Dr Fiona Giles

A conversation with Fiona Giles

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

  Since my student days I've been interested in psychotherapy, particularly in relation to literature and art, which I studied at university. After a rewarding academic, writing and publishing career, I returned to my early interests, and decided to retrain as a counsellor and psychotherapist, making use of my academic teaching skills as well as mentoring and pastoral care, while gaining new skills in counselling. I've always found helping others rewarding, and I love the intellectual and emotional challenges of seeing someone whole, while providing empathetic and respectful guidance for clients as they seek self-understanding, personal growth and acceptance.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  As a student of Hakomi, I am drawn to the Buddhist and Taoist psychotherapists such as Mark Epstein, Halko Weiss and Manuela Mischke-Reeds and the meditation experts such as Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. I have great admiration for both Freud and Jung, whose key principles are still important today, even as the details and politics of their work have been rightly rejected or revised. The work of William James, a contemporary of Freud, and the brother of better-known novelist Henry, is also an influence.

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

  I have a strong interest in grief and loss, as this is a universal given for all of us, at some stage of our lives, even if it is loss of health or vitality, rather than a loved one. Bereavement may also be experienced after the loss of a companion animal or pet, and this has started to be recognised in therapeutic circles, particularly as more of us live alone and grapple with social isolation and loneliness; and as anxiety about the loss of biodiversity due to climate change intensifies. My interest in, and understanding of psychological health is that it is closely connected to our to spiritual, emotional and physical health, which are increasingly understood to afffect each other and cannot usefully be treated in isolation. This wholistic, interconnected approach to human happiness is a core principle of Hakomi practice, as is non-violence, mindfulness and organicity (or the capacity of living beings to heal themselves given the right conditions).

• What methods do you use?

  As I learn more about Hakomi, I use their basic techniques, such as tracking, contacting and accessing through mindfulness. Perhaps more importantly the key values of the therapist's loving presence is something that I take very seriously. You can have all the techniques you like but without the capacity for loving presence you'll be ineffective.
  
  Outside my training in Hakomi, I take a person-centred approach, guided by the client's needs, values and interests, which may invite Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (which also uses mindfulness as a tool) or a more traditional CBT or behaviourist approach to simpler cases of behaviour change. In all cases, Hakomi inflected or otherwise, the client leads the way.

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

  Ideally from the first session, the client will feel safe, supported and understood. Subsequent sessions will gradually enable the client to make deep insights into the causes of their current behaviour and circumstances, and how they could modify their emotional default settings in order to behave more skilfully, effectively and with greater confidence. By providing loving presence at all times, the client will feel they are safely held within a container of unconditional positive regard (as Rogers termed it) which has massive therapeutic value. By building rapport and trust with the client, sometimes for people who've never felt truly safe or have never felt trust in or from others, progress is almost inevitable.

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  From the skills learned at Lifeline in crisis support, to counselling studies and Hakomi, I feel I have immeasurably improved my self-awareness and ability to down-regulate when heightened or the going gets tough, and to more effectively understand, respect and express my needs. Always up for new skills and knowledge, I know have much more to learn, and a significant amount of this will come from interacting with the clients themselves during consultations. More specifically, I have become a better, more active listener, and hope I can validate others' perspectives even if I disagree. In an increasingly fragmented and polarised world, these have become increasingly important. Outside of family and work, finding common ground with strangers in order to problem solve through conversation, is something I'll continue to work on.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  I love listening to people's stories, getting to know their strengths and challenges, and working collaboratively to find solutions to problems or avenues for change. Everyone is interesting.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  Yep. My approach is to reassure myself that staying present with the client, and conveying loving kindness, will always be valuable, even if my cognitive powers are a little less shiny than usual. I also work on a part-time basis as I'm semi-retired. I've had some health challenges which are now stable, but they taught me the importance of making my own wellbeing front and centre so I will never take on more clients than comfortably enables me to have breathing space and to be at my best for each session.

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

  Accelerating climate change is an unbearably upsetting problem, especially since our politicians have wasted so many opportunities for mitigation and prevention. Loss of biodiversity due to extinction, deforestation and pollution needs addressing much more effectively and with greater immediacy. The suffering of helpless animals during increasingly common and more intense natural disasters -- in addition to massive human suffering and displacement -- is heartbreaking.

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

  The Polish film Cold War (2018) has everything: romance, music, politics, history, glamour, psychological depth and tragedy. It is exquisitely shot in black and white, and deservedly won many awards. The return of Alexei Navalny to Russia and his subsequent death last year in a Russian prison, makes it even more relevant today.