The greatest gift you can give yourself is the courage to face life’s challenges - and to know that you don’t have to face them alone.
— Irvin D. Yalom
There's no single right way to do counselling - it's about what works best for you. I draw from different therapeutic approaches to create something that fits your needs and feels right for you.
Here are some of the main approaches I use:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps you explore the connection between your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and recognise patterns that might be keeping you stuck or making things harder.
It offers practical tools and techniques to manage anxiety, challenge unhelpful thinking, and make positive changes in your day-to-day life. This approach can be especially helpful if you're looking for structured support and actionable strategies.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps you work out what really matters to you and move toward that, even when difficult feelings show up.
It's based on the idea that uncomfortable feelings are a normal part of being human, and focuses on developing skills to stop them from overwhelming you or holding you back from the life you want to live.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS helps you understand the different parts inside you and the roles they take on (kind of like the characters in the movie Inside Out).
By understanding these parts and what they’re trying to do, you can heal from painful memories, let go of unhealthy behaviours and beliefs and start making positive changes in your life.
Attachment-Based Therapy
This approach explores how your early experiences of closeness, care and conflict have shaped the way you connect with others and how you see yourself.
Understanding these patterns can help you improve relationships, develop healthier ways of connecting, and build a stronger sense of trust and security in yourself..
Narrative Therapy
Narrative Therapy helps you explore the stories you tell about yourself and your life, recognising patterns that may have been shaped by others' expectations or past experiences.
This approach gives you the space to rewrite how you understand your past and make empowered choices about your future. It's about reclaiming your agency and creating a sense of identity that feels authentic to you.
Mind-Body Approaches
This approach recognises the close connection between your mind and body - how your thoughts, feelings and physical sensations influence one another.
It helps you tune into what your body is telling you and offers practical tools to calm your nervous system and stay grounded. It can be particularly helpful if you're managing chronic pain, physical health challenges, or noticing how stress shows up physically.