Mrs Natalie Meijer

A conversation with Natalie Meijer

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

  I chose this profession at the age of 23 after spending two years travelling in Asia particularly India and felt I wanted to make a difference in the world. I had finished a bachelors degree just before this time and while at university I started to awaken to the some of the issues I still had to overcome from my own childhood and spent two solid years with a very warm Counsellor who helped me to grow and resolve many things. I saw the importance of growth and wellbeing and wanted to be involved in this process of transformation on a daily basis.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  Process Orientated which is very eclectic which marries very nicely to my Daoist practices - following the flow of what is emerging in the client and life , also the concept that 'the obstacle is the way'.

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

  I am very interested in working with the whole of life - looking at life from the totality
  I like to explore the connections and relationship between what is happening say on a physical level with health issues (mild or serious) or challenges and problems that one is facing out there in the world and the mental/emotional/spiritual levels.
  
  I work with different levels of the consciousness and states of consciousness including the dream state to bring awareness to everyday issues.
  
  I am interested in exploring the many phases of the womans journey and transitions we move through from menarchy to menopause and the unlived creativitity and desires that need to express themselves to potential in life and career.
  
  I am passionate about the journey of returning home to our essence/our authentic selves and the different ways we all to experience life to make this journey.

• What methods do you use?

  Ren Xue - holistic system that provides a roadmap for returning to our natural state/True Nature and improve our relationship with ourselves, others and the world. It is largely learning how to bring compassionate awareness and to and the relationship between behavious, emotions and patterns of the consciousness. It also brings great awareness to the mind body connection and the inner and outer world connection in understanding presenting problems.
  
  Process Orientated Psychotherapy is a transdisciplinary approach that integrates principles from Jungian psychology, Physics, and Information theory. It also incorporates awareness patterns.
  
  Somatic based to ground and embody the changes, to create a more secure relationship to self
  
  Mindfulness to bring more awareness and connection to life and directing life in a more positive direction.

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

  I seem have noticed this pattern that around 3 weeks is difficult and by the forth there seems to be a shift. Sometimes four sessions is all that is needed with some issues. For medium to long term work this cycle repeats so around 8-16 sessions for medium term work and 16-32 for longer term work.

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  Yes Therapy combined with my own spiritual practice . Life itself being the ultimate spiritual teacher.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  I love the intimacy of really getting to know a person and their lives. I see it as a co-creative process in which we together form a container of growth.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  Yes dont we all - don't they say that 9 out of 10 times life does not go as expected. I do try to smile though no matter what sort of day it seems to be - this too shall pass

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

  Such a big question but at the root of it all seems like and it seems very corny 'all we need is love'
  What would the world be like if we all trusted, loved and respected and recognised ourselves - our true face. It starts here and it spreads from here. Without this self recognition it leads to a void and a constant seeking externally - greed, self centredness, war climate and environmental and health crises stem from this root.

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

  Already Free is a documentary about two colleagues of mine that have overcome great personal hardships and turned their lives around to not only an ordinary but an extoridinary existence where they have discovered their true selves