Dear Reader,
Here are some personal thoughts from me whereby I hope to explain my motives and therapeutic offering, and how this approach could benefit you.
I am a person centred counsellor accredited and registered (083879) with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and astrologer registered with The Association of Professional Astrologers International (APAI).
In summary, I blend together counselling, Jungian therapy and psychological astrology to gather an impression of the whole psychic picture and in doing so address the conscious and subconscious realms.
This admixture of therapeutic orientations allows me to meet your needs and where you are at. This might mean supporting you in dealing with a crisis or significant change you are struggling with. Or, you have become aware of your dreams and you wish to explore these further. Or, you are looking to understand self defeating behaviours and thoughts. Or, any combination of the above.
I am an avid fan of Carl Rogers’ (1902-1987) person centred theory and I consider him the guru in the ‘how to’ of relating our conscious life. His theory enables people to meet another just as they are, without feeling judged or having to put on an act in order to feel accepted. It’s about being oneself and experiencing this as ok!
Throughout the twentieth century Carl Jung (1875-1961) developed analytical psychology. Jung successfully proved methods for engaging with the unconscious. When we are feeling stuck, Jungian methods can afford balance, healing and illuminate a way forward in life.
Denied aspects of ourselves continue to manifest in the unconscious and tend to be experienced problematically in transference (relationships), in complexes and projected into our environments and places of work. Additionally, these denied bits can appear in dreams and fantasies, or manifest in the body as illnesses or anxiety, or are the root cause of so-called accidents! This is why we need to honour the whole psyche.
Dream analysis is invaluable for healing. Dreams are purely organic in the sense that they originate beyond the ego’s control. Dreams commune via imagery and symbols. We mistakenly believe this psychic product to be nonsensical because we try to literally interpret dreams with our rational thinking. Symbolic thinking however enables communication with dreams and the unconscious.
Astrology is a symbolic language and I recently argued in my MA dissertation that a grave issue for today’s astrology is the lack of symbolic thinking applied to astrological interpretations. Consequently, astrology has become known for a list of character traits, is static and reductive in outlook.
When astrological symbolism is correctly worked with, astrology can be used to discern and explain conscious and unconscious patterns of behaviour and thought existing in our psyche – a method Jung named as amplification. Jung studied astrology himself and consulted his patients’ charts for insights. Your astrological natal chart uniquely and symbolically maps your psyche. I use astrology to amplify clients’ dreams, fantasies and complexes.
Before becoming a counsellor, I worked in the Defence and Aerospace industry for 15 years, including a period of commissioned service with the Royal Air Force. I understand the pressures of working in fast paced, demanding environments, whilst striving to maintain a work-life balance.
I am based in Halesworth, Suffolk, East Anglia offering short or longer term counselling, either face to face, telephone or online. Clients are seen at the Harmony Centre: https://theharmonycentre.com/
Please contact me here contact form to arrange a session or for general enquires.
