The most essential aspect of my work is the relationship I form with my clients. Powerful and pragmatic change can happen within the context of a strong foundational alliance.

How I work with people is also deeply influenced by my own experiences as a client – a particular approach transforms me and then I learn and transfer these new frameworks and techniques into my practice.

After a year with my first therapist in my mid-20s, my tense body told me I wanted to see someone who worked somatically. Noticing how I breathe, how my body expresses my psyche, exploring the messages from my symptoms and sensations, and being more aware of my emotions inspired me to train as a somatic psychotherapist. Simply noticing how people breathe and bringing this to their attention can be enlightening.

During the last year of my somatic training, I was introduced to psycho-analytic theory and practice. I loved learning about the transference of dynamics and feelings between us, how unconscious processes can block change and derail relationships, and how formative experiences influence how we perceive and act in the world. It is a framework that is always in the background when I reflect on the individuals, groups, and systems I work with.

After a few years, working exclusively this way didn’t quite suit me and I missed more flexible, experiential processes. I began learning and incorporating Voice Dialogue and then Internal Family Systems into sessions.

Both of these modalities embody the principle that we have many different parts inside us and we can form healing connections with them all. It’s such a relief to not feel reduced to one aspect of yourself and to be able to respond to parts of ourselves in therapeutic ways. These approaches offer a very helpful paradigm that explains behaviour in a non-pathalogical way, heals seemingly entrenched patterns, and offers strategies that you can apply on your own.

No matter what modality I draw on – and there are others I’ve learnt over the years such as tapping (emotional freedom techniques) and cognitive behavioural frameworks – I connect with my clients with the intention that they feel psychologically safe, understood, supported and challenged.