My Approach

Therapy with me is grounded in Gestalt Therapy, and enriched by tools from CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and Person-Centred Therapy. Together, these approaches help us explore your experiences in a way that’s practical, compassionate, and tailored to you.

Gestalt therapy is about helping you become more aware of what’s going on for you right now - your thoughts, feelings, and even what’s happening in your body. Often, we get stuck in old patterns or caught up in worries, and we don’t notice how we’re actually experiencing things in the moment.

In our sessions, we’ll slow down and pay attention to how you’re experiencing your struggles as you talk about them. Sometimes that might mean noticing your body language, exploring different sides of a situation, like the part of you that wants to stay strong and the part that feels exhausted. We might also use creative ways of working, such as metaphors, images, or stories, to help you see things from a new perspective. 

Gestalt therapy focuses on the present and encourages self-awareness, self-discovery, and self-responsibility. It believes each person experiences the world in their own unique way. It also emphasises the integration of mind and body.  

Rooted in European existential philosophy and ancient Eastern traditions such as Zen Buddhism and Taoism, Gestalt therapy has evolved since its development in the 1940s into a well-established way of helping people find practical, positive change.

While Gestalt therapy is at the heart of what I do, I also use tools from CBT and Person-Centred Therapy. Here’s how they fit in:

CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
CBT looks at the link between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It helps identify unhelpful thinking patterns, like “I should always cope” or “I’m failing”, and offers practical tools to challenge and reframe these thoughts. This can reduce distress and build healthier coping strategies.

Person-Centred Therapy
This approach is based on empathy, acceptance, and genuine understanding. The pace and direction come from you, the client, creating a safe, non-judgemental space where you can explore openly and feel supported.

Therapy isn’t about sticking to one rigid method. It’s about finding what works best for you. I think of the different approaches as tools we can draw on when they’re helpful. 

Gestalt helps bring awareness to what is happening right now: thoughts, feelings, and body sensations. It can uncover patterns that have been running in the background for years and create space to respond differently. This approach often helps with understanding emotions more deeply, improving relationships, and reconnecting with personal needs and values. It is about living with greater clarity and choice rather than feeling stuck in old habits. 

CBT offers practical ways to work with unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that might be keeping life difficult.
Person-Centred keeps the process grounded in empathy and collaboration, creating a safe space for exploration. 

By combining these approaches, it becomes possible to explore what matters most, understand experiences more fully, and discover new ways of coping that feel authentic and sustainable. Our focus will always be on what feels most helpful for you.

Please go to How I can help you section to see the list of issues I can help you with in detail.