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THERAPY

IN LICHFIELD & NOTTINGHAM

Clinical Work

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I work to value the individual; to recognise and respect where you are in your own place in the world and work from your perspective and combining this with the perspective I can bring to the developing relationship between us. This encompasses listening, respect, patience, reflection, and empathy and acceptance.

My approach is to help you to find your answers to the questions, confusions, and difficulties that have led you to this point and place.

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Often individuals are finding past situations are intruding into their thoughts and into their current life and are seeking to work out what is happening and how to manage feelings that arise.  Then there are others feeling shutdown and lacking feeling; having a sense of burnout and fatigue with their work, their relationships, and with their family.

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In my work with clients together we find that there are situations from the past that were more easily coped with but have now become difficult, if not impossible, to address in the ‘usual’ manner.  Together we find a way to function (more) healthily.

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Many individuals are looking for understanding and answers for the situation(s) they have found themselves in.  My work encompasses a wide range of issues brought by individuals from all walks of life. This has included relationship difficulties, dilemmas and confusions; anxieties about behaviours and internal thought patterns and clients wishing to process and deal with loss, changes and bereavements.

 

In therapy it is you that is important.

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  • I work to value the individual; to recognise and respect where the person is in his or her own place and work from this point.

  • This encompasses listening, respect, patience, reflection, and empathy.

  • Able to respond to the immediacy of the work; as an advocate in supporting client needs, and responsive to changing  needs.

  • I recognise my own support needs

  • Ethically I work to the code of ethics of the Gestalt Psychotherapy Training Institute, aligned with the UK Council for Psychotherapy.

  • Recognise the importance of guidelines and procedures that impact my work.

  • Able to monitor, record, and reflect on the therapeutic process.

  • To work creatively with imagination, story telling and poetry; the use of material, such as sand tray, toys, painting and modelling.

 

I trained in Gestalt Therapy.  What does that mean though?

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Basically, this approach was based on working with what is actually in your consciousness - in your thoughts.  And working with your behaviour and manner.  In this way the purpose is to begin the process of attending to what is happening and this provides the framework to exploring the originating purpose for your behaviour, attitude, thought patterns etc. 

Gestalt Therapy is about shifting from habitual patterns of thought and behaviour towards conscious aware thoughts and actions.

In this therapy approach the therapist is part of the relationship in the therapy room.  Through our interactions you are discovered as being you - the you who is in relationship with an other person (the therapist).  In this way Gestalt Therapy is, and always has been, a relational therapy approach.

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There are many approaches to therapy. How will you know if therapy with me is right for you? When I started having therapy what was important was to feel comfortable and safe.

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Meet with me and have the time to decide.  Should you decide I am not the therapist for you then there is no charge for our meeting.

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 I work throughout the day and last appointments are around the 7pm mark.

My psychotherapy qualification is an MA in Gestalt Psychotherapy from Birmingham University having trained with the Sherwood Training Institute in Nottingham.   I am a registered Gestalt Psychotherapist with UKCP.

My clinical practice is located in Lichfield and in Nottingham.

The cost for individual therapy is £65 per session.

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Contact me 

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What is Psychotherapy?

So, what is psychotherapy?

A talking therapy; a one-to-one engagement that is a shared experience for the purpose of allowing you -the client - to understand more fully and clearly you as a person and your situation.  And the purpose of this is to support you to know more clearly what troubles you; what properly supports you; and what you might let go of (and how you might let go)

These may include feelings of anxiety, depression, trauma, or perhaps what is perceived as the loss of meaning of one's life. Psychotherapy is a process which seeks to help you gain an increased capacity for choice, through which you become more autonomous and self-determined.

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Psychotherapy or Counsellor - is there a difference?

There is often confusion of Psychotherapy and Counselling.  My view is that in essence both are seeking to support you, as indeed is any therapeutic approach.  However, psychotherapy is viewed as working to a deeper emotional depth.  This may be taken as read when you enquiry is with a psychotherapist, yet in my experience there are many counsellors who are very able and do work at a deep level, yet you cannot assume this, so you need to enquire and ask questions.

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Regulation

Psychotherapy and counselling is not a regulated profession in the UK so I would consider it essential to ensure you look for a psychotherapist / counsellor who is registered with a professional body; the two main ones being UKCP and BACP.

 

Academic Qualification

Through discussion and research the UK Government has leaned towards describing Psychotherapy as a profession that requires a Master's Degree of qualification and Counselling as requiring an Ordinary Degree of qualification.

That said, I am uncomfortable with a strict criteria of academic achievement in defining an individual's ability as a psychotherapist/counsellor.  My view is that academic prowess is singularly poor criteria for therapeutic skills.  The academic learning of theory must be matched with clinical 'in the therapy room' skills.  These are skills which grow with awareness of experience

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NHS UK provide a range of information relating to talking therapies:

  • Talking Therapies Explained

  • Counselling

  • Psychotherapy

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