The therapy I offer is primarily Gestalt therapy, which is Embodied (somatic), Creative, and Relational.
In Gestalt therapy, we are always coming back to what is emerging in the present moment -- everything, from the impact of past wounds to our relationship with future possibilities, can be explored within present moment experiences.
"Embodied" Therapy (also referred to as somatic therapy) simply means including our embodied experience. All of our experiences are embodied – even thoughts are a kind of sensation. In embodied therapy we are invited to bring awareness to our whole present moment experience.
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This is an empowering practice that allows us to go beyond our stories about what we "should" be feeling. Our present moment experiences do not require any justification – these sensations are simply what is happening right now.
Embodied therapy supports this non judgmental awareness of our experience through gentle mindfulness, movement, and visualization explorations. These explorations can help us to understand our feelings more clearly.
Embodied or somatic therapy also supports nervous system regulation. By working with sensations in the body, we also learn what may trigger signals of "danger" and how to send signals of safety to the body.
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Creative Therapy brings in elements from theatre, visual arts and creative movement to support the therapeutic work. Not every client will feel comfortable working in each of these mediums and there is never any pressure to do a particular kind of exploration. Rather, the creative therapeutic approach offers this wide variety of tools to draw from in order to discover what particular forms of exploration are most supportive for each individual.
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"Relational" Therapy focuses on relationships as foundational to our experience of the world. This can include past relationships, current relationships, relationships to ourselves, and our relationships to the environments we find ourselves within. Relational therapy is also fundamentally collaborative – we work together as therapist and client to discover your experiences, your struggles, and your supports. How we are experiencing each other as therapist and client can also be included as part of this exploration. For example, we may explore different ways of building safety and trust within the therapeutic relationship. It is never a waste of time to take our time, for example, before feeling safe enough to share something. Learning about what we need in order to feel safe in a therapeutic relationship can be applied to other relationships, and this is sometimes one of the most valuable things that we can learn!
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At the heart of this embodied, creative and relational approach that I offer is the practise of genuine curiosity from a place of non-judgment and compassion.
I begin with the understanding that I am not the expert of you. I do not hold the answers to your truths. I have not lived your life. Nobody knows your suffering, or your strengths, better than you do. Collaborative therapy means working together as a team to discover what truly supports you and what does not. Focusing on what is emerging in the present moment means exploring what is actually happening in your experience - not what I think you should be feeling, thinking, or doing. I do not diagnose or prescribe particular coping methods. Rather, we explore in real time what emerges for you as we bring in different resources and potential supports.
The healing that can happen through this process is more like blooming than "fixing".
I do not try to fit you into any pre-existing idea of "normal" or "functional". Rather, we can work together to discover what forms of nourishment and care create the conditions for your own internal healing process to emerge.
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