How I work
I am based in Hampton Village TW12 , in the London Borough of Richmond. Currently, I have some availability, either face-to-face in Hampton or online, via the Zoom platform. Please contact me for more specific details of days or times.
It is important to find the right therapist for you,
so after an initial telephone or email conversation, I offer a first online consultation and assessment for a reduced fee. Then, if you decide that I am the right fit for your needs, sessions will usually take place on a weekly basis, at the same time each week, and last 50 minutes.
This is a space for you, and I tailor the work to your needs and what you want to achieve, so therapy might be short-term, focusing on a specific issue, with a fixed number of sessions agreed in advance (from 6 weeks to three months, for example) or it could be a more open-ended exploration, with regular reviews of how the work is going. Whatever you decide. But we will go at a pace that is right for you.
This may not be your first experience of counselling or psychotherapy, so you may have a particular expectation of how it will be, or you might be feeling apprehensive. Each therapist will work slightly differently ...
... but to give you an idea of what to expect from a session:
- We might begin with a general check-in and reflection on how you are currently feeling at the start of the 50 minutes. This might involve a few moments to quietly ground yourself if you find that helpful - particularly if you have experienced trauma and often find yourself in ‘fight or flight mode’.
- You may have arrived with something pressing to work with, in which case we will focus the session around that.
- At other times, you might not know what you want to discuss that week and it may be helpful to remain open to what might emerge.
- As a core part of my approach is to help you pay attention to the story you tell about yourself and your life and begin noticing any patterns, sometimes the work may involve reflecting on your past experiences and relationships and how they have shaped you; or, conversely, you may wish to stay with what is happening for you in the present.
- Likewise, some sessions might feel spontaneous and free-flowing or we might work in a more directive or structured way when that feels appropriate.
- Sometimes I use bits of what is called ‘psychoeducation’, as it can be helpful to understand the reasons for the symptoms you are experiencing, especially with physiological symptoms, such as rapid heartbeat and shallow breathing (did you know, for example, that when you have suffered an early trauma, the brain becomes confused about what to do with the memory, so rather than storing it in a file labelled ‘past’, it remains free-floating, and keeps you feeling as if the danger is still present - it’s your mind’s way of keeping you safe and ready run or defend yourself).
- Plus, as a trained art therapist, I might encourage you to draw on your imagination and creativity to facilitate the process.
"But I’ve never been any good at creative stuff …."
You don’t have to be. No artistic ability is necessary. It isn’t about producing a piece of ‘art’.
Using the arts might simply mean working with:
Postcard images
Clay or modelling dough
Clay or modelling dough
Responding to an image offered by me and seeing what it brings up for you, or choosing from a selection that reflects something of how you are feeling.
Clay or modelling dough
Clay or modelling dough
Clay or modelling dough
Playing with a tactile substance like clay can be surprisingly helpful in getting you in touch with your feelings or bringing up subconscious material from the past.
Sand
Clay or modelling dough
Puppets
Making an image using miniature objects in a sandtray, moving things around and making changes, seeing what immediately stands out and what seems to want to remain buried can be the beginning of gaining some perspective and making changes in your life. It’s about looking at things in a new way.
Puppets
Puppets
Puppets
Yes - working with puppets is not just for kids - adults can find them helpful too (although it can be challenging and take a bit of a leap of faith!). Just choosing a couple of puppets or objects to represent and explore aspects of your personality that feel in conflict or look at the different ‘roles’ you take on can be all it takes in terms of working with this art form.
Puppets
There will also be paint, drawing or collage materials on offer for use, if we are working face to face but even if we are working on Zoom, there are still plenty of possibilities. Most people have access to pens, pencils and paper, you may have some playdough lying around and there are online ‘virtual’ sand trays we can experiment with. Clients have even created spontaneous images using objects they have around their home. Or you may be someone for whom music is very important, so we could use a particular song that has resonance for you as a ‘way in’ to exploring your issues or igniting a new sense of purpose or meaning.
Puppets
I will never tell you what to do, although I may gently challenge you to question any rigid views you hold about yourself, your life path or the possibilities available to you. It is important to point out that therapy is not always a comfortable process. However, we will try to work through any difficult feelings together and I always aim to be non-judgemental and create an environment where you feel safe and supported.