‘The most common form of despair is not being who you are’ – Kierkegaard
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My aim is for us both to develop a compassionate understanding of your needs and difficulties. There is always a repression of some parts of ourselves. Much of the time that may not be an issue, but when we are in emotional difficulty it is often these parts of the self that need to be given attention. We will seek to locate the silenced parts within and to given them a voice.
There are many doorways into the psyche. The trick is to find the paths that work for you, the ones that open to where you need to go. As an integrative therapist I draw on different perspectives at different times for different people. Sometimes words alone cannot always convey the truth of your experience. Our split-off unconscious parts often speak through imagery, metaphors, or bodily sensations. These all offer a direct line to the subconscious. I work creatively with what arises to explore these avenues.
We are embodied beings. There is no getting away from it: the body keeps the score. But how to access what the body may be telling us? It is about finding ways to notice and connect and cast light on what is held within that may be unconscious. I also pay attention to what arises between us relationally as this can offer a window onto significant relationships in the world.
We are all part of a larger whole that continually shaping the undercurrents of our emotional life. My approach is therefore ‘transpersonal’, recognising that our psyche is moulded not only by our childhood but by a stream of influences: ancestral, social, cultural, spiritual, environmental.
But my primary focus is to establish a space which is safe and supportive enough for you to embark on this courageous journey of exploration.