Therapists
I have been practicing as a therapist for over twenty years and work with clients of all ages who come to therapy for a wide range of issues. The sessions offer a safe space where a client can bring their vulnerable self, together with emotions and feelings, some of which are often not so well accepted and supported outside in society. I am a fully qualified art psychotherapist, supervisor and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) practitioner. I am registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and am a member of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT). I have an enhanced DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check.
Person centred/humanistic, art therapy, psychodynamic, EMDR I have a holistic approach and incorporate different modalities into my work, including some mindfulness exercises. The aim of therapy is to meet specific needs of the client and I tailor my approach based on the client’s personal experiences. The focus is on finding the best way forward to bring about a favourable change in an individual’s life and the client is given space to present things from their own point of view, working at their own pace. When working creatively, artwork can be a means of communicating difficulties, rather than solely the difficulties themselves, thus facilitating this form of self-expression and communication. Sometimes these sessions are based mainly around artwork and other times dialogue. Most often the therapy involves both dialogue and art. The images are not judged for their artistic merit but are seen as possessing potential meanings, such as thoughts, dreams, memories and feelings etc. Dreams can be explored together with clients in the therapy and the art-making can be a helpful part of this exploration. As an art therapist, I use a psychodynamic model, working with the 'transference' (of feelings) and 'countertransference' dynamics of the therapeutic relationship. The word 'psychodynamic' describes the unconscious (psyche) and that it affects how we function (dynamic). I completed a Jungian Foundation course at the Society for Analytical Psychology and I offer sandplay in the therapy, based on the work of Dora Kalff. This is founded on the principles of Jungian psychology.
I did a MA in Art Psychotherapy at Hatfield, University of Hertfordshire, and qualified in June 2004. I am also trained in EMDR. Much of my work as a therapist has been in schools with children and young people, particularly teenagers. For many years I was working in the London Borough of Westminster with children and young people from a wide variety of backgrounds including those from areas of conflict. I have also worked with adults and continue to do so in my private practice.
- Art Therapy / Psychotherapy
- EMDR
- Person Centered Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Sand Tray
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