About Me
I worked in Animal Welfare/Conservation and in Advertising both in London and then in the USA before I trained to become an integrative psychotherapist. In Boston, I volunteered with a "Mothers At Risk" programme where my role was to give emotional support to vulnerable new mothers. This, and becoming a parent myself, gave me a particular interest in transgenerational trauma and the challenges of parenting.
While living in the USA I was also involved in an innovative programme run by Harvard University to explore how Mindfulness can support women with fertility issues and I also studied with the Boston-based Whole Health Education Programme. These two experiences led me to choose to train to become an integrative psychotherapist at the Minster Centre when I returned to live in the UK. The Minster Centre was, at that time, one of a small number of psychotherapy training institutions that placed a significant value on connecting to the body as part of therapeutic process.
My personal approach
Integrating the body and mind is part of what makes me an integrative counsellor and psychotherapist. My integrative training also means that I can incorporate into my work with you a number of other therapeutic theories and models of how we can understand ourselves, and our relationships to other people and the world at large. For example, I work relationally. Research has proven that what is especially healing in any modality of therapy is the relationship we build together. Noticing and exploring what is happening in our relationship can also be helpful to inform you about your ways of relating to people in other areas of your life. I can also work psychodynamically, with attachment theory, trauma theory and dreams. I have also recently trained in EMDR ( Eye Movement Desensitisation Therapy) which is a therapy that has emerged as a front line therapy for the treatment of PTSD. It is a bit like my having different maps to guide us on our journey together and this enables me to adapt my way of working so that it makes sense to you and feels comfortable and appropriate for you as an individual.
Fundamentally, I believe inclusivity is at the heart of my work with my clients and this includes:
• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage & Civil Partnership
• Pregnancy & Maternity
• Race including colour, nationality & ethnic origins
• Religion and/or belief systems
• Gender
• Sexual Orientation
I believe we all need and deserve respect and recognition. Sometimes we can even pathologize ourselves. In my experience, our so-called self destructive feelings (and consequent behaviours) are simply parts of ourselves that have been dismissed, forgotten or suffered trauma (see Symptoms of trauma) and who are now trying to be heard and recognised. As your therapist I would be there with you to help you listen and reconnect to these parts of yourself that have got lost along the way. This can be done through simply talking and being in a safe and respectful and colloborative therapeutic relationship with one another. Bodily symptoms and sensations and physical impulses are also forms of communication that, when we listen, can help us resource and empower ourselves and remember what our minds, on their own, sometimes cannot. So, if you feel comfortable and curious about connecting to yourself in this way, then I can facilitate the gentle and gradual process of being mindful, noticing yourself, your feelings and your body's sensations.
However we choose to work together, first and foremost I believe in the importance of helping you to feel safe and to build inner resources such as compassion for yourself in order to support you on your journey.
It is a privilege and an honour to be someone's therapist. I continue to learn from and be inspired by the insight, tenacity and creativity of everyone I work with.
I hope this information has been helpful to you and that you have found my website welcoming. If you have any further questions, then please don't hesitate to ask. I look forward to hearing from you.
Warm wishes
Charlotte
(She/her)
Gerrards Cross
Beaconsfield