Ms Gaye Mallinson

A conversation with Gaye Mallinson

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

  As part of my own life journey I was significantly injured whilst working as a nurse in a secure mental health hospital ward & I was faced with not being able to continue the work I felt passionate about due to dealing with significant chronic pain. This forced life change caused great inner anger & despair for me at the time & after the much needed emotional support of a therapist including career guidance for the first time, I embarked on a new path with a similar focus of supporting client mental health - commencing retraining as a Counsellor.
  
  I now look back & feel grateful for the new life path I continue on, as it has brought me many personal successes & inner growth I don't believe I would have achieved without the circumstances I faced at that time. Through learning therapy techniques that I could more adeptly support my clients with, I was also able to experience the power of healing my own personal trauma past triggers, as well as no longer have chronic pain!
  
  Through my counselling career I have been privileged to support so many people who have inspired me to continue this path. Thus, I continue to have passion for supporting clients healing, growth & happiness in whatever way is important for them.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  A huge part of who I am as a person is my firm belief in the concept of treating others as you wish to be treated yourself. That encompasses many different values including compassion, honesty, authenticity, fairness, equality, dignity, acceptance & respect to name just a few. These values underpin my way of being when working with you as a client.
  
  I also believe it takes courage to ask for help. Admitting you can’t do everything on your own, is the first step toward achieving wellness in a fast paced, demanding world.
  
  The good news is, asking for help gets easier with a little practice. The way in which we cope in the world is greatly influenced by how we see the world. Asking for help, and obtaining a fresh perspective is often the first and most profound step toward developing the mental muscle needed to become stronger. The more support you gain, the better equipped you will be to take on new challenges and achieve more successes. My goal is to provide you that support.

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

  Because of having a diverse career background meeting a great deal of people from all walks of life & sharing in their various stages of life journey, including a full range of 'failure's' and successes, I continue to geniunely find people interesting and feel compassion for their struggles.
  
  This now means that although I have many 'specialty' areas that I can support people in dealing with, I can also assist with a wide range of life issues...making me somewhat of a 'generalist' therapist with 'specialties'. It certainly makes my working day anything but boring, as I continue to meet & support many wonderful people facing difficult life challenges!

• What methods do you use?

  Because I am passionate about providing the best support I can to all my clients with their varied needs, I have undertaken (and continue to take) significant further training in various therapy modalities so that I am able to provide clients with a more bespoke way of working – adjusting my techniques in each session to suit the circumstances presented by the client in that moment. This allows me to provide very specific & focussed support as its needed - so I journey with you, meeting you where you are at.
  
  This is an important distinction as I believe my role is not to try & force or coax you onto my path – but to help figure out where you feel you got lost to prevent reoccurrence & support you back onto your chosen path. To also help you fill any potholes in the path as you move along, & to take any new paths as you desire. I accept you for who you are in the here & now. Importantly, I don’t judge you. I just help you find hope when you have lost it, until you feel ready to walk the path without me once again.

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

  It is difficult to determine how many sessions any client may require. Counselling therapy is an individual process for each person. Some people only need a few sessions, while others may feel the benefit of more sessions to deal with more complex or ongoing life issues.
  
  I am committed to regularly ‘checking in’ with you during therapy to ensure your needs from counselling are being met, & how you are feeling about continuing therapy.
  
  The appropriate time for ending therapy is negotiated to be when you are feeling ready, & no longer require my support. I firmly trust your decision, as I believe you are the expert in knowing you best. Besides...you can always return for ‘top up’ sessions in the future as needed, should your life circumstances change, & you feel a session or two may be beneficial for you at that time.

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  I can honestly say it has transformed me in many ways. I feel I have become even more empathic and patient in many ways.
  
  Through my own personal trauma healing journey I have also become calmer and more appreciative of life. It's allowed me to be more observant, have a greater acceptance of all kinds of diversity and understanding of other peoples challenges. It's made me kinder to myself, and others too.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  Continuously meeting people from so many different backgrounds & being able to have a commonality of kindness, caring & empathy for all of them to equally support them...see them evolve and grow despite challenges to go forward positively & admire their courage to do so. I feel privileged to be entrusted to be a small part of that journey & I am grateful for the positives I can take for myself in ongoing learning from my clients.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  Most definitely! ...Don't we all?
  
  After decades of life struggles, I have now come to accept that some days are just easier than others & to always have hope when it's been a not so great day - that there is always tomorrow to be better. In those darker moments, I also remember to feel gratitude for any small things I can in the present, no matter how small. I find this strategy continues to bring me hope and calm within a storm of any size.

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

  There are so many - where do I start! I know that all I can do is do the best I can on any given day and hope I can be that candle in the darkness for my clients when they need it most...so we can walk out of the darkness together and they continue their journey with a new sense of hope and inspiration.

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

  I love books/films/songs/art that inspire deep emotions from within. I love to feel the story and imagine (or identify with) being on that journey even if it's challenging. For that reason I have a huge range of genre's that appeal to me, but always ones that have a 'feel good', humorous or inspirational themes stand out for sure. There are just too many great options to list to name just one!