My approach and methods

I work eclectically, drawing on and combining a wide range of therapeutic and coaching approaches, because every person is unique. Using the same method with everyone may not always lead to meaningful results. My work is also holistic, recognising the body, mind, and spirit as interconnected parts of who we are. My approach is grounded in empathy, respect, and the belief that every person has the capacity to grow and heal. I blend evidence-based methods with heartfelt presence to create a space where you can explore, reflect, and transform.

I am primarily inspired by humanistic, appreciative, client-centred, systemic, solution-oriented, and constructivist approaches. These perspectives shape how I see people, as capable, resourceful, and deserving of compassion and change.

Humanistic approach

The humanistic perspective views each person as whole and capable of living their best life. It emphasises acceptance, respect, and compassion. I believe that healing begins when we allow ourselves to face pain, fear, and crisis with empathy, and connect to our shared human experience.

This approach is grounded in the belief that every person has the capacity for growth, change, and self-understanding. It focuses on the whole person rather than just symptoms or problems, and values each individual’s unique experiences throughout life. When I provide a supportive and non-judgemental space where clients feel heard, accepted, and respected, they can access their own capacity for change.

The relationship between client and practitioner is crucial, and must be built on empathy, authenticity, and trust. When clients feel truly understood and accepted, they are encouraged to explore their thoughts and feelings more openly, build self-awareness, and move towards a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

Appreciative approach

This approach focuses on creating a safe and trusting relationship where you feel seen, heard, and valued, and where there is space for the whole of you. I gently guide you in the direction you wish to go, helping you recognise your strengths and talents, and build on what is already working. Within this safe framework, I offer gentle guidance and encouragement, supporting you to move forward with confidence.

Together, we explore what has worked well in the past and build on those successes, rather than focusing on what has not. We do not ignore or dismiss challenges or weaknesses; instead, we reframe them and focus on solutions, possibilities, and strengths. It's an approach that is not deficit-based, but focused on a positive, empowering way of thinking and solving challenges.

I don't look at you like a challenge, but ful of potential and opportunity. In this process, I might ask questions such as:

✴ What works well?
✴ What could be possible?
✴ How can we create success, and how do we sustain it?

Client-centred counselling (person-centred or Rogerian therapy)

Psychologist Carl Rogers’ work is central to my practice. He believed that every person holds the inner resources to heal and grow, and that meaningful change happens within a relationship built on acceptance, empathy, and authenticity. My role is to create that environment for you, one where you can explore freely and discover your own solutions. The therapist or coach is not an expert, but someone who offers a nonjudgmental space to help the clients discover their own solutions, because every person is seen with innate drive, capacity, and resources to heal themselves and reach their full potential.

Rogers also believed that we all have an innate capacity for personal growth and self-understanding when the right conditions are present. Three core conditions are essential to this approach: empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness from the therapist. Rather than directing or advising, I act as a facilitator, helping you develop greater self-awareness and uncover your own answers to life’s challenges. This approach places you at the centre of the process, encouraging autonomy, self-acceptance, and personal development.

Systemic framework

Inspired by Murray Bowen, Salvador Minuchin, Virginia Satir, and Carl Whitaker, the systemic approach helps me understand you within the context of your relationships and social systems, including family, romantic relationships, children, colleagues, friends, and community. Challenges are often attempts to maintain balance within these systems. By exploring these dynamics, you can gain valuable insight and create healthier patterns.

Systemic counselling views individuals as part of their wider social systems. In this approach, we look for resources and believe that every system already holds what it needs to overcome its challenges. Working with the systemic approach, I also believe that every “problem” serves a purpose, offering value to the individual and influencing the entire system. Challenges and conflicts are seen as unsuccessful attempts to resolve something that is not working within the system.

It is therefore important to consider the systems themselves, their members, and then the individual and their relationships and reactions within those systems. Clients can discover many valuable insights and answers within these dynamics, which can be deeply meaningful for their personal growth, wellbeing, and understanding of their own mechanisms. I see my clients as experts in their own lives. Another key feature of the systemic approach is its diversity of methods and questioning techniques, which make the process interactive and collaborative.

Systemic family constellations

I sometimes use the approach of Systemic Family Constellations to help clients explore how they are influenced by the relationships, patterns, and dynamics within their family system or other communities, and to understand the different "roles" they "play" within each system. We all take on different roles depending on the context, whether with family, at work, with a partner, friends, or children.

This method is based on the idea that personal obstacles, such as relationship challenges, lack of confidence, recurring emotional patterns, feelings of exclusion, limiting beliefs, or inner conflicts, may be connected to broader systemic influences that reach beyond our immediate experiences. In a constellation process, participants, objects, or symbolic representations are used to map relationships within a system, allowing individuals to observe interactions, positions, and emotional responses from a new perspective.

