My approach to psychotherapy
There are countless ways to provide psychotherapy. Many approaches are effective, and some may be better suited to particular conditions than others. In my view, the right approach depends on who you are and the difficulties you bring. At the same time, my experience has shown me that certain basic principles matter in every kind of psychotherapy.
Non-judgemental
To change the way we think and feel, we first need to understand ourselves. This requires being able to talk freely about and explore our thoughts and feelings. Worrying about how others might react to what we say or feel can get in the way. I aim to create a space where we can explore and try to understand your thoughts and feelings together, without questioning whether it is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ to have them. We need a place where thoughts can simply be thoughts, and feelings can simply be feelings, without having to mean anything more.
Genuine
People seeing a psychologist often wonder what the psychologist really thinks about them or their difficulties. They may worry that the psychologist is keeping something up their sleeve, forming thoughts and opinions that are never shared. I believe trust is essential for psychotherapy to work. To build that trust, it matters to me that you know I am open with you. I share my thoughts and views freely and encourage my patients to ask any questions they wish. The therapy room should be a place where we can talk about what happens between people, even when it involves things we would not usually discuss.
Tailored to you
Everyone is different. Depression is common, but the way it affects you and its possible causes are often unique to you as a person. Just as we can have much in common and still be different, I believe psychotherapy needs to be tailored to you. We therefore begin by working together to understand your difficulties as fully as possible, and then choose an approach together on that basis.