There is no precise answer to this question.
People often come to therapy with one symptom or disorder which they want to treat, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Much, if not all, of our behaviours and internal processes are driven by our unconscious mind. We do not know what is in our unconscious mind (until we do).
Coming into therapy is like peeling back the layers of an onion, you peel one layer off and there is a whole other layer underneath which you didn’t know was there.
What I mean by this is that a client often comes to therapy with one thing they want to work on, and then later down the line they realise that they need to go in a completely different direction.
It is impossible to prescribe a formula for how much therapy a person will need, that being said, I do realise that time and money are precious resources and I encourage clients to have autonomy in deciding when they are ready to end.
I am happy to work on a short or long-term basis and focus on a specific issue, if that is what you feel you need.
Integration is a very significant word for me.
I have completed four years of training in Transactional Analysis, but as I love to learn and explore all things to do with mental health, I did not want to stop there.
The other modalities I am heavily inspired by include; relational therapy, humanism, person-centred, Gestalt, Jungian theory, neuroscience, mindfulness, creative therapy, body and breathwork, transpersonal psychology, spirituality, existentialism, attachment theory and navigating psychedelics.
I integrate all of what I have learnt into my work.
What I would love to see more of in the world is the integration of knowledge and science, with matters of the heart, body, spirit and soul.
I try to embrace this within my own life and way of being in the world, by having both logical and spiritual practices and viewpoints.
Integration for me also refers to integrating all parts of yourself, your shadowy parts, your childhood, your traumas and your life experiences.
Working through your anger and pain, that needs to be felt and expressed, with a view to reclaiming your whole self and your story.
If you are on a very low income, I may be able to accommodate a slightly cheaper price.
Please enquire.
I believe that the mechanisms, systems and processes for assessing mental wellbeing within our mental healthcare system are inherently flawed.
They are based on narrowly defined frameworks of what “normal” looks like, which have been created and defined predominantly by men of a certain age, class, colour and creed. Anything outside of these rigid frameworks is often described as a “disorder”.
The amount of people getting diagnosed with disorders at the moment is at epidemic proportions.
While I don’t discount the relief that a label can give a person, labels can also become weaponised and used as an excuse for poor behaviour, or become a “self-fulfilling prophecy”, whereby a person doesn’t realise that they have the capacity to be different, to change and evolve, or perhaps that their symptoms may be transient and related to their external influences, rather than fixed patterns.
The coping mechanisms a human being develops (e.g. anxiety, OCD, addiction, depression, eating disorders, self-harm), are to some extent an understandable survival response to the environment in which they have been exposed to.
We do these things because on some level they work, and save us from an alternative reality, which on some perceived level for the individual, is death.
I believe it is dangerous to take away a person’s coping mechanisms without a gentle and supportive framework for holding all of the feelings, experiences and traumas that lie beneath. The unfolding of the unconscious mind essentially.
The issue with therapies like CBT, in my opinion, is that they often narrowly focus on one symptom. When that symptom is gone, the CBT therapist does an objective assessment and considers the therapy a success.
What I have seen happen is that this client may go on to develop another coping mechanism e.g. “instead of being bulimic I’ll become an alcoholic”. This often gets overlooked by the CBT therapist, as the client may not enter into therapy for alcoholism, or there is no cross-communication between professionals when they show up for alcohol support.
I have seen tragic consequences from this symptom-switch process, that largely get overlooked by objective measurements of therapy success.
The complexities of the human psyche cannot be measured in a 0-10 questionnaire.
There are times in our life when we need to be in our coping mechanisms, and there are times when we need to heal grow and evolve. Neither one of these things are wrong, on some level they both work.
The diagnostic way in which mental health is defined by our patriarchal mental healthcare system, and the labelling epidemic, leads to clients coming into therapy asking (I think) the wrong questions.
It is not the symptom we are treating, that is the tip of the iceberg. It is the emergence of all the unconscious and repressed material which is being covered up and managed by the symptom, which we are making space for in therapy, and holding in a supportive, gentle and compassionate way.
This is where the therapeutic relationship between therapist and client is key. Ultimately, it is the relationship between therapist and client that heals, not what the therapist is “doing to” you.
So my answer to the question of “what do you specialise in?” is this……
I specialise in human relationship and sitting alongside complex human beings as they heal, grow and evolve.
The work of integration is crucial to the psychedelic experience, and often it is sadly overlooked. Firstly, it’s important to understand that psychedelic integration does not mean having psychotherapy whilst under the influence of a psychedelic substance.
The integration process can involve sessions both before and after a psychedelic experience.
