Question 1

What is Gestalt therapy?

Accepted Answer

Gestalt Therapy embraces a holistic understanding of individuals and their unique circumstances, and it can benefit those encountering severe mental health challenges as well as those seeking support with the relationships/events in their lives and with their self-empowerment journeys. In Gestalt Therapy, clients are not perceived as deficient or lacking in ability; rather, they are viewed as individuals who have adapted to their situations in the best way possible. Often, it is these adaptations that need to be updated to reduce the emotional suffering. As a Gestalt therapist, I work in partnership with you to help you release these areas of ‘stuckness’. I begin by creating a confidential and secure space where I can truly understand and support you as we actively engage in a dynamic dialogue, exploration of bodily sensations, analysis of the therapeutic relationship, and a range of creative methods.
By focusing on your history and experiences in relation to how you show up in the present, I help you navigate life's challenges with greater awareness, so that you can begin to make conscious choices that more effectively address the tensions and dilemmas in your relationships and sense of self.  This often involves diving deep into your thought patterns, behaviours, conflicting emotions, paradoxes, meanings, imagery, and metaphors, while addressing your unique concerns and issues.

Question 2

What is trauma-informed therapy?

Accepted Answer

Trauma-Informed therapy understands and considers the pervasive nature of trauma and promotes environments of healing and recovery rather than practices and services that may inadvertently re-traumatise. Trauma-Informed therapy focusses on five guiding principles to reduce the likelihood of re-traumatisation:

1. Safety: As a trauma-informed therapist I ensure that my clients are emotionally and physically safe in the sessions. The privacy of my clients is always respected.
2. Collaboration: I share the power of decision-making with my clients and aim to empower them by educating them about the options available, making them an active participant and contributor in their healing.
3. Transparency: Clarity, trust, and boundaries are respected in trauma-informed therapy and I am committed to being honest in my approach with clients.
4. Choice: The client has the choice and control over what happens. I support this by providing clients with a clear message stating their rights and responsibilities.
5. Competence: I am continuously updating my skills and competencies with latest research and approaches to ensure I am offering clients the best strategies for their trauma healing.

Question 3

Embodied Relational Therapy

Accepted Answer

Aligned with latest neuroscience, my approach emphasises the mind-body connection within a relational framework. By introducing somatic interventions that heal from the ‘bottom-up’ while paying attention to the role relationships play in shaping behaviour (including the therapeutic relationship), I guide clients towards a heightened awareness of their bodily sensations, while fostering a deeper understanding of both their inner and interpersonal worlds.

Question 4

What is the cancellation policy?

Accepted Answer

I require 7-days’ notice if you need to cancel an in-person session (due to room costs) and 48-hours’ notice if we are working online. If you miss a session without letting me know in advance, you will be expected to pay in full for the missed session. I will contact you within 24hrs to rearrange the session, usually for the following week.

Question 5

How does confidentiality work?

Accepted Answer

Anything that you discuss in sessions is treated as confidential. There are limits to this confidentiality if there is a serious risk of harm to you or to someone else. If this happens, attempts will be made to do this in co-operation with you and with your consent.

Question 6

What is the missed appointment policy?

Accepted Answer

I will assume you no longer wish to have counselling and will close your case if three sessions are missed in a row without contacting the service.

Question 7

How many sessions will I need?

Accepted Answer

The number of sessions you require will differ from person to person depending on your current situation and your emotional process. The service takes a structured and pragmatic approach to therapy which aims to set achievable goals within a set period of time.

Question 8

Antiracism

Accepted Answer

I am deeply committed to the principles of antiracism. I recognize that systemic racism and discrimination deeply impact individuals' mental health and overall well-being. I strive to create a safe and inclusive space where clients from all racial and ethnic backgrounds feel heard, validated, and respected.
 
I actively engage in ongoing learning, self-reflection, and cultural humility to continuously deepen my understanding of the unique experiences and challenges faced by marginalized communities. I am dedicated to addressing racial inequities, challenging biases, and working collaboratively with clients to dismantle oppressive systems, fostering healing and empowerment for all.

Question 9

GSRD/Neuro-Affirmative

Accepted Answer

I work with a diverse client group from an affirmative perspective to deliver the highest quality of support. My approach is intersectional, meaning that I appreciate that people have interconnected social identities such as ethnicity, age, class, ability etc. in addition to gender and/or sexual identity. 
 
As a therapist, I understand my role is to be empathic and non-judgemental of experiences that are divergent from mainstream norms, without making assumptions; and in order to not make assumptions, I need to do a lot of work to explore and challenge my own unconscious biases.
 
I strive to provide trusted, non-judgemental support for people who identify as  lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, asexual, intersex and anyone who identifies as gender, sex, or relationship diverse.
 
I also understand that neurodiversity is a part of human diversity that does not need fixing. I tend to think of autism as being its own unique culture. And, as with all of my culturally diverse clients, I don’t pathologise your culture. I want to understand your culture, not change it.
 
By taking an affirmative approach I consider each client to be the expert of their own experience and hold space for the good and bad that comes with this. I let GSRD and neurodivergent communities lead the way in determining the most appropriate language, treatment intervention, and resources rather than telling them what they need based on neurotypical and mono/cis/heteronormative expectations.