There are countless different modalities of therapy, with new approaches being developed all the time, but the three prominent schools of therapy are; Psychodynamic (classical therapy which looks at the client’s past and relates it to the present); Humanistic (person-centred, focuses on the client’s current situation and is very client-led) and Behavioural (learning strategies, setting goals, reprogramming unhelpful thinking).

I’ve drastically simplified these here. There are some types of therapy that branch off from under these three ‘umbrella’ terms, and others which do not fit into any of these categories at all. 

Psychodynamic counselling recognises that we all have minds made up of different psychological 'parts'. Some of these parts may be in conflict with one another, others hidden from consciousness entirely. I will encourage you to look at these different parts of yourself. I will support you in looking at the root causes of conflicts within yourself. I will also be interested in your relationships, including our counselling relationship, and to do this I will use attachment-based ideas about how we learn and relate to others.

Part of my approach involves slowing things down and becoming curious together about what might be going on beneath the surface - the thoughts, feelings and assumptions that shape how we respond to ourselves and others. Rather than assuming I already know what something means for you, I try to hold a curious and open stance. We explore things together so that understanding develops in a way that feels meaningful and true to your experience.

I will always share my thoughts with you (and, if you're interested, the theory behind them). Psychodynamic and attachment-based theories can sometimes sound very deterministic when described in books. In practice, however, therapy is a collaborative process. My aim is not to put you into a category or diagnose, but to help you understand yourself more deeply and discover new possibilities for change.