I am unable give you specific advice about where to obtain psychedelics. I can point you in the direction of resources, books, websites, journals, workbooks, checklists, breathwork sessions and meditations.
I can help you to prepare by maintaining your safety and being conscious with your intentions. I can help you afterwards to work through your experience, make meaning and plans, implement changes and to be an enlightened witness to your process.
As a guide or sitter can make all the difference in the psychedelic journey, having a guide or sitter for your integration process will enable you to have the best enduring outcome from your experience.
Integration involves moving towards wholeness, moving your experiences forward and making meaning of them. Taking a profound and spectacular, life changing experience and integrating it into an everyday, mundane world.
Psychedelic integration psychotherapy is an important cog in the wheel of the integration process; having someone well trained to witness you, with an open mind and curiosity. As well as sharing theory, empathy, care, compassion and keeping a close eye on your wellbeing.
There is no such thing as a quick fix, this is important to understand. Psychedelics are an agent of change, they don’t do the work for you.
The psychedelic experience is one event in a much longer change-process. For best results, you must be willing to engage in the process and dive deep.
You may experience a totally disorientating loss of identity; “who am I now without my old buddy depression?” Our coping mechanisms, like depression, are unconscious defences, they serve and protect us from perhaps a more painful reality. In some sense there needs to be a “breaking up” process, you need to ask yourself, “what am I prepared to give up to get what I want?”
This is where the integration process is crucial. Making changes too quickly can be an extreme culture shock, a bit like coming up too quickly from a deep diving experience.
Focus on small steps, don’t make big life changes too quickly, allow your grief and regret to surface, and ground your experience physically within your body.
I can help you with all of this.
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is not currently legal in the UK outside of a research setting, except for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. There are currently ketamine clinics in various locations in the UK.
Clinical trials are being conducted into the use of psychedelics and psychotherapy to treat mental health conditions such as chronic depression, with impressive results which some argue, far outweigh conventional psychotherapy. You can legally apply to become a participant in one of these trials.
There are some countries where psychedelic substances have been decriminalised, and you can visit them to attend a retreat.
Peru has become a prime and popular destination for Ayahuasca tourism, but travellers should be very careful, especially solo female travellers. Unfortunately, greed, exploitation and sometimes sexual abuse have become serious issues.
Australia has recently legalised MDMA and psilocybin, for the potential treatment of people who may be suffering with PTSD or treatment-resistant depression.
Despite legalisation of psychedelics in these countries, retreat centres are not regulated, which means there are no standards of treatment and care, and no accountability process.
So please be careful, acquire your own knowledge, attend psychedelic integration psychotherapy and use your instincts to keep yourself safe.
If you are planning on attending a retreat abroad, it would be prudent to research the retreat centres before you go. These websites are reputable and may help you with this:
Most psychedelics are illegal, Class A drugs in the UK. Meaning you could face up to 7 years in prison and an unlimited fine for possessing them.
Some people are seeking out underground guides in the UK who provide psychedelic “journey” experiences. These guides are generally not trained psychotherapists, but may have received shamanic training, and often provide a ceremonial setting for the experience.
Microdosing is another way in which people are ingesting psychedelics.
Microdosing is taking a small amount of a psychedelic substance like psilocybin, LSD or cannabis three or four days a week to improve general mental wellbeing. Given at such a small dose it is sub-perceptual, meaning you barely notice any difference. People often report feeling slightly happier, slightly more energised, and creative. There is little research into the effectiveness of microdosing.
I cannot recommend that clients take psychedelic substances in either of these ways as it is illegal.
Travelling abroad or participating in clinical trials is the only way to legally access psychedelic substances if you live the UK, with the exception of ketamine (please see my blog “Working Legally and Therapeutically With Ketamine”).
My ethical underpinning is that of harm reduction.
From a harm reduction perspective, any step towards reducing the risk of physical and mental harm from substance use, is deemed successful.
Like needle exchanges for intravenous drug users and drug testing kits for those taking recreational drugs at festivals, my psychotherapy services enable people to reduce the risk of physical harm, mental harm, hospitalisation, accidents, and death from psychedelic use.
People seeking out psychedelic experiences are often in a lot of mental or physical anguish because of things they have experienced in their lives, and conventional medicine has failed them. This does not make them bad people, they are seeking alleviation of their pain.
While psychedelics are generally deemed safe both psychologically and physiologically, there are some important things to consider.
These include:
- your mindset when taking the substance
- your medical and family history
- your support person or sitter
- the environment for your trip
- risk assessments and safety plans
- aftercare
And crucially, how you prepare for and integrate your experience.