We all have patterns in our relationships - ways we connect, withdraw, protect ourselves, or seek closeness. Often, these patterns formed early in life and now play out automatically in our current relationships, even when they no longer serve us.

You might find yourself keeping people at a distance even when you want connection, choosing similar partners repeatedly, feeling unworthy of love, anticipating rejection, or struggling to trust and be vulnerable.

These patterns made sense once - they helped you survive difficult experiences or relationships. But now they might be getting in the way. 

Psychodynamic therapy helps you explore how your early relationships shaped the way you see yourself and relate to others. By understanding these patterns and where they come from, you can begin to change them.

Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are connected - and sometimes we get stuck in unhelpful patterns. You might find yourself caught in cycles of worry, avoiding situations that trigger anxiety, or believing harsh things about yourself.

These patterns often happen automatically. A thought pops up (‘I'm going to mess this up’), which triggers anxiety, which leads to avoidance - and the cycle reinforces itself.

Where helpful, I offer practical strategies and tools from CBT to help you manage day-to-day difficulties. You learn to notice these patterns, step back from automatic thoughts, develop more balanced perspectives, and gradually face situations you've been avoiding.

We all have different aspects or parts to our personality. But most of us don't have control over these parts - they react automatically to situations. For example, you might shut down when critisized, become angry when feeling hurt, or overthink when anxious.

Sometimes these reactions help us. Sometimes they get us into trouble.

But there's another way. Through IFS, you can develop a relationship with these parts and understand why they do what they do. We can help and heal any pain or vulnerability driving the reaction. Then, instead of reacting on autopilot, you develop the ability to choose how you respond.

Much of our suffering comes from being caught up in thoughts, that is, replaying the past, worrying about the future, or getting lost in self-criticism. We spend so much time in our heads that we lose touch with the present moment and with our direct experience of life.

Mindfulness is about learning to notice what's happening right now - your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, without getting swept away by them or judging them as good or bad.

I might weave mindfulness into our work together, helping you develop the ability to step back from difficult thoughts and feelings rather than being controlled by them. You learn to respond with more awareness and choice, rather than reacting automatically. This might include simple practices like noticing your breath, tuning into bodily sensations, or bringing kind attention to difficult emotions.

Mindfulness doesn't make difficult feelings disappear, but it changes your relationship with them, creating space, perspective, and the capacity to be with what is.

Sometimes the most helpful thing is simply to be heard - truly heard, without judgment or advice. At the heart of my work is the belief that you're the expert on your own life. You know yourself better than anyone else, even when it feels like you're lost or confused. Perhaps you've spent so long meeting others' expectations that you've lost touch with your own needs.

In person-centred therapy, my role is to create a genuine and honest space where you feel truly heard, helping you access your own insight and wisdom. Rather than directing you or giving advice, I trust your capacity to find your own answers and your own way forward.