Psychotherapists and Counsellors Answer your Questions

Trauma, working with women, hope, creativity, anxiety and depression, ptsd, life-threatening illness, relationships.

Trauma, working with women, hope, creativity, anxiety and depression, ptsd, life-threatening illness, relationships.

I am interested in the whole human experience.

I am interested in the whole human experience.

So many - I am tempted to say them all, but it feels like that would be cheating the question. A broad answer would be that I am interested in the uniqueness of each person's journey - whatever it...

So many - I am tempted to say them all, but it feels like that would be cheating the question. A broad answer would be that I am interested in the uniqueness of each person's journey - whatever it is they face that challenges them to grow to be a stronger, wiser, more adaptive person. That personal growth through adversity is something I am passionate about. More specifically, some particular areas I am interested in are important personal relationships, insight into our own identity, and sexual identity and expression.

The question of purpose, death and meaning. We are all challenged to construct a meaningful life story or narrative and I'm fascinated by how we do this. I'm also fascinated by the endless dimensions...

The question of purpose, death and meaning. We are all challenged to construct a meaningful life story or narrative and I'm fascinated by how we do this. I'm also fascinated by the endless dimensions of the mind and what is possible in terms of turning away from the negative and towards the positive. How we generate positive sentiment, virtues, and occasion (if we are lucky ) “forget” the self.

The internal experience of change.

The internal experience of change.

Learning to meet the challenges of life in a creative and fulfilling way. Learning to stay centred in our painful experiences, rather than have those experiences knock us over. Coming to...

Learning to meet the challenges of life in a creative and fulfilling way. Learning to stay centred in our painful experiences, rather than have those experiences knock us over. Coming to understand the maps we have of the world (often from childhood) that hold us back and to find ways of fully absorbing new information so that those maps can change. This then supports us to live more fulfilling and happier lives. Beyond that, using meditation and mindfulness practices to realise our full potential as human beings.

Within my own family-of-origin experiences I learned about the human capacity of vulnerability and its implications for living a life wisely and usefully as opposed to succumbing to relentless...

Within my own family-of-origin experiences I learned about the human capacity of vulnerability and its implications for living a life wisely and usefully as opposed to succumbing to relentless destructive thinking. I remain in awe of the human spirit's potential to endure and rise beyond difficult cognitive, emotional and physical as well as spiritual duress. My personal experience has led me to now view 'adversity as a seed for growth'. My life experiences have also taught me enormously to deeply respect and value emotional intelligence as independent from intellectual intelligence.

I'm fascinated with people watching, sitting watching the world going by and noticing peoples body language, their facial expressions, are they looking stressed, some are walking fast from A to B,...

I'm fascinated with people watching, sitting watching the world going by and noticing peoples body language, their facial expressions, are they looking stressed, some are walking fast from A to B, where are all these people going to I ask myself? Thich Nhat Hanh describes mindfulness of stopping to smell the roses, for me this really means if we don't stop and enjoy and appreciate what we have right now, we miss all those good moments. My moto is there is always something good you get from something bad. Its a bit like going out for an adventure, we always remember what went wrong then laugh later, we never remember what went right.

I am interested in people discovering that they are already whole. That inside them is a core essence that is indestructible and ever-present. I love the experience in therapy when someone taps into...

I am interested in people discovering that they are already whole. That inside them is a core essence that is indestructible and ever-present. I love the experience in therapy when someone taps into their true Self and instantly they perceive parts of themselves they hated a moment ago with deep compassion and understanding. We are told so often that we are responsible for our mental health and if we just did x, y or z we would feel ok. What I am most interested in is that IFS offers an alternative to this dogma. It offers a way of being with all of our parts and welcoming all of their thoughts feelings and behaviors with compassion and curiosity. Then from there, the healing happens.

1. The rite of passage in entering adulthood (20's or earlier/later in some people depending on their journey). 2. Loss, death, grief. In traditional cultures, death is 'celebrated' in various...

1. The rite of passage in entering adulthood (20's or earlier/later in some people depending on their journey). 2. Loss, death, grief. In traditional cultures, death is 'celebrated' in various rituals. It is as important and as respected as birth and marriage. If one misses this ritual, a big part of them seems to be not fulfilled. The point is not about going through unnecessary suffering, but it is about embracing what we encounter in life. The first point (youth/entering adulthood) is a rite of passage towards a new chapter that involves 'death and rebirth'. The second point (death and loss) is also a rite of passage towards a new chapter that involves 'death and rebirth'. Birth vs death are two sides of the same coin.

Life Transitions, our brain tends to resist to changes, moving country, city, school. Getting married, divorced, becoming a parent, even simple changes can become challenges and promote anxiety, panic...

Life Transitions, our brain tends to resist to changes, moving country, city, school. Getting married, divorced, becoming a parent, even simple changes can become challenges and promote anxiety, panic attacks, depression.

Building on a person's internal strengths and resilience, in order to live a fuller life in the present moment.

Building on a person's internal strengths and resilience, in order to live a fuller life in the present moment.

Health has always been important to me as I find achieving a balance of exercise, good food, friends and fresh air is underrated. However it is very hard to find the right balance and in this fast...

Health has always been important to me as I find achieving a balance of exercise, good food, friends and fresh air is underrated. However it is very hard to find the right balance and in this fast pace world we need to constantly remind ourselves of the importance of a healthy life.

Mental health, resilience and trauma. For me the word journey resonates with narrative therapy - telling and having our stories listened to - and Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey (our lived experience...

Mental health, resilience and trauma. For me the word journey resonates with narrative therapy - telling and having our stories listened to - and Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey (our lived experience / quest via creative imagery, symbolic meaning in life) - Harry Potter is a prime example.