Psychotherapy
Initial Consultation
Therapy begins with an initial consultation, offering an opportunity to talk about what has brought you to therapy at this point in your life. We can think together about some of your personal history, your current circumstances and what you might be looking for from therapy.
The consultation lasts 50 minutes and gives us an opportunity to meet and consider whether this way of working feels right for you. It is also a chance to ask any questions you may have about the process.
How I Work
Sometimes our present difficulties are connected to experiences from the past and to patterns of feeling, thinking and relating that have developed outside our awareness. These patterns can continue to shape our lives and relationships, even when we do not fully understand where they come from.
Therapy offers the time and space to begin to explore these experiences and to become more familiar with what is happening within us. This can include paying attention to feelings, thoughts, dreams and patterns in relationships, as well as what emerges between patient and therapist.
I do not offer advice or quick solutions. Instead, we take time to explore what is troubling you and to understand it more fully. The process can sometimes be difficult, but it can also bring relief and open up new possibilities for understanding yourself and relating to others.
Session Information
I offer sessions once, twice or three times a week, either in person in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, or online. Each session lasts 50 minutes and takes place at the same agreed day and time each week.
Regularity is an important part of the work. Meeting consistently provides the time and continuity needed for a deeper exploration of difficulties and for patterns that may be less immediately apparent to emerge and be understood.
What brings people to therapy?
People come to therapy for many different reasons. Sometimes there is a particular difficulty or life event that has prompted someone to seek help; at other times, there may simply be a sense of feeling stuck, unhappy or unable to understand what is happening.
You do not need to have a clear understanding of what is wrong before coming to therapy. Sometimes part of the work is discovering this together.
I work with a wide range of difficulties, including both longstanding and more acute emotional and psychological problems.
These may include:
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Anxiety, panic or persistent worry
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Depression or low mood
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Grief, loss or significant life changes
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Difficulties in relationships
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Repeated or painful patterns in relationships
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Low self-esteem or harsh self-criticism
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Intrusive or troubling thoughts
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Trauma and the effects of early relationships
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Difficulties managing intense or overwhelming emotions
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Personality difficulties and longstanding relational difficulties
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Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours
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Self-harm
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Difficulties related to identity, purpose or meaning
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Loneliness or difficulties feeling connected to others
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Difficulties arising during major life transitions
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Postnatal difficulties
I have particular experience of working with complex and longstanding difficulties, including relationship difficulties, intense emotional experiences and trauma, and with difficulties in understanding and managing feelings.
Professional Standards and Training
I am a full member of the Society of Analytical Psychology (SAP) and the International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP), and am registered with the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC).
For more information about professional standards and training, please visit: