Therapy.

I offer psychodynamic therapy in Maidstone, Kent and online via video call.

Many of us come to believe that something is fundamentally wrong with us because life feels harder than it seems to for other people. Our emotions may feel too much to carry, or we might feel distant from ourselves, from those around us, or from life itself. You may have spent a long time trying to manage alone, burying painful feelings or telling yourself that you should have moved on by now.

I believe that our difficulties begin to make sense when we take the time to understand the experiences that have shaped us. In therapy, we'll gently explore your story with curiosity, warmth and compassion, creating space for you to see yourself in a new light. As we make sense of your past and the context of your life, it often becomes clear that you are not broken or flawed. Instead, your mind and body have been doing their best to adapt to what you've lived through.

I am an experienced Psychodynamic Counsellor and Psychotherapist and a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. I have additional training in trauma-informed counselling to better support and work safely with those suffering from trauma. I work with clients suffering from anxiety, depression, anger, trauma, bereavement and loss, stress, self harm, and a range of other issues. I also have experience working with clients with an existing diagnosis including personality disorders (such as Borderline Personality Disorder) and eating disorders.

I have a trauma-informed psychodynamic approach to therapy which is a non-directive, open ended, client-led model. My work aims to bring hidden feelings and experiences into awareness in a safe and managed way and then to understand and process what may have been hidden, misunderstood or misinterpreted. During our sessions you talk about your life and your experiences and I will ask you questions, be curious, interpret and occasionally challenge what you have said or you believe. By creating a place where you feel safe to discuss and explore yourself and your history we are able to look at you and your life with fresh eyes, reworking the narrative you have created for yourself in a way which feels nurturing and safe.

One of the hardest parts of understanding ourselves is recognising that the story we tell about our lives isn't always the whole story. The ways we make sense of painful experiences are often shaped by the need to protect ourselves. In therapy, we'll gently explore your experiences together, helping you develop a more honest and compassionate understanding of your past and present. As that understanding grows, many people find they feel less burdened by inner conflict and more able to move forward. Your past does not have to define you, but understanding it can help you understand yourself. 

Emotional disruption can arise when we do not fully understand or process our experiences and relationships, we often protect ourselves by hiding our true feelings towards individuals, events and even ourselves. Ignoring our emotions does not mean they go away, unwanted emotions are like lightning: they will ground themselves somewhere, often expressing themselves in undesirable ways. The better we understand our emotions, and what they are truly a reaction to, the better we can become at regulating and challenging them. Likewise pretending a horrible event didn’t happen or it wasn’t that bad doesn’t mean it hasn’t left its marks on your mind and body. Part of the work I do with my clients is to recognise what they have been avoiding and to try to understand the emotional and bodily effects that it has had: why do you jump at the sound of a car horn, why are you enraged over a stranger accidentally brushing against you, why do you see danger in the shadows, why do you struggle to trust people, why do your relationships break down.

I work by having an initial session, which is an opportunity for us to meet and discuss you, your past, your present and what has brought you into therapy. Within this session we will discuss fees, the therapeutic frame and the practicalities of our work. We will then have further sessions at an agreed fee, time and place. I tailor my work to the individual so these sessions have no set agenda, they form an opportunity for me to hear from you about your life and you can get a feel for how I work.

I offer long-term, open ended therapy on a weekly basis. This means that we do not agree an end date for the therapy, we will continue until a point when you feel you wish to bring our work to a close. I also offer short-term therapy over 12 weekly sessions which will have a set and agreed end date. Short term therapy is normally most helpful for a particular issue which you wish to address and tends to be focussed on or around the issue for the duration of the 12 sessions. If you're unsure which type of therapy is going to be most helpful then this is something which we can discuss and agree in our initial sessions.

Normally our sessions will be at the same time on the same day each week, they will last 50 minutes and I charge £60 for an initial session.  I only work with my clients on a weekly basis, I do not offer fortnightly or monthly sessions, this is because when the space between the sessions becomes too large then the effect of our work is dramatically reduced. Our sessions will be confidential and will be held in a private space, if we are working remotely via video call you will need to ensure you have access to a private space where you will be undisturbed. 

The content of our sessions is within your control, what we speak about will be decided by you, I am there to explore, reflect and be with your emotions.