Treatment
What you can expect
When choosing a therapist, it can be helpful to have an idea of how they work. There is a lot of variety in this field and it is really important that you find someone who you feel can provide what you are looking for.
On this page you can read about what a course of treatment with me might look like. I will also describe the kind of situations and struggles I usually work with. This is meant as a guide, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch using my contact details.
Course of Treatment
ASSESSMENT
I offer an initial free 15-30 minute phone call for you to describe what you are looking for and to get a sense of me. If you and I think this could be a good fit, we will commit to completing 1-2 assessment sessions. In those sessions I will ask you about what you want your life to look like and what is getting in the way. I will also ask you about your life history and explore how your experiences have lead you to carry certain beliefs and get stuck in repeating patterns. To do this I will be asking about your childhood, your family, your adult relationships, and any traumatic experiences you may have had. As I am an ecotherapist, I will also be asking you about your relationship to the world around you and exploring how your current life situation supports and hinders you.
FORMULATION
After our second session, I will provide you with a written formulation. A formulation is a brief description (2 or 3 paragraphs) of the patterns you currently find yourself stuck in. I will ask you to review this to see if it feels right to you. Once we have an agreed formulation, it will serve as our road map for your treatment and a useful reference for you when you feel stuck.
TREATMENT
We will agree an initial course of treatment, which is usually between 8-12 sessions. Depending on what seems most useful, we will either continue working online or will gently transition to working outdoors. If we agree to start working outdoors, we will discuss options for meeting places. I always try to meet in easily accessible parks in North or East London. Whether online or in-person, sessions will usually consist of checking in, practicing or teaching skills, exploring connections between you, your past, and your surroundings, and helping you make plans for the week ahead.
When we reach our last 2 agreed sessions, I will discuss with you whether it is time to wrap up the treatment or add more sessions.
What I can help you with:
Ecotherapy and ACT both take the view that traditional diagnosis can be unhelpful. I am happy to discuss this further if we meet but in short, they both consider a diagnosis problematic because it makes you the problem, rather than there being some kind of issue going on between you and your environment. We are not islands!
That being said, most people have spent their lives being given diagnoses! So, it is helpful to know that both Ecotherapy and ACT are what is known as transdiagnostic therapies - they have been shown to be helpful across a wide range of diagnoses. They have also both been shown to be more effective than medication or CBT for a range of presentations.
I have experience in providing therapy to people with a broad range of struggles and diagnoses. I list them here to help you decide if I might be the right therapist for you.
01.
Depression and
Low Mood
02.
Anxiety
and related disorders
eg. OCD, GAD
03.
Trauma responses
incl. PTSD
04.
Relationship issues
05.
Lack of Meaning and Connection