aPrioriTherapy
Counselling Service

My Approach

 

My training is Transpersonal Integrative Psychotherapy, UKCP registered, BACP registered and accredited. I am interested in soulful embodiment and radical personal responsibility.

My approach is integrative, so I will adapt my work with you to suit your particular needs by drawing from different theoretical understandings. These include:

Soul, a transpersonal understanding of the field dynamics of consciousness, this theoretical frame asks I trust that all events and experiences can be opportunities for meaning making. In particular soul is found in what limits, slows, frustrates, obstructs and is unwanted. If we can take our time these experiences are an invitation into deeper relating, understanding and compassion.

Often this calls for more embodiment, trusting our instinctive, or gut knowing, and bearing mindfully with our direct experience. This requires us to describe phenomena without reaching for premature explanations, and staying with what-is becomes the creative ground for meaning making.

I am interested in archetypal psychotherapy and radically staying with the sense within each character in a story (personal/historical/mythic). By deeply inhabiting each character within their own realm we are naturally confronted with a radical responsibility for intentions, actions and consequences.
Archetypal psychotherapy is a way of understanding all events can be experienced as if something was imagined or dreamed. This encourages us to explore associations and intuitions about everyday life, often drawing out richer, more satisfying, enlivening responses.

Psychosynthesis is a theory and method which imagines the mind (Psyche) has different parts that haven't necessarily learnt to get along yet. The parts represent our different wants, needs and beliefs. Usually when a part of us wants something new it can feel exciting and adventurous, there may be other parts that feel frightened or unsure or critical about something new happening. The coming together of the parts (synthesis) comes as we take the time to learn about all of ourselves and then learn how to include these different wants, needs and beliefs more.

I also use mindfulness exercises, these train us to notice where we are comfortable to give our full attention and where we want to ignore what is happening. The more we are aware of the more choice we have about how we respond to our thoughts, feelings and other people. Mindfulness helps us appreciate and enjoy life more and supports us in times of uncertainty.

I see therapeutic relating as intersubjective, and honest heartfelt relating as the ground of significant creative healing.

I understand difference and diversity through a frame of intersectionality, and the systemic nature of prejudice and unconscious bias. I am particularly interested in gender, sexuality and relationship diversity; queer spirituality; and supporting racial equality and justice through white affinity groups.

 

 

 

 

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