How we might work
At the centre of my work is the relationship between us. How safe and understood you feel with me matters more than any technique, and it is often where change begins.
From humanistic thinking I take the belief that you are the expert on your own experience, so I offer acceptance and respect and do not assume I know what you need.
From psychoanalytic thinking I take an interest in how patterns from earlier in life, including ones we are not fully aware of, shape how we feel and relate now.
Relational thinking reminds me that what happens between us in the room, including when it is difficult, can show us something about your relationships outside it.
A trauma-informed approach means safety comes first, so we go at a pace your body and mind can manage, and you decide how much to say and when.
I do not move through these in a fixed order. For many people the work is simply talking, at a pace that feels right, about what is on your mind and how it connects to your history and your relationships. Some people also like to work with dreams, images, metaphors or making something.
Identity and cultural difference
Having moved from Germany to England, I know how much of what feels normal in a family, a relationship or a therapy room depends on the culture we learned it in. I try not to assume that my way of seeing things fits yours, and I adapt how we work as I learn about your world. I am interested in how identity emerges in relation to other people and to the wider social world, and I bring an intersectional, anti-oppressive outlook to the work. If you are neurodivergent, or wonder whether you might be, we can think together about how sessions can best work for you.
What sessions are like
In our first sessions we get to know each other and talk about what brings you, what you hope for and how you would like to work. There is no pressure to have it worked out. How long we work together is up to you, and you can read about short-term and open-ended options on the fees&faq page. We can look together at how it is going whenever you want to.
Getting in touch
If you would like to know more, or wonder whether we might be a good fit, you are welcome to get in touch. Fees, location and how online sessions work are on the fees&faq page.