| 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 |
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| 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. We can explore this through talking, movement, creative expression, body work or grounding contact with nature, 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 www.erthworks.co.uk Personal development I also run workshops and groups on themes of personal development such as self-care, stress relief, transforming grief and encouraging body-mind system integration. |
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