What would working with me look like? I bring together three well established therapy approaches and adapt them to you, so that sessions feel both practical and deeply human.
Different therapy approaches see the mind from different angles. Some focus on what you can change today, some on who you want to become, some on where your patterns began. Using them together gives us more than one door into the same room.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT focuses on the connection between thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Together, we identify patterns that may be keeping you stuck and develop more balanced ways of thinking and responding. It is practical, structured and focused on creating meaningful change in everyday life.
What CBT looks like in sessions
- Noticing automatic thoughts and the situations that trigger them
- Testing unhelpful thoughts against real evidence
- Small behavioural experiments between sessions
- Skills for anxiety, low mood and stress
CBT is one of the most researched therapy approaches. The NHS guide to CBT gives a clear overview. You will find CBT tools in the Emotional Regulation Toolkit and Core Beliefs: Recognition and Reset.
Humanistic Approach
The humanistic approach places you at the centre of the therapeutic process. It emphasises self-understanding, authenticity, personal growth and the capacity for change. Therapy becomes a space where you can explore yourself without judgement and develop a more compassionate relationship with who you are.
What the humanistic approach looks like in sessions
- Deep listening and genuine warmth
- Exploring your values and what a meaningful life means to you
- Trusting your own capacity to grow
- Building self-compassion rather than self-criticism
Humanistic therapy grew from the work of psychologists such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, explained well in this overview of humanistic psychology. It shapes the feel of every session and is central to Self-Worth Rebuilt.
Psychodynamic Approach
A psychodynamic perspective looks beneath the surface to explore how past experiences, relationships, emotions and unconscious patterns shape how we think, feel and relate today. It provides space to understand recurring patterns and their deeper meanings.
What the psychodynamic approach looks like in sessions
- Connecting present reactions with earlier experiences
- Noticing themes that repeat across relationships
- Making room for feelings that were never fully expressed
- Understanding the purpose behind old protective patterns
The idea that much of our inner life happens outside awareness runs through the work of thinkers like Carl Jung, whose words greet you on the home page. You can read more in this summary of psychodynamic psychotherapy. It is especially useful in individual counselling and Know Yourself.
Questions about methods
Which method is best?
Research suggests that a strong, trusting relationship between client and therapist matters as much as the specific method. That is why I adapt my style to you rather than asking you to fit a model.
Can I ask for more practical tools?
Absolutely. If you want structure and exercises, we can lean into CBT. If you want more space to explore, we can slow down. Feedback is always welcome.
Is psychodynamic therapy only about childhood?
No. It looks at patterns wherever they appear, including in current relationships and even in the way we relate in sessions. The past is explored only when it helps the present make sense.
Do I need to know anything about psychology?
Not at all. I will explain ideas in everyday language whenever they are useful, and you can always ask why we are doing something.
How these therapy approaches come together
You don’t need to choose a method. In practice, a single session might begin with a CBT style look at a stressful week, slow down into a humanistic conversation about what you really need, and touch on a psychodynamic insight about where that need comes from. The blend depends on you, and we can always talk openly about what is and isn’t helping.
Want to see how these therapy approaches fit into specific work? Browse the counselling services, read more about me, or go straight to booking a session.