Dr Nicol Thomas

A conversation with Nicol Thomas

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

  The intrinsic quality that each subject has something to say that needs to be witnessed and heard. The idea and feeling that one's voice could be buried under layers of categories, diagnoses and prescriptive 'cures' does not reach at the heart of one's individual pain and circumstances. To actually be heard as yourself is a liberation; also, to come to know that one is responsible for one's own 'health' is also a liberation. The work of listening to the subject--one by one--is very important to me.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  The practice of psychoanalysis as explored by Jacques Lacan, whilst difficult to understand, helped me learn that there is no 'ONE' approach to life and living; that we each need to find our 'philosophy' one by one. That this journey via psychoanalysis is certainly not easy, but it can change everything.

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

  In Lacanian terms, what we experience as anxiety, pain, shame, is termed 'jouissance'. (Of course this is a simple explanation, but it will do for now.) What interests me is the way that the subject can come to an analysis, be witnessed, come to feel safe with their jouissance, which clears the way to take up an absolutely different position to that jouissance. This is life changing.

• What methods do you use?

  Lacanian psychoanalysis. This is a talking therapy that is based in Freudian psychoanalysis. The aim is for a therapeutic alliance, as the analysand takes responsibility for their own work and working through. I, as your analyst, work with you as you explore the vicissitudes of your own unconscious world.

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

  There is no time allocated to this process; some analysands feel better after the first session when they can just talk. Keeping on talking is a journey that produces many affects; each affect needs to be explored. Sometimes when the analysand feels 'worse' it means that their unconscious is producing the correct expressions for them, and this needs to be worked on in the clinic with me. But towards the end of an analysis, what constitutes 'progress' is a different position to jouissance.

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  There are three parts of a Lacanian training; theoretical studies, supervision of one's cases, and one's own personal psychoanalysis. A Lacanian analyst has already grappled with their unconscious in order to better work with their analysands and thus not get caught up in a transference that badly effects the work. For me, this makes the analyst much more open to witnessing, analysing and working with the analysand.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  Working with people, listening to my analysands, really hearing what each unique subject says. Taking part in the journey of unfolding as each analysand works through their unconscious world.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  All. The. Time.

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

  Reduction and eradication of our basic subjectivity; that each one of us is unique. This generalization of people leads to some of the ideologies of hate that is so problematic. As though basic humanism is being forgotten or destroyed.

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

  I love Nick Cave's work, also Björk. I am very inspired by the music of Hawaii as well.