Psychotherapist for couples and individuals | Brighton & Hove

How do I book an initial consultation?

Simply email me and tell me why you’re considering starting therapy. A brief sentence or two is enough. It is also useful for me to know if you’ve had therapy before. Then we will find a mutually convenient time for an initial session, either in person or online.

Sometimes I will suggest that we have a short conversation on the phone before arranging an initial consultation.

There is no pressure to meet again if either party feels that we are not a good ‘fit.’ I am always happy to refer you to someone more suitable if that is necessary.

My therapy room in Hove

How much do sessions cost?

Individual therapy session - £65 for a 50 minute session

Individual therapy session - £85 for a 60 minute session

Single Session Therapy (SST) - £75 for a 60 minute session

How long does therapy last in general?

The amount of time a person or couple spends in therapy is very variable. Some people are pleased with the work they have done in six or eight sessions and work on a short term, focused goal. Couples work can last a little as one session and as long as a couple of years but it’s usually something in between. I have and continue to work with some individual clients for many years. This is long-term, in-depth therapy

What happens in individual therapy?

The therapy I practise focuses on certain key aspects of our lives in an attempt to understand what precisely hinders us from being our authentic selves.

So usually we look at how our personality and relational patterns influence how we see ourselves and others. This means examining past experiences, particularly those early ones with our caregivers, and exploring the dynamics that dominate our interpersonal relations. We look at the past not merely to stir up old pain, but to understand how the past is playing out in the present, which in turn means we can create new ways of living and relating in the future.

We focus on feelings and the expression of emotions, and look at the ways we attempt to avoid distressing thoughts and feelings. Recurring patterns and themes emerge over time, and our unconscious life may start to take shape in the form of fantasies, dreams and our increasing ability to express ourselves more spontaneously.

Virtually all of the contemporary research points to the strength of the therapeutic alliance as the main factor in determining the success of therapy. Safety and confidentiality are givens in the client therapist relationship. However, therapy is not merely a chance to share our thoughts and feelings with another person, or create a new narrative about our lives, or process our painful emotions. These are all important components of something more profound, which is the active construction of a new way of experiencing ourselves with another person.

To put it simply, all our pain, ultimately, comes from interpersonal difficulties. What has been lost or broken in relationship can only be recovered and repaired in relationship. As your therapist, I enter into, and participate in, your relational patterns, so that by experiencing them together, we can understand, update and re-work them.

What issues can individual therapy address?

· Addictions

· Obsessions

· Self-harm

· Relationship difficulties

· Abuse

· Anxiety

· Bereavement

· Loss

· Post-traumatic stress

· Trauma

· Service veterans

· Depression

· AIDS/HIV

· Cancer

· Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME)

· Cultural issues

· Identity issues

· Men's issues

· Self-esteem

· Being affected by suicide, suicide ideation

· Sexual identity

· Women's issues

· Gender identity

· Child related issues

· Infertility

· Pregnancy related issues

· Life transitions

· Loneliness

· Boarding school syndrome

· Spirituality

· Redundancy

· Stress

· Work related issues

What issues can couples therapy help with?

· infidelity

· poor communication

· loss of intimacy

· conflict and arguments

· relationship breakdown

· financial disagreements

· coping with crises

· parenting styles

· negotiating blended families

· exploring relationship and sexual diversity

· ethical non-monogamy, polyamory, open relationships

How does couples therapy work?

Couples often, but not always, begin therapy in crisis, or when there are feelings of animosity, despair or irritation. The first task of the therapy is to de-escalate some of these feelings and create a space for both parties to express themselves honestly and safely.

We then work together to identify the key issues facing the relationship. We do this collaboratively to understand the negative cycles that you are trapped in and what underlying emotions drive those cycles. It is important to identify each person’s ‘relational stance’ – the ways you each unconsciously manage conflict and intimacy.

Although I emphasise a collaborative and curious approach, I do confront the behaviours and attitudes as I see them played out before me. I give feedback that has a focus on responsibility and accountability. This means you can start to make tangible changes in your daily interactions almost immediately, particularly as you learn to listen to one another more empathically and respond more appropriately, even after conflict. There is a coaching element to this part of the work as we experiment with different ways of communicating, responding and behaving. Often, we will agree on ‘homework’ tasks for you to work on between sessions.