Services

Psychodynamic Therapy

The psychodynamic approach shares the psychoanalytic idea that how we behave now is determined by our past. Our blueprint of the way we relate with others, our foundational relating, is mostly laid down in the first 5 years of our lives. To cope better and thrive it can be beneficial to explore our previous life experiences and relationships, as well as our unconscious mind, and the beliefs our past left us with that we may wish to revisit, understand and consider other ways, our own way, of relating to improve our mental health and self-esteem.

My Approach

We will enter a collaborative process where you may find words to bring meaning to how you think and feel, allowing for understanding and personal growth. My foundational approach to therapy is psychotherapeutic and relational. We will explore together how present issues relate to past childhood experiences and family dynamics, and not only how they have shaped how you relate to others in your life today, but also how we relate with each other in the counselling room. You may find it difficult to connect words to how you are feeling; this is something I can help you with. Over time, you may begin to develop a deeper awareness of your patterns of relating and beliefs, allowing you to understand the impact on you and your everyday life, creating the opportunity for growth, choice and change.

How It Works

I use a trauma-informed relational approach where we pay close attention in the moment to feeling and sensations allowing us to work with associations, thoughts and dreams to deepen awareness. Sometimes, we can feel scared or frightened of going to places in our own minds. This is where I might adopt a more creative approach such as writing, prompt cards and wooden toys, allowing us to gently explore parts of you which you find difficult to connect with. Over time, you will begin to integrate aspects of yourself, become more authentic and connected in your relationship with yourself and others.

Issues I Work With

My clinical experience includes:

safeguarding of vulnerable adults and children, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, anxiety, depression, stress, anger management, self-esteem, bereavement, loss, bullying, work place issues, sexual abuse, childhood sexual abuse, eating disorders, anorexia, obesity, divorce and family court, domestic violence, early attachment issues, infertility, abandonment, sibling conflict, family conflict, relationship issues, working with ethnicity and cultural sensitivity, spirituality, functional neurotic disorder, post-traumatic stress, covid-related stress, sexuality, post-stroke support, retirement, trauma, neurodiversity including autism, ADHD and dyslexia.

Benefits of Psychodynamic Therapy

It’s an opportunity to safely explore your feelings both at the surface and hidden deep down.
It may help you recognise patterns in behaviour and understand your ways of relating.
It may help you find healthier ways of coping with your problems and managing conflict.
It may allow you to develop deeper connections in your relationships.
It has the potential to help with complex or deep-rooted issues, including long-term anxiety and depression.
It may bring about an increased understanding of yourself and how you interact with other people.
It may improve your ability to face difficult feelings, situations and relationships by developing a capacity to tolerate what you find most difficult at present by understanding your limitations and boundaries.

Defence Mechanisms

Psychological defences allow us to get through life and protect us in the absence of boundaries. Sometimes, necessary defences formed in early life can begin to ‘get in the way’ in adulthood, preventing us from experiencing and maintaining deep and meaningful experiences in our relationships. Psychotherapy can help you recognise the defence mechanisms you may be employing and allow you to consider other effective ways to deal with situations instead, by allowing you to develop a capacity to manage conflict and giving you choice. Together we can acknowledge and respect your defences and boundaries.

Denial (an inability to face or accept reality).
Regression (reverting to a more child-like way of being when feeling overwhelmed).
Dissociation (disconnecting from reality which may feel like panic but might look like daydreaming).
Independence (finding it difficult to ask others for help for fear of rejection or being ‘let down’ which can lead to feeling isolated).
Acting out (resorting to extreme behaviour to express thoughts or feelings).
Repression (suppressing thoughts or feelings which you perceive are considered unacceptable).
Rationalisation (reframing a situation to match a changing reality).
Displacement (redirecting thoughts or feelings toward one person and taking them out on someone else).
Undoing (attempting to counteract the damage done by a previous hurtful behaviour).
Intellectualisation (bringing a thoughtful approach to a situation and avoiding feelings).

Frequently Asked Questions

Talking therapy is particularly effective at treating mental health difficulties and disturbing emotions and feelings. However, it’s not the only reason people come to counselling. You may feel you know something about yourself which you wish to explore and understand better or you may find relating in social situations difficult and want to develop more confidence or self-esteem.

Rooted in psychoanalysis, the psychodynamic therapeutic approach emphasises understanding unconscious processes as they manifest in current behaviours, allowing for greater self-awareness and understanding of the self and relating with others. My personal practice uses Psychodynamic Theory, with a particular lean towards Winnicottian (allowing for play and creativity) and Jungian (allowing for shadow work and self-actualisation) practice when working with and thinking about my clients.

Psychodynamic therapy aims to uncover and address the root causes of your difficulties by exploring past experiences, unresolved conflicts, and significant relationships.

Together, we will explore who you are now, how did you get here and where and how you’re hoping to be in the future. My aim is for you to feel safe and comfortable to talk about whatever is on your mind. I will help you explore your thoughts and feelings in various ways including using a creative approach such as writing. I will actively listen to you, think carefully about you, paying close attention to patterns in your thoughts and behaviours, changes in feelings and offering reflections of potential meanings and interpretations, for you to more deeply understand yourself and ways of relating. In our counselling sessions you can expect to hang perfection at the door before you come in. We’ll be looking at who you are, all the messy bits; we’ll be curious together about what you bring, all those embarrassing things you’d rather not think nor talk about without shame nor judgement. In doing so we can create meaning to your experiences, helping you to better understand them, making connections with yourself and allowing you to grow and develop.

It’s perhaps worth mentioning here what not to expect; I am not a coach, nor advisor and I am certainly not here to tell you what to do. My job is to allow you space to explore and understand yourself, through offering my support and reflections, empowering you to be able to self-reflect and make your own choices and decisions.

Sessions are weekly, on the same day, at the same time, in the same place. Duration of counselling varies significantly depending on your specific needs and issues; we are all unique. Some people need only a few sessions to help them understand a challenging life situation while others may continue in therapy open-endedly to allow themselves to explore and develop at their own pace in order to achieve deeper personal growth. Together, we can work out a likely timeline.

It’s likely you will experience a sense of relief after your first session as recognising and getting help for your needs can feel unburdening and empowering.

Ongoing therapy can bring up difficult feelings and emotions which can feel challenging and demanding against the backdrop of everyday life, but also something that hopefully supports you as we re-experience painful life events and memories together. It is therefore important that we review together how therapy is working for you on a regular basis.

I work with adults, 18+ of all backgrounds, cultures, sexuality and identity. I maintain my standards under the BACP’s Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and the BPC’s Standards of Conduct Practice and Ethics. I hope by doing so you are able to bring your authentic self to work with me without fear of shame and judgement.

I offer a limited amount of evening sessions (7pm - 9pm) and offer brief work (up to 6 weeks) on Saturday mornings. I will offer flexibility to the psychodynamic framework of working for those working shift patterns or are carers to family members, which will be agreed before our work commences.

You should feel comfortable and safe in sharing personal and often deep emotional experiences with your therapist. It’s important that your therapist can handle emotional intensity and complexity while maintaining a professional and supportive therapeutic relationship.

No. You are free to refer yourself but you may want to consult your doctor if you are unsure about how you are feeling.

Our sessions are 100% confidential, however, there are two exceptions that oblige me to break confidentiality: if a vulnerable adult or child is being, or has been, abused or neglected; or if I consider there is serious danger to my client harming themselves or another person.

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