Pope Alan

It can be a big step to enter psychotherapy and it is often accompanied by anxiety. My initial response is to create a safe space in which to talk and what is spoken about is within your control not mine. Many people come to therapy today with a self diagnosis or one already given by another professional. These diagnoses can be useful as a starting point but they are reductive and reveal nothing of the uniqueness of the individual. They are a collection of symptoms and tell us nothing of a personʼs experience and the perception of the world that develops from that experience.

Therefore, the aim of the work we do together is to understand the very specific nature of an individuals difficulties and what underpins these difficulties. To reach this understanding we explore past experiences in conjunction with what is happening in the ʻhere and nowʼ. As this process progresses, the aim is to change old perceptions and patterns of relating that are causing difficulties.