We can’t change other people by our convictions, stories and proposals, but we can offer a space where people are encouraged to disarm themselves, lay aside their occupations and preoccupations and listen with attention and care to the voices speaking in their own centre. - Henri Nouwen
This quote captures some essential aspects of my approach to psychotherapy. I do not believe that the changes we want in our lives when we seek counselling can be achieved by reasonable arguments, advice or persuasion no matter how wise or well intentioned. However, I have found that these changes can come about within the context of a safe, therapeutic relationship. I attempt to offer “a space” where clients can let down their guards, become attentive to themselves and curious about their concerns. There is an invitation in working with me to “lay aside” the usual distractions, the repetitive stories and destructive patterns, the ruts in which we find ourselves. It involves a process of very careful and empathic listening, a process of jointly searching for more understanding and clarity and offering respectful, informed feedback. It is then that new and authentic parts of ourselves can come forward and be heard. It is then that we can begin to change our lives from within.
I have an eclectic approach to counselling. I draw from several different models of therapy and bring them together in a unique way for each client. My original training was in client–centered, humanistic and feminist approaches to therapy. In a general way, these approaches still form a strong foundation for my work – placing an empathic, respectful relationship at the centre of therapy as well as placing our personal struggles in a social context. Over the years, however, I have trained in other approaches to therapy and have integrated them into my way of practicing.
If you would like to have specific information about the types of therapy I bring to my work, go to www.goodtherapy.org and look for: Mindfulness-based Therapy, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapyand Trauma Therapy.