Healing and transfomation is achieved when we focus upon the emergent, yet hidden process that is active within us all. The work is a creative process, designed to foster a new consciousness.
Jung described our 'complexes' as bein the the Royal Road to the Unconscious. From this perspective, personal issues, dilemmas, negative patterns, emotional states or problematic patterns, are seen in a new light, understood for what they have to teach us, and are thereby resolved. As old issues are addressed, new issues are revealed. The process is ongoing and aims toward a further refinement of one’s being.
To achieve this creation of consciousness, and to penetrate to the core of any existing or emerging issues (or teachings), I employ several modalities. Each of these modalities serves to reach beyond the bounds of one’s current awareness, and into the hidden depths of the psyche. From these depths, the new consciousness will evolve.
A dream is message from one’s greater Self. This message cannot be understood from within the bounds of one’s current state of consciousness, however. For this reason, to the untrained eye, a dream will appear meaningless.
The dream is a riddle – challenging but never too difficult. Pitched at a level just beyond the periphery of consciousness, stretches our self-awareness. Once we understand a dream, a light goes on. There is an ‘Aha!’ reaction.
To begin, dreams will tend to address any issues in one’s outer life. Having cleared this area, dreams will next turn their attention to inner material. So begins the inner journey. One is introduce to shadow aspects of oneself, to hidden sub-personalities and, ultimately, one’s deeper Self.
As the dream analyst, my role to provide a second set of eyes, an added light or focus, that may be used to look into the dream and bring out its meaning.
Voice Dialogue allows us to listen to ourselves on a whole new level.
The process begins with the most dominant characters who are clear voices within one being, but who also drown out the other voices. Once listened to, however, they will quieten down and let others speak. In this way, one may discover and listen to a broader array of characters, who may not have been heard or listened to. Although the voices may conflict and compete with each other, they are all valid.
With Voice dialogue one needs to ‘get in character’. Those who have studied drama take easily to the process.
As with Dream Analysis, Sandplay is an extremely powerful modality which taps the power of one’s imagination.
Sandplay involves selecting a range of figure from a broad collection and arranging those figures in a sand tray to create the Sandplay scene. The figures we pick, and the scene we arrange, is a creative process that is guided by a deeper knowing. The imagination leads.
Although it began as therapeutic tool for working with children, it quickly proved to be as just useful in working with adults. Sandplay’s strength lies in its ability to visualise and engage in one’s current state. Once the scene has been set, the Sandplay maybe explored and reflected upon.
The psyche seeks to be lived. We tend not to allow expression to all aspects of our character, however, and will censor or repress certain facets. Role playing provides the opportunity to give expression to these aspects in a safe and supportive environment. This modality is particularly useful for resolving interpersonal issues, or addressing problems born of unexpressed emotions and unlived aspects of oneself.
A mindful and open discussion can be enormously therapeutic. Sometimes all that is required is to be heard.
One’s astrological chart serves as a map of the psyche. It points to all the forces, aspects or characters active within a person. Although not a therapeutic modality in itself, an understanding of the horoscope serves as an invaluable framework for one’s personal process.
Horoscope calculations require your time, date and place of birth.
Homoeopathy is particularly useful in addressing not only physical ailments, but also a range of psychopathologies including depression, anxiety, loneliness, resentment and anger, confusion and confidence issues.
A carefully selected remedy serves to activate and release any trauma that has been locked in. This trauma may be the result of heartbreak, of a prolonged and difficult period in one’s life, a time of overwork, over study, the denial of one’s creative self, or suppressed emotions.
I am committed to working with people who are themselves committed to their personal process and ongoing development.
I view mental and emotional disturbances, or 'complexes' as powerful messengers and passageways, and as conditions to be embraced and explored in full - the ‘dark night of the soul’ tends to be a key part of one's journey.
Often a particular condition will bring someone to the point where they are compelled to work on their personal process. Depressions, heart breaks, loss of meaning, anxiety, anger and other crises, are often entry points.
One's personal process need not be prompted by any particular crisis, however. A search for meaning and purpose, a desire to challenge oneself and an inner curiosity are equally valid reasons to explore one's personal process.
Resolving one issue will often precipitate another. Often, I find myself working with individuals on an ongoing basis.
It is important to find the right person to work with. The initial consultation allows me to get to know you, as well as for you to get to know me. The initial consultation is free of charge and takes 20 to 30 minutes.
A consultation fees $150 per one hour session applies. Discounted fees are available for full-time students.
Cancellations with a 48 hours notice minimum attracts no consultation fee. Otherwise, a cancellation fee of 50% will apply.
Depth psychotherapy, which engages the creative unconscious, serves to resolve immediate issues as well as stir dormant, and seemingly new challenges. While maintaining a focus on their personal process, clients tend to feel that they live a richer, more meaningful, life.
Psychotherapy is a vehicle to finding ourselves. One does not need to have a problem to commence psychotherapy. The work may also begin simply out of curiosity. Given time, unknown complexes will inevitably emerge.
Conditions such as depression, suicidal thoughts heartache, boredom, anxiety, rage, meaninglessness, confusion are all calls for attention. Such conditions serves as excellent prompts to enter deeply into one’s personal process.
Sessions are an hour long and may be scheduled weekly or fortnightly (or bi-weekly where required). I encourage clients to begin with a commitment to at least six sessions. Psychotherapy is an ongoing process which may last for months, years or even decades, continuing so long as the work proves to be fruitful. Although tangible results from the work may be noticed as quickly as with one session, a deeper process gains momentum with at least the six sessions or more.
Prior to your first session I would encourage you to reflect upon what you would like to work on. Also please record any dreams that appear in the lead up to that first session.
Sessions start and end on time, so please allow ample time for travel.
Self-Oriented psychotherapy focuses upon what is required and being asked of us, by the greater Self.
As the Swiss Psychologist, Carl Jung discovered, there are two centres to the psyche. There is the ego, of which we are all familiar with and call ‘I’, and there is also the greater Self, which remains largely unknown, and operates at a level beyond our awareness.
Like an evolutionary drive, the Self seeks a greater conscious. The ego has the capacity to meet this aspiration, but needs to be prompted to do so.
Ideally the ego is aligned and attentive to the demands of the Self. When it is not, the Self will constellate whatever mental state or physical circumstance is required to garner the attention of the ego and draw it back into alignment with itself. This realignment may be approached willingly or unwillingly. Where we honour the demands of the Self, our process unfolds harmoniously. Where we ignore the Self, it becomes more troublesome and forceful.
Self-Oriented psychotherapy is designed to attune the individual to the demands of their deeper Self, and accept its guidance.