This approach highlights the interconnected nature of human relationships and invites participants to consider how loyalty, belonging, loss, conflict, and unresolved experiences may shape present-day behaviours, patterns, and perceptions. By understanding family dynamics and intergenerational trauma, we can gain deeper insight into why we behave or react in certain ways. This awareness helps identify the roots of challenges and opens the way to working with them from a new and more empowering perspective.

The Gottman Method

Every relationship experiences challenges. Whether you are finding yourselves caught in the same arguments, feeling more like roommates than partners, or struggling to reconnect after a difficult experience, couples therapy can provide a space to strengthen your relationship and move forward together.

The Gottman Method is a research-based approach to couples therapy developed from over 50 years of studying what helps relationships thrive. Rather than focusing on who is "right" or "wrong," this approach helps couples understand the patterns that keep them feeling stuck and teaches practical skills to create healthier, more fulfilling ways of relating to one another.

In our work together, we focus on helping you:

✴ Improve communication and reduce recurring conflict

✴ Develop a deeper understanding of each other's needs and perspectives

✴ Strengthen friendship, trust, and emotional intimacy

✴ Learn healthier ways to navigate disagreements

✴ Rebuild connection after periods of distance, hurt, or life transitions

✴ Create a stronger foundation for your future together

One of the core principles of the Gottman Method is that successful relationships are not free from conflict—they are built on the ability to manage conflict with respect, understanding, and care. Therapy provides a supportive environment where both partners can feel heard, gain insight into their relationship dynamics, and learn practical tools that can be used in everyday life.

The process typically begins with a thorough assessment of your relationship, allowing us to understand your unique strengths, challenges, and goals. From there, sessions are tailored to your needs, combining evidence-based strategies with compassionate support to help you build a relationship that feels more connected, resilient, and secure.

Whether you're hoping to improve communication, navigate a difficult period, or simply invest in the health of your relationship, the Gottman Method offers practical, effective tools to help you grow together.

Gottman also introduces the concept of Four Horsemen, which are the four communication patterns that can damage relationships over time if they become a habit. These are criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling. The good news is that these patterns can be recognised and changed. In therapy, we work together to identify when these behaviours show up in your relationship and develop healthier ways of communicating. By replacing criticism with gentle conversations, defensiveness with openness, contempt with appreciation, and stonewalling with self-soothing and reconnection, couples can build greater understanding, trust, and emotional safety. Recognising the Four Horsemen isn't about blaming either partner—it's about becoming more aware of the patterns that keep couples feeling stuck and learning practical tools to create more positive, connected interactions.

Schema Therapy

Schema Therapy developed by Jeffrey E. Young is an evidence-based approach that helps people understand and change long-standing patterns that can keep them feeling stuck. These patterns, known as schemas, are deeply held beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world. They often develop in childhood or adolescence through our early experiences and relationships, and continue to influence how we think, feel, and respond in adulthood.

While these patterns may once have helped us cope, they can become unhelpful over time. For example, you may find yourself repeatedly struggling with self-criticism, people-pleasing, fear of rejection, difficulties trusting others, or feeling that you are "never good enough." Schema Therapy helps make sense of where these patterns come from and provides practical ways to change them.

Rather than simply managing symptoms, Schema Therapy aims to address the underlying emotional needs that have gone unmet. Through a safe and collaborative therapeutic relationship, you'll learn to recognise your patterns, understand your emotional responses, develop healthier ways of coping, and build a more compassionate relationship with yourself.

The goal of Schema Therapy is not to change who you are, but to help you break free from patterns that no longer serve you, so you can live with greater confidence, emotional balance, and fulfilling relationships.

Solution-oriented coaching

Inspired by the work of Steve de Shazer, I focus on positive goal setting and solution development. As he said, “Problem-talk creates problems, solution-talk creates solutions.” By shifting attention from what is wrong to what is possible, we open space for hope, creativity, new perspectives, opportunities, and solutions.

The clients are seen as the expert and "CEO" of their own lives, which means that they are truly able to solve their own challenges. Instead of analyzing the problems or dwelling on past mistakes, we will focus on identifying your strengths and co-design actionable steps toward a goal. When something is already successful, I encourage you to do more of it and when something is bringing challenges, we will find ways to approach it differently.

Solution-oriented coaching is a collaborative and future-focused approach that helps identify practical solutions rather than concentrating primarily on challenges or past difficulties. It encourages clients to recognise their strengths, resources, and existing successes while setting clear, achievable goals. Through guided questioning and reflective conversations, this approach supports people in building confidence, creating actionable steps, and making steady progress toward their desired outcomes. It emphasises possibility, resilience, and measurable change, helping individuals move forward in an empowering and constructive way.

Constructivist approach

This framework, developed by clinical psychologist George Kelly recognises that everyone has their own unique and subjective way of understanding themselves and the world. Each person interprets their life, experiences, and relationships through their own lens, shaped by personal thoughts, feelings, and past experiences. There is no single objective reality or truth. Because of this, no two people share the same understanding of reality. The constructivist approach helps uncover why certain patterns, behaviours, or relationships repeat, and how personal beliefs influence the way we experience life. Yet every individual has agency and has the ability to develop and change.

