Counselling Approach

Personal Values, Beliefs, and Experience

As a therapist, I believe that every individual has the potential for growth. My goal is to create a warm, supportive environment where you feel truly heard and understood. I view therapy as a collaborative partnership, where my role is to guide and support you through your healing journey. I deeply value the importance of empathy, trust, and mutual respect in our work together.

My approach is grounded in the belief that struggles when approached with care, can become powerful sources of strength and resilience. Similar to the Japanese art of kintsugi, I view challenges and setbacks not as negatives to hide, but as opportunities for transformation. By embracing our struggles, we can create something more beautiful and stronger.

My philosophy is shaped by over 10 years of experience in mental health and emergency services. I've witnessed the complexities of human suffering and resilience, understanding that healing is a non-linear process of growth. I am dedicated to creating a judgment-free space for you to explore your thoughts and emotions, recognizing your unique journey. Together, we can transform life's challenges into opportunities for a more fulfilling life.

Evidence-Based Approach

What is an Evidence-Based Approach?

An evidence-based approach means using treatment methods that are scientifically proven to be effective. The techniques I use are supported by research showing that they help people improve their mental health, particularly in managing anxiety, depression, and stress. Here’s what that means:

Proven Effectiveness: The methods I use are grounded in research that shows they work to help individuals overcome mental health challenges.
Clinical Expertise: I combine the latest research with my professional experience to select the most effective approaches for your specific needs.
Personalized Care: Treatment is customized to fit your unique goals, ensuring that it aligns with what will be most helpful for you.

How I Use It In My Approach

In my work, I take an integrated approach to therapy, with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as the foundation. I combine CBT with two additional methods: Cognitive Behavioural Family Therapy (CBFT) and Narrative Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (NCBT), to provide a flexible, well-rounded treatment plan.

CBT forms the core of the approach, helping you identify and change unhelpful thought patterns that affect your emotions and behaviour.
CBFT adds a family-focused dimension, addressing how family dynamics and relationships can influence mental health and recovery.
NCBT incorporates the power of storytelling and personal narratives to help you reframe negative experiences and create new, empowering stories that support your healing and growth.

This integrated approach ensures we address your challenges from multiple angles, creating a comprehensive, tailored treatment plan supporting your long-term well-being.

Counselling Models

At the heart of my approach is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), an evidence-based method that helps you identify and change negative thought patterns contributing to emotional distress. CBT focuses on the link between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, guiding you to recognize unhelpful patterns and replace them with healthier, more adaptive ways of thinking and acting.

Key Techniques:

Challenging Negative Thoughts: Learn how to spot and challenge negative thoughts that cause stress or anxiety.
Reframing Unhelpful Beliefs: Replace negative thinking with more realistic, positive thoughts.
Setting Achievable Goals: Break down big goals into smaller, manageable steps so you can make steady progress.
Testing New Behaviors: Try out new, healthier behaviours in a safe space to build confidence and create lasting change.

Using CBT, I’ll help you understand how your thoughts influence your emotions and actions. Together, we’ll develop strategies to break unhelpful cycles, improve coping skills, and face challenges more confidently.

I chose to integrate Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy (CBFT) into my approach because it allows me to address both individual struggles and the impact of family dynamics on your mental health. Family relationships often play a significant role in shaping how we think, feel, and behave. CBFT addresses unhelpful patterns and improves communication within the family system, strengthening relationships and aiding those with complex relational issues.

Key techniques:

Changing negative thoughts: Helping you recognize and challenge unhelpful thoughts about family members or situations to reduce stress.
Improving communication: Teaching skills like active listening and using "I" statements to express yourself clearly and respectfully.
Role-playing: Practicing difficult family conversations to build confidence in real-life situations.
Setting healthy boundaries: Learning to set limits to protect your well-being and create more balanced relationships.

This approach helps improve family interactions and creates positive, lasting changes in personal and relationship lives.

I chose to integrate Narrative Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (NCBT) into my approach because it helps you understand how the stories you tell yourself shape your thoughts, feelings, and actions. We all have personal narratives — the way we make sense of our past experiences, and sometimes those stories can limit us. NCBT helps you rewrite negative stories and replace harmful patterns with healthier, empowering thoughts.

Key techniques:

Changing negative stories: Helping you recognize and challenge the unhelpful stories you tell yourself so you can shift to a more positive outlook.
Changing negative thinking: Identifying and changing the thoughts that cause stress or hold you back.
Externalizing the problem: Seeing your challenges as separate from who you are makes it easier to deal with them without feeling overwhelmed.
Trying new behaviours: Experimenting with new ways of thinking and acting to see how small changes can make a big difference in your life.

This method helps you craft a positive narrative for yourself, resulting in lasting changes in both your personal life and relationships

Common Factors

Common factors like trust, empathy, and motivation are essential for effective therapy, regardless of the approach. Research indicates that when these elements are present, therapy is more likely to succeed. By concentrating on these factors, I aim to make our work together personalized and supportive for you.

Expectation and Hope

I will strive to help you set achievable goals and foster hope, as research shows a positive mindset leads to better outcomes in therapy.

Therapeutic Alliance

Describe the item and include any relevant details. A strong, trusting relationship is key to successful therapy, and I focus on creating a safe, empathetic space for open, collaborative work.

A key to successful therapy is empowering you to take control of your healing, building confidence and self-sufficiency for lasting change.

Therapist’s Continuing Education

I stay committed to ongoing learning and professional development to provide you with the most effective, up-to-date therapeutic tools and support.

Client Characteristics

The most important factor in therapy is you—your strengths, motivation, and readiness for change.

Empathy and Compassion

A trusting, empathetic relationship is key to therapy, allowing us to work together openly and safely toward meaningful change.

Client Empowerment and Self-Agency

Therapist Effectiveness Conceptual Quilt

This is my therapist effectiveness conceptual quilt, reflecting my growth as a therapist. The kintsugi bowl symbolizes my challenges and transformation. Just as kintsugi celebrates imperfections, I embrace ongoing learning as essential to becoming a more effective and compassionate therapist.

My Approach

A brief overview of my evidence-based approach, rooted in the latest research and proven methods, designed to help you achieve lasting change and personal growth.