When we consider therapy it is usually motivated by an area of concern or anxiety in our lives. When we approach therapy for the first time there may be an additional anxiety: what is this process about, what can I expect from the therapist, and what is expected of me?
What can be expected from the therapist?
- Confidentiality,
- non-judgemental acceptance,
- curiosity,
- exploring what is happening in the here-and-now of the therapy relationship,
- an offer of tools at times.
What can the client bring?
- Curiosity and willingness to explore and make sense of things, including current life circumstances, relationships and family background,
- reflections,
- not holding things back,
- examining the nuances of feelings, fantasies, dreams,
- patience,
- talking about how the therapy relationship is being experienced.
How we work together
I work primarily from a psychodynamic and relational perspective, integrating mindfulness and emotional regulation practices where they’re useful — both to help you settle into and stay with difficult material, and as tools you can carry outside sessions.
This kind of work is most effective with weekly sessions. I offer two structures, depending on what you’re looking for:
- Brief therapy — 16 sessions. A focused piece of work, weekly, aimed at a specific pattern, relationship difficulty, or life transition. We agree the focus early on and use the time-limit itself as part of the work.
- Long-term therapy. Open-ended, weekly sessions for deeper, longer-standing patterns — the kind of work that unfolds gradually and isn’t tied to a fixed endpoint.
We’ll talk together, early on, about which of these fits what you’re bringing.
Click here for a guide to how many sessions
Is this the right fit for you?
This way of working tends to suit people who:
- are curious about their own patterns in thinking, feeling, and relating rather than looking only for symptom relief
- are willing to look at how those patterns show up in the therapy relationship itself, not just outside it
- can commit to a weekly rhythm, at least for the length of the work
- are open to sitting with difficult feelings rather than moving past them quickly
- want either a focused piece of work with a clear endpoint, or a longer, more open-ended process
If this resonates, get in touch and we can talk through whether brief or long-term work suits what you’re bringing.
