Mrs Elaine Ford

A conversation with Elaine Ford

• What led you to choose psychotherapy or counselling as a profession?

  I have always enjoyed helping people find meaning in their lives. During my hospital training as a student nurse, I met many people who faced significant health challenges or struggled to adjust to their condition. I wanted to learn more to be of greater help to them, which led me to the counselling roles.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  Existential philosophy, psychodynamic theory, neurobiology have been the main approaches that resonate with my approach.

• Which particular aspects of health or the human journey are you interested in?

  Recovery from trauma
  Adjustment to illness
  Facing death in context of chronic physical health conditions, or life-limiting illnesses
  Coping or living with uncertainty
  Sport psychology
  Transitional life stages
  

• What methods do you use?

  Depending on the needs of the person, I use my training and skills in psychodynamic therapy (Conversational Model), Existential psychotherapy, CBT, DBT, IPT, Motivational Interviewing and Schema therapy

• When do you think the client will start to feel that progress is being made?

  Most of my clients comment that they feel a shift or change in their mood, outlook, demeanour between 6-10 sessions.

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  Therapy has helped me to appreciate human existence and the importance of human connectivity. To be in a position where a person can feel liberated to express themselves in a non-judgemental therapeutic frame requires immense trust.
  I am honoured and humbled that people feel safe and secure to share their situations with me

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  Being able to help people

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  At times, but I make sure to nurture my own soul and work with my supervisor to ensure that these days have a minimal, in any, impact on my therapy

• What do you think is the most significant problem we face, in the world today?

  Uncertainty

• Can you share the name of a book, film, song, event or work of art that inspires you?

  Too many to mention. Would not like to offend any if I did not mention them. For me, it is usually in the timing of the reading of a book, watching a film, or seeing a piece of art, at a time when I am searching for something, that creates the inspiration. These are usually quite serendipitous situations