I offer psychoanalytic psychotherapy in Stafford in a safe and convenient home office-based location. With one to one psychotherapy, sessions can be conducted face to face or online (or a hybrid approach). For most people, in person work is important and necessary providing a contained embodied space for the work to evolve. For online therapy you simply need a device connected to the internet and you access the session via a link. Individual therapy, couples therapy, or group therapy are all part of the service.
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
The mode of psychotherapy I utilise is psychoanalytic psychotherapy. The evidence base for the effectiveness of this method is growing, and it is strongest for long-term complex cases. The main theoretical framework is that unconscious processes, internal conflicts, transference and early relationships shape current difficulties. By working this way it can help you to increase insight into unconscious dynamics within yourself and make internal changes that help to increase ego strength and robustness and resolve deep-rooted conflicts.
The main ways that I work are by enabling you to talk in a freely associated way, without censorship or judgement; bring dreams that might help with understanding the unconscious as they are interpreted in the session; by you being able to take in the insights that I will offer, that may at times be surprising (as you will be finding out things that you don’t yet know about yourself): and by working through difficult experiences in a supported and contained way as they come up in the work.
- In psychoanalytic therapy we view symptoms, as problematic as they may be, as expressions of unconscious conflict – so I am not here to cure your or fix you by removing the symptoms rather we work together to transform them via insight.
- As the therapist my stance is neutral and non-directive (although at times this may differ – for example if we are doing some trauma informed work) – I will interpret and offer insight rather than offer advice, solutions or tools.
- Psychoanalytic work is typically longer-term and open-ended and may be higher frequency – from once a week to 2 or 3 times or more.
- There is a deep focus on developmental history and early relationships in childhood and on what manifests in the relationship between the therapist and the client.
- We see emotions as clues to unconscious processes and this is felt in the ‘field’ that develops between us.
Couples & Relationship Therapy
Our intimate relationships hold the key to our growth and couples therapy can help. Therapy is regarded by some as a sign of weakness or failure, but anyone who has ever had therapy knows how wrong that is! Coming to therapy is a big step that is a sign of strength because it requires courage and a lot of commitment.
Couples therapy is no different. Sometimes we need help to navigate the challenges of our intimate relationships, and it is important to recognise that whilst a good couples therapist may influence you, the only person with the power to change things is you, and you do have that power, no matter how bad things have gotten.
Contact us today
to book a session!