Method & Approach
“Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed” Thich Nhat Hanh
When we are in pain, it is not unusual to want to disconnect from difficult and unwanted experiences, and seek a ‘solution’ or ‘quick fix’. I help clients with their goals, and do what I can to help them feel better, however I also believe , that within each of us, and our disturbing experiences is unique and precious ‘gold’, that becomes increasingly available when we pay a special kind of attention to our emerging experiences.
Sessions are individualized as your experiences are unique. When working with you, I get to know you and your particular nuances, nature, social life, talents, eccentricities, and habits.
The approach I use, works with you as a whole human being, thereby supporting your whole system to rebalance itself. The clients I support may reach out to me for help during some kind of major life crisis, or transition. A few clients may also come for sessions interested in exploring themselves and furthering their potential. By addressing issues at their “root”, we focus on sustainability.
I believe in the bodies ability to heal itself, and that what it expresses may be important. Experiences which lay outside the bell-shape curve model of “typical health”, are welcomed, related to, and the psychoeducational process includes discovering the unintended or unique meaning of your symptoms. This is different from a medical approach which may focus on managing and containing symptoms, however it can be used in conjunction with biomedical care.
Types of Counselling
somatic and body centered practices
humanistic, experiential and process-oriented
systemic therapy & collaborative therapy
mindfulness & awareness based practices
animal facilitated and nature based learning
Background theory and methods used
I believe in accompanying my clients in a life-affirming manner. I use practices from a variety of modalities to support each clients unique needs.
Figure: Three levels for working on yourself and your symptom or dilemma
Collaborative and systemic approaches:
Systemic therapy looks at the interconnectedness of humans, and how who we are has meaning in relation to others. Therapy from a relational perspective focuses on enhancing or enabling a conversation. This can occur, both in our outer world with our actual relationships, as well as in our inner world, where we may explore the relationships that exist within us.
Process- oriented Psychology:
Process work facilitates awareness of the conscious (purposeful), not yet conscious (‘unconscious’, ‘accidental’ or ‘unintended symptom’) and essence level (the space or from which our awareness emerges). In other words, this method holds and facilitates the totality of our alive and ever changing experiences.
This approach grew out of a mixture of Jungian Psychology, Taoist philosophy and physics (including quantum). It was developed by Jungian analyst, psychologist and physicist Arnold Mindell, it focuses on the whole being, and following your inherent nature, and finding increasing fluidity in your life.
Humanistic, experiential and body- centered approaches:
Experiential and body-centered (also known as somatic) approaches allow us direct and full access to transformative human experience. Left brain activity of the conscious mind such as intentions, concepts and theory (which can be useful to frame our experiences), can be balanced with right brain creative, and experiential approaches, so that the unconscious is addressed in relation to conscious desires for change.