem from our earlier development. Much of human development takes place post birth and for good reason. It ensures maximum suitable adjustment to survive in the environment into which we are born.

This means our growth is strongly influenced by our relationships with others, particularly primary caregivers [usually but not always, your parent(s)], and the impact of the wider conditions of society that prevail at the time of our birth, and which, in various ways, affect all people.

This post birth growth means we are highly adaptive and can compensate well to any less than ideal growth conditions - ideal conditions probably never prevail for anyone completely in my view. Such compensations may leave us with problems in later life though. These compensations, or defenses, are largely hidden in unconscious processes and we can sometimes struggle to re-learn and adjust to alternative conditions later on. Alternatively, some later life event, or an accumulation of events, may mean we find ourselves simply overwhelmed and distress of various sorts can then follow. Often there is a combination of factors at play.

What are preferable development and growth conditions has become much better understood. Genes will always play a role but healthy growth benefits from a safe and calm environment. Events can trigger fears and anxieties often re-shape the direction our growth takes.

For me it is important to realize that many of our difficulties stem from often automatic defense processes. Therefore, blame, from others or from the self, are often not really valid, though to come to believe this may be a central part of psycho therapeutic work.

A non-blaming non-critical approach is core to my practice, and I work to encourage safeness and trust in a therapeutic relationship. This helps the exploration of our self in safety and encourages new growth.

I work with

• Individuals

Types of Therapies Offered

• Integrative Psychotherapist

What I can help with

• Abuse
• Addiction
• Age-related Issues
• Anxiety
• Autism
• Bereavement
• Bullying
• Chronic Illness
• Depression
• Domestic Violence
• Eating Disorders
• Employment Difficulties
• Gender
• Health-related Issues
• Identity Problems
• Mental Health Issues
• Obsessions
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Online Counselling
• Phobias
• Physical Abuse
• Post-Traumatic Stress
• Relationships
• Sex Offenders
• Sex Problems
• Sexual Abuse
• Sexuality
• Spirituality
• Stress
• Suicide
• Telephone Counselling
• Trauma