I offer myself as a support system in an empathetic enquiry which allows for an exploration of a broad range of issues. We focus on the situation you are in (rather than fault-finding, analysing, taking-sides or blaming) we look at ‘what is’ here and now and how to bring your resources, strengths, and desires to make the changes you want.
Insight and understanding into how we react in certain situations brings about cure. I also hold that there is an Opening, a spiritual or transpersonal clearing, that is always and already present and which ‘ultimately’ can never be taken from us – we can and do lose many things. Some of our work will be about creating the conditions for this Opening to be realized, felt and lived.
You may bring a particular issue such as anxiety, depression, death, loss, heart-ache, work conflict or difficulties with anger. You make be having relational issues or hard decisions to make or you may have lost your authentic voice – our aim is to find ways to face into and deal with the realities of life, to look into the issues while exploring new potentials, new roles, healthy reflections and choices… and move toward possible futures.
This includes managing the big changes or life-stage transitions (that come to us all) finding meaning in challenging situations, support for being yourself, and living courageously according to your integral values. Our work is also the collaborative surfacing of repressed, conflicted, tabooed or unwanted shadow aspects of self while creating a space for expanding awareness and free attention – the work is integrative.
My approach is informed by meditational, existential, psychodynamic, relational and trauma informed gestalt therapy (7 years training), but also depth psychology, social anthropology and transpersonal psychology. An important part of my approach is to explore what is within awareness so that what is out of awareness can emerge into consciousness.
Bringing the unconscious into awareness heals internal splits and restores ease to conflicted or tangled energy which creates a more balanced relationship with a more expanded and embodied psyche. This can be portrayed as gently bringing what is hidden into the open; moving from darkness to light, or even what is deadened back to life.
This in turn facilitates maturation, balance or seasoning of the personality; provides relief from inner turmoil, completes the task of emotional suffering and eases psychic pain.