for mental and emotional health
Counselling and Psychotherapy in Woodford, East London

Fees

The normal session fee (minimum an hour) is £70.
Concessions are always available - I have never refused to see anyone on the basis of cost.
I will also travel with prior arrangement. I hold CRB clearance.

Your therapy experience

You will normally notice a difference quickly.
And not infrequently after just one session. And only rarely will you feel the need to see me for more than six sessions. This might seem hard to believe if you are stuck in strong and uncontrollable emotion or behaviour, yet this is my experience with the clients I see.

At all times your wishes and values will be respected.
There will be ample opportunity for you to say what you need to say. Typically, specific and concrete goals are agreed - but only at a pace and in a way that you will find comfortable.

Invariably there will a period devoted to rehearsal of necessary changes and to recall your resources and strengths. And you may receive an understanding of why you are as you are – that will make sense to you and be free of labelling and jargon. There may be stories and metaphors that will speak to your unconscious experiences and wisdom.

I will ask for your feedback at each session.
How have you have felt over the previous week and what have been the changes you have noticed. This is so we can evaluate the progress we are making. At the end of every session you will be asked how well or otherwise you believe the work we did that day helped you as you hoped and fitted in with your expectations.

Which of these therapy principles speaks to you?

1. Meeting Essential Needs is a prerequisite for emotional health
We will normally undertake a needs audit (either explicitly or implicitly) - how well are your needs being met now.

2. Human beings are problem solving creatures
Achievable, concrete and relevant goal setting is an essential prerequisite for you to change.

3. High emotional arousal makes us stupid and all learning takes place when calm
We will work to enhance emotional intelligence - to increase your awareness and to communicate understanding of the sources of stress. I will communicate tools and methods for stress alleviation and to work with you when you are relaxed.

4. Often trauma or trauma like symptoms will be at the root of emotional distress
I am trained in the Rewind technique which quickly removes most traumatic experiences from the emotional brain.

5. Imagination is the main engine for improved performance
We will make use of guided imagery and visualisation to motivate and rehearse helpful change.

6. Creativity is accessed in a relaxed state of flow
You will respond to suggested tailor made methods that allow access to your creative right brain so that it will work harmoniously with the logical and ordered left brain.

7. The brain understands and communicates by patterns (metaphors) and seeks to complete these in the environment
Conversation is built around metaphor/story identification and construction that makes sense to you on all levels.

8. Our capacities and resources are always greater than we think
We will work at all times to identify and refocus or to restore and amplify your resources, which in most cases will be accessible from your past memories and experiences.

9. For all of us, emotions precede and drive thoughts and actions
There are a range of methods that have as their objective the creation of appropriate emotional tags to the events and circumstances that you are likely to be experiencing.
Note: Working directly on the cognitive level (as CBT therapy does) is rarely the most effective way to facilitate change.

These therapy principles are based squarely on the Human Givens approach.