The Process of Therapy
Counselling/Psychotherapy Tending to the Roots for Deeper Growth
Imagine your mind as a tree, with your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours forming its branches and leaves. While the branches may seem unruly or the leaves weathered, true change begins beneath the surface, at the roots. Counselling and psychotherapy work like a gentle gardener, helping you tend to those roots, unearth what’s buried, and provide the nourishment needed for genuine, lasting growth.
Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, there are subtle differences between the two:
Counselling often focuses on current life challenges — providing a safe space to explore difficulties, gain perspective, and find practical ways forward.
Psychotherapy goes a little deeper — looking at how past experiences and patterns shape your present thoughts, emotions, and relationships.
The Therapy Process
1. Building Trust and Safety
Our first sessions are about creating a space where you feel comfortable, respected, and free to express yourself. Together, we’ll establish what brought you to therapy and what you hope to gain from it.
2. Exploring Your Story
Through open, empathic dialogue, we’ll explore your experiences, emotions, and patterns. My role is not to analyse you from a distance, but to walk alongside you — helping you see connections and make sense of what’s unfolding.
3. Making Meaning and Gaining Insight
As understanding grows, so does self-compassion. You may begin to see how certain beliefs or behaviours once served to protect you, and how new perspectives can open space for healing and change.
4. Integration and Growth
Therapy is not only about insight but integration — finding ways to live differently in the world. We’ll work together to help you embody these changes, supporting you to move forward with greater self-awareness, resilience, and authenticity.