What is psychotherapy?
“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
― C.G. Jung
Therapy is always different; it’s a journey taken by the client, and the route is never the same twice. My job is to help you find your way through the process, exploring your emotions, helping you to understand yourself, and providing you with the tools to turn this understanding into growth and wellbeing.
In my experience people have an intrinsically self-healing nature, and I consider it part of my work to help clients discover this side to themselves, allowing it to emerge and become active. This is a joint effort, and ultimately you, the client, are the one taking control of the changes you wish to make in your life.
How I work
A range of therapeutic approaches
I am an integrative therapist, combining principles and practices of the various psychotherapeutic approaches in which I’ve been trained. These are mainly Jungian and gestalt therapy with elements of transpersonal therapy as well as mindfulness and CBT/REBT. I can also combine psychotherapy with hypnotherapy where appropriate.
I can help you
I work with people facing a range of challenges
Over the years I have worked with a huge range of clients, people from all walks of life who were or are dealing with all manner of issues. Anxiety and depression, infertility and sexual dysfunction, panic attacks, PTSD, phobias, addictions, eating disorders and more have all been discussed and worked on in the safe, non-judgemental environment of therapy sessions. I also work with people recovering from trauma and abuse.
Nature Therapy
If and when appropriate or the client would like to work this way, I offer therapy with nature (ecotherapy) in a woodland outside of Swansea.
Most of us have experienced how beneficial being in nature is for our physical and mental wellbeing. There is growing evidence that this has therapeutic benefits. If done with care and knowledge, therapeutic results can be achieved that otherwise are difficult or even impossible to achieve.
Some clients just want to talk while being out and the woods enhance the experience. Some clients feel calmer, some more energised or more positive.
Another way to work in the woods is mindful walking while focussing the senses entirely on the natural surroundings. This immersive experience is also known as forest bathing and has been developed in Japan in the 1980s. It is also known as shinrin-yoku. It is however not a new concept.
In many cultures a connection to the natural world is seen as important to our health. Once learned, this process can easily be done by the client without any further guidance by the therapist.
Deeper psychological can be worked on with tailored interventions and connections with nature with the help of the therapist. Nature has a unique way to respond to us when we make connection and this can lead to deep insights and transformations. Issues that can be worked through with the help and support of nature include of loss of direction, bereavement, lack of meaning and purpose, anxiety, trust and more.
One problem can be confidentiality and I always address this before we come to an agreement working in nature. Outside of my consultation room I cannot guarantee that you will not be seen by or encounter someone you know. Also, quite a number of people know me as a psychotherapist and therefore might conclude that you are my client when they see us together.
This can compromise the confidentiality you have in the consultation room. If a client is uncomfortable with this, then nature therapy would not be appropriate. Working in nature can be challenging but I always will make sure that the client is safe. I regularly do health and safety assessments and am fully insured to do this work.
Psychotherapy for cancer
Helping cancer patients through treatment and beyond
I have now (2022) more than 16 years of experience of working with people who have cancer, alongside my other work as a psychotherapist. For 12 of those I volunteered in The Old Mill Foundation, a holistic cancer support centre in Penclawdd near Swansea I now see clients with cancer on a private basis.
The journey through cancer is a challenging one, both physically and emotionally, and a big factor in recovery is the emotional state of the patient undergoing treatment. Fear, anger, despair, depression and a host of other negative emotions are common - being told to “be positive” doesn’t help! However, therapy can. We will explore these feelings during our sessions together to help you manage them.
We will focus on what is good with you, rather than simply the cancer, and what feels like it’s going wrong. We can look at the cancer as a turning point, a potential for positive growth in life as a consequence of a harmful growth within the body. My work is principally based on the approach developed by Lawrence LeShan and Carl O. Simonton.
Get in touch
For more information about the psychotherapy provided by me, please contact me using the form below. I serve Swansea and Llanelli.