Feeling low, got “the blues”, out of sorts, just not yourself right now…
We all have ‘off’ days, but when these last for weeks or months rather than days, it might be time to get some help.
Mental health issues come in many shapes and forms - our distress is unique and is intimately linked with our personality, life-style, general health, genes etc. No two people are depressed or anxious in the same way. Some will recognise themselves in the list below, however for others, it can, initially be harder to pinpoint the cause of the unhappiness.
I have developed my practice around three therapeutic models, CBT (Cognitive Behavioural therapy), classic psychodynamic-based “talking therapy”, and EMDR (Eye Movement Reprocessing and Desensitisation). The three models are very different, but in my opinion, their differences enhance the overall effectiveness of the course of therapy.
On the one hand, the pragmatic, focussed and strategic CBT approach allows us to use our new understanding of ourselves, acting on it to put into place new ways of interpreting and reacting to difficult or painful areas of our lives. CBT offers concrete tools to apply to real life situations. The CBT method is explained in greater detail on the following page.
The psychodynamic-inspired space to ‘let go’ and speak without fear of judgement brings relief in itself. It helps us learn to listen to and hear ourselves, beyond that which we believe we should think or be. The approach allows for a deeper understanding of our unique personal dynamics.
EMDR is focussed on our reactions to traumatic events and the effects this has on our ability to live our lives fully and freely, without the shadows of the past. It is explained more fully on a separate page.
In some cases, Systems Theory can also be applied to guide our understanding of particularly difficult interpersonal relationships, however I do not offer couples or family therapy.
Some examples of issues I commonly work with :
∙Anxiety disorders (including generalised anxiety, social anxiety, phobia, OCD...)
∙Mood disorders : Depression, grief, bipolar
∙Stress, Burn-out
∙Trauma, PTSD
∙Low self-esteem and/or assertiveness
∙Eating disorders
The first meeting
I always suggest an initial 1/2h meeting prior to embarking on therapy - this meeting is free and enables us to address all your questions, and discuss your needs. I will explain how I work and explore how I would approach therapy with you.
An essential aspect of this first meeting is that you can get a sense of whether you would feel comfortable working with me - the strength of the therapeutic relationship is after all closely correlated to a successful outcome.
There is no automatic assumption that you will follow up on this meeting.
The different stages
I begin a course of therapy with a CBT-based evaluation. This first stage is called “functional analysis” and seeks to develop a holistic view of the many varied aspects of your personality, your history, your environment, as well as the opportunities you are offered and the challenges that you face. At this point, we will begin to identify how dysfunctional ideas, emotions and behaviours interact with this whole and prevent you from living a more fulfilling and productive life. This phase uses your unique profile to form the basis of the work to follow.
After this stage is complete (generally around 2 sessions), the balance between talking therapy, CBT and / or EMDR will depend on clients preferences and therapeutic needs.
Feeling low, got “the blues”, out of sorts, just not yourself right now…
We all have ‘off’ days, but when these last for weeks or months rather than days, it might be time to get some help.
Mental health issues come in many shapes and forms - our distress is unique and is intimately linked with our personality, life-style, general health, genes etc. No two people are depressed or anxious in the same way. Some will recognise themselves in the list below, however for others, it can, initially be harder to pinpoint the cause of the unhappiness.
Some examples of issues I commonly work with :
∙Anxiety disorders (including generalised anxiety, social anxiety, phobia, OCD...)
∙Mood disorders : Depression, grief, bipolar
∙Stress, Burn-out
∙Trauma, PTSD
∙Low self-esteem and/or assertiveness
∙Eating disorders
I have developed my practice around three therapeutic models, CBT (Cognitive Behavioural therapy), classic psychodynamic-based “talking therapy”, and EMDR (Eye Movement Reprocessing and Desensitisation). The three models are very different, but in my opinion, their differences enhance the overall effectiveness of the course of therapy.
On the one hand, the pragmatic, focussed and strategic CBT approach allows us to use our new understanding of ourselves, acting on it to put into place new ways of interpreting and reacting to difficult or painful areas of our lives. CBT offers concrete tools to apply to real life situations. The CBT method is explained in greater detail on the following page.
The psychodynamic-inspired space to ‘let go’ and speak without fear of judgement brings relief in itself. It helps us learn to listen to and hear ourselves, beyond that which we believe we should think or be. The approach allows for a deeper understanding of our unique personal dynamics.
EMDR is focussed on our reactions to traumatic events and the effects this has on our ability to live our lives fully and freely, without the shadows of the past. It is explained more fully on a separate page.
In some cases, Systems Theory can also be applied to guide our understanding of particularly difficult interpersonal relationships, however I do not offer couples or family therapy.
The first meeting
I always suggest an initial 1/2h meeting prior to embarking on therapy - this meeting is free and enables us to address all your questions, and discuss your needs. I will explain how I work and explore how I would approach therapy with you.
An essential aspect of this first meeting is that you can get a sense of whether you would feel comfortable working with me - the strength of the therapeutic relationship is after all closely correlated to a successful outcome.
There is no automatic assumption that you will follow up on this meeting.
The different stages
I begin a course of therapy with a CBT-based evaluation. This first stage is called “functional analysis” and seeks to develop a holistic view of the many varied aspects of your personality, your history, your environment, as well as the opportunities you are offered and the challenges that you face. At this point, we will begin to identify how dysfunctional ideas, emotions and behaviours interact with this whole and prevent you from living a more fulfilling and productive life. This phase uses your unique profile to form the basis of the work to follow.
After this stage is complete (generally around 2 sessions), the balance between talking therapy, CBT and / or EMDRwill depend on clients preferences and therapeutic needs.
