What is Integrative Therapy?
Very simply, integrative therapy means that the therapist has been trained in many different models of psychotherapy. The idea being that the therapist then not only can tailor their approach to match who they are but also, are able to honour the fact that each and every client has different needs.
What can therapy offer me?
People come to therapy for a myriad of reasons, whether that's grief, relationship struggles, low self-esteem, recent or past trauma, anxiety and depression - to name a few! Often people find themselves in a place where they need change but find themselves stuck in patterns of behaviour that no longer serve them. I offer therapy as a space to not only help us understand these better but also to be able to feel more compassionately towards ourselves. I believe this combination can offer us a way to live more peacefully and courageously. Which leads me to an important point; going to therapy is a courageous thing to do and a process that can be challenging and uncomfortable at times. However, with time, I believe therapy ultimately offers us a place for healing: to come to understand who we are.
My approach
Human beings are relational creatures, we come into the world vulnerable and with our survival dependant on an other. I find it valuable to hold this centrally to my work as a therapist and to help us move towards understanding how we have learnt to survive in the world. Once understood we then have the opportunity to explore and perhaps challenge current behaviours, narratives or core-beliefs that may be causing issues in our current day. The world is an ever evolving and complex place. I endeavour to work in a way that allows for and makes space for the different experiences of this, acknowledging that our various intersections of identity will have a part to play in that. I work in a way that is trauma-informed, bringing my knowledge of what is happens to the body and nervous system when we are having or have had difficult experiences. It can be helpful to understand when we feel anxious for example or flooded by emotion, what is actually happening in our bodies and then how we might be able to change that. I believe that our bodies contain a wealth of information about our emotional landscape. I may be curious with you about internal sensations or body language and explore what this may bring up for you. Fundamentally though, my approach is not about advice or assumptions, it is about meeting you where you are with a curiosity and willingness to explore whatever your experience is. I am committed to working within the BACP's Ethical Framework, ensuring that a clients can expect a safe and ethical place to be heard.