Bringing your life into focus
My Approach
My approach draws on existential, humanistic, and analytical psychology. I work with you as a whole person, considering your relationships, history, values, and circumstances, not simply your symptoms. We explore where you feel conflicted or disconnected, with a focus on deeper self-understanding and taking an active role in how you live, while recognising what is outside your control.
Therapy is a collaborative process of self-discovery. We examine recurring patterns, the influence of earlier experiences, and assumptions you may not have questioned, including what emerges in our conversations. Rather than telling you who you are or what to do, we focus on looking closely at your experience and considering your choices.
I bring a respectful, non-judgmental approach alongside honest, thoughtful challenge. You decide what to share; I ask questions and offer observations and different perspectives. The work calls for curiosity and reflection, both in sessions and beyond them, rather than reassurance or ready-made answers.
While I have studied a range of approaches, existential-humanistic psychotherapy is central to my work. My extensive experience as a client in analytical depth psychotherapy has taught me firsthand what it takes to examine my life honestly and sit with uncertainty. That experience informs how I work; your life, questions, and perspective remain the focus.
How The Work Unfolds...
This work is philosophical, but its questions are personal, not abstract. Long before psychology became a separate discipline, philosophy explored human experience and how to live. Here, we begin with your life: perhaps you have done what was expected and wonder what it was for, or an answer you once trusted no longer holds. You do not need an interest in philosophy, only a question that deserves more attention.
The humanistic foundation makes room for the parts of being human that are difficult to admit. You may be grateful and dissatisfied, capable and exhausted, devoted to others yet needing something for yourself. You do not have to resolve these tensions before bringing them here. They are part of the conversation, not evidence that you are failing.
Existential questions come to the foreground when familiar ways of making sense of life no longer hold. A loss, a turning point, or the sense that time is passing can unsettle how you live. What still deserves your commitment? What are you postponing? What might it mean to stay or leave? We explore these questions without assuming one correct answer.
The analytical perspective explores how the past shapes the present in ways we often do not see. Exploring these connections are central to the analytical work: how earlier experiences live on in your expectations, relationships, and recurring responses. You may find yourself in the same relationship difficulties despite wanting something different. Understanding what sustains these patterns creates room to respond differently.
A Space to Question, Reflect and Grow
Concerns we might explore include:
- Adjusting to major life changes
- Burnout and always being the one others rely on
- Imposter syndrome and feeling not good enough
- Perfectionism and difficulty letting go of control
- Career changes and questioning your professional direction
- Losing sight of who you are or what you want
- Relationship difficulties and repeating the same patterns
- Feeling torn between difficult choices or competing priorities
- People-pleasing, setting boundaries, and expressing your needs
- Feeling unfulfilled despite having achieved your goals
- Feeling stuck in habits or reactions you want to change
- Loneliness and difficulty feeling connected to others
- Grief, getting older, and concerns about time running out
- Holding in anger or struggling with resentment
The Pace and Course of Therapy
This work asks for time, attention, and an ongoing commitment. In my experience, change rarely follows the timeline or form that we imagine it will. I cannot give you a fixed number of sessions in advance. We make room for understanding to develop without expecting an answer at the end of every meeting.
Insight is central to this work. Together, we explore how your experiences have shaped the way you see yourself. “This is just who I am” may begin to feel less like a final answer and more like something we can understand differently. Insight does not always lead to change, but it can make room for perspectives you had not considered.
The relationship is part of the work. As we get to know one another, we build on earlier conversations and give unfinished questions room to unfold. I bring careful attention and honest observations; you bring your experience and a willingness to explore it together. This may feel different from therapy centred on tools or a single problem, and it will not suit everyone.
Regular sessions help us keep the conversation going.In my experience, long gaps can leave us catching up rather than building on what we have begun. Your appointment is time set aside for you; attending consistently and reflecting between sessions help us make use of it. This work offers space for ongoing reflection and growth, rather than urgent support. If it speaks to you, get in touch to discuss what you would like to explore.