What is Integrative Psychotherapy?

Integrative psychotherapists hold an open-minded perspective which respects the diversity of human knowledge, culture, and systems of belief. Rather than fixing on one way of looking at things, we are open to looking at things from different points of view.

Integrative psychotherapists study a wide range of psychological theory during training, drawn from the three main traditions of psychotherapeutic thought which are psychodynamic, humanistic/transpersonal, and cognitive/behavioural. We are interested in the deeper forces of change which make psychotherapy effective regardless of what ‘type’ it is, particularly the client’s motivation, strengths and inner wisdom;  the psychotherapist’s motivation and attitude to their work; and the nature of the therapeutic relationship itself.

From an integrative perspective, some of the ways in which psychotherapy can help people are:

• To gain a clearer understanding of who you are – your life story, your identity, and your values.
• To have the opportunity to express your emotions, fully and honestly (and be supported with emotional expression, if this is something you struggle with).
• To gain a clearer understanding of whatever emotional pain you are carrying, the specific nature of that pain, where it comes from, and what keeps it going. 
• To develop compassion towards yourself and others.
• To learn skills for handling relationships which respect yourself and others.
• To become more emotionally resilient, including tolerating change and uncertainty.
• Where necessary, to accept and endure suffering, and creatively transform it.

My personal approach to Integrative Psychotherapy

Working as an integrative psychotherapist has taught me, above all, that every person really is unique. There is an entire universe inside every one of us, and people with the same ‘issue’, ‘problem’, diagnosis, or identity are often different from each other in other, more subtle, but important ways. I have found that in order to heal and feel more whole, we need to connect with our deeper selves, to find sources of wisdom beyond the rational and beyond conscious awareness. Therefore, an important part of how I work is about helping you to identify and validate your own true perceptions, feelings and intuitions, including imagination, bodily awareness, and spiritual understanding if this is relevant to you. I can also offer my own perceptions, interpretations, and theoretical knowledge, but as resources which may be useful to you in helping you make sense of things and clarify your own perspective, which you are free to take or leave, as seems right to you.

Human suffering takes many forms, including the pain of loss and grief, struggles with shame and worthlessness, fear, meaninglessness, and numbness. Often we don’t feel things fully, but defend against them in some creative way. For example, an obsession may be a way to avoid thinking about something frightening which happened in the past; or a confident persona can be a way of hiding low self-worth. But when the things we have pushed away can be shared, in the safety of a strong psychotherapeutic relationship, then healing and greater emotional wholeness can come about. Because I believe that trust and respect is essential, my priority will always be to create a relationship which feels safe and therapeutic for YOU. This includes respecting your pace, your style of thinking, and your emotional needs (for example, how much you value being supported vs being challenged). I am also very committed to professional ethics including anti-oppressive practice, good boundaries, and financial honesty.