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I am a part of all that I have
met.
A. Tennyson.
Only
through our connectedness to others can we really know and enhance the
self. And only through working on the self can we begin to enhance our
connectedness to others. Harriet Goldhor Lerner
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The same stream of life that
runs through my veins night and
day
runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same
life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless
blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth and of
death, in ebb and in flow. I feel my limbs are made glorious by the
touch of this world of life. And my pride is from the life-throb of
ages dancing in my blood this moment. Rabindranath Tagore
Therapeutic
Counselling
Counselling
is a way of exploring yourself and what you experience as a problem.
The counsellor goes exploring with you, offering space to safely look
at yourself, to understand what might contribute to the problem and to
find/introduce the changes that might be possible. Much of our history
and life difficulties may manifest in the present moment, in the
working relationship with the therapist,in what emerges and is
experienced there and then. This can become an opportunity to deepen
your understanding and maybe unblock old patterns and stagnant
situations. This will be at your pace and at the level of depth you
feel ready to go.
How
do we start?
I
will meet you for a first assessment session, where we both decide
whether we can work together. If we continue, I will offer you the next
six sessions, at the end of which we can review our decision. After
this we can work in an open ended way. Each session lasts an hour and
the meetings are normally once a week. All information is kept in
confidence. We will discuss this on our first meeting.
My
approach
Although
I work in an integrative way, my therapeutic style is strongly
influenced by Embodied Relational Therapy (ERT). This has its roots in
the work of Whilelm Reich, Psychodynamic theories, and further along in
Process Oriented Psychology (Arnold Mindell). This model looks at how
we have learnt to relate to ourselves, others and the environment and
how we also manifest our history and relationships in our bodies. What
the person experiences as a difficulty or problem is seen as a signal
of emerging needs and an attempt to change. A symptom, in this sense,
contains both the meaning and the direction of the process that is
trying to unfold. I believe the therapeutic relationship is about
creating the conditions of safety to follow this process and allow it
to express itself - so it can be understood, integrated, completed, or
changed. The exploration can develop through talking, movement,
creative expression, body work or grounding contact with nature
(walking, sitting outdoors, allowing the vitality of the earth to
facilitate our insight), depending on what emerges and feels safe and
appropriate at each stage. I also believe that 'expertise' and 'wisdom'
lie within the individuals and within the field of which they are a
part, although they may be more or less accessible. Trust in this and
that we are innately resourceful is fundamental to the way I work.
More
information on ERT can be found on ERThworks.
For information on
upcoming
activities click here
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