In coaching and therapy, this means acknowledging that each person’s reality is unique and shaped by their individual story. Rather than offering fixed answers or advice, the constructivist approach creates a supportive space for reflection, exploration, and self-discovery. Through conversation and curiosity, clients are encouraged to develop new perspectives, create meaningful change, and find solutions that feel authentic and relevant to their own lives.

Emotion-focused therapy (EFT)

Developed by clinical psychologists Dr. Susan Johnson and Dr. Leslie Greenberg, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) helps us understand the messages and signals behind our emotions. Our feelings guide our identity, relationships, and choices, and they are deeply connected to our essential needs. When we ignore or avoid difficult emotions, they will not disappear. They will return even stronger, which means that we can't numb or forget a challenging or unwanted feeling. Together, we will work on recognising, accepting, and expressing your emotions in healthy ways, so they become a source of strength rather than distress.

EFT is based on the understanding that emotions play a vital role in shaping our thoughts, actions, patterns, and relationships. It provides a safe and supportive space to explore, experience, and work through emotions with curiosity and compassion. In coaching and therapy, this process helps clients identify emotional patterns that may no longer serve them and develop healthier ways of responding to difficult feelings. Supressing emotions leads to dysfunction and understanding, accepting and expressing emotions leads to healing. By engaging with emotions rather than avoiding them, clients can build greater self-awareness, resilience, and emotional wellbeing.

Within EFT, feelings such as fear, anger, and shame can be explored to uncover what lies beneath them. By identifying and working with these emotions, clients gain a deeper understanding of their needs, learn to respond differently to challenges, and create more meaningful and lasting change in their lives and relationships.

Narrative therapy

Developed by social worker and family therapist Michael White and social worker and psychotherapist David Epston, Narrative Therapy helps clients “rewrite” their life stories and create new, empowering narratives about themselves and their identities. We all carry stories about who we are and what we are capable of, often shaped by what others have told or shown us —parents, siblings, teachers, friends, or colleagues. Over time, these stories can become deeply ingrained, even when they are not entirely true. Essentially the stories that we keep telling ourselves become "true" to us. By understanding, analysing and changing these personal stories, a new and more empowering story and identity can be created.

When the stories we tell ourselves are negative, they can limit our growth and keep us stuck in cycles of self-doubt, limiting beliefs or victimhood. Through Narrative Therapy, we explore these old narratives and begin to reshape them into stories that reflect your strengths, resilience, and potential. This process helps you reclaim authorship of your life and move forward with greater confidence and self-belief. Together, we also explore whether these narratives are helpful, true, empowering, or positive. If it's not the case, we work collaboratively to create new and more supportive stories that align with your values and the life you want to live.

Differentiation theory

This framework is developed by Dr. David Schnarch. As a counselor, you support a process of differentiation by inviting clients to consciously distinguish between their own needs and those of their partner. The couple should understand that differences between them do not threaten the relationship but rather enrich it. This methodology encourages each individual to understand and accept their needs and feelings, separated from the partner's, while still staying emotionally connected to your partner.

Differentiation Theory focuses on an individual's ability to maintain a strong sense of self while remaining emotionally connected to others. This framework argued that healthy relationships depend on balancing intimacy and autonomy rather than relying on a partner for validation or emotional stability. A key aspect of differentiation is the capacity to stay true to one's values, manage emotional anxiety, and remain connected during conflict or disagreement. This approach encourages the individual to take responsibility for one's thoughts, emotions, and actions instead of trying to change a partner.

According to Schnarch, relationship challenges can promote personal growth by encouraging individuals to develop greater emotional maturity and self-awareness. The ability to differentiate, enhances intimacy and connection, and improves the communication, without sacrificing the individuality of each person.

Therapeutic dialogue

This specefic type of dialogue is developed by Dr. Michael Lukas Moeller in attempt of giving couples the possibility to have the time and space to truly communicate with one another. The concept of Therapeutic Dialogue, developed by Michael Lukas Moeller, emphasizes open, honest, and ongoing communication as a foundation for a healthy relationship. Moeller argued that genuine dialogue allows individuals to express their thoughts, feelings, needs, and wishes while cultivating mutual understanding and intimacy. According to Moeller, many relationship difficulties arise when partners avoid discussing important emotions or conflicts. Therapeutic dialogue encourages individuals to communicate authentically, listen attentively, and engage with one another in a respectful and non-defensive way. Through this process, misunderstandings can be reduced, trust can be strengthened, and emotional intimacy can deepen.

Moeller viewed dialogue not only as a tool for resolving challenges but also as a means of promoting personal growth and strengthening the relationship. Regular and meaningful communication enables partners to better understand themselves and each other, creating a more fulfilling connection.

Morita therapy

Developed by psychiatrist and professor Dr. Shoma Morita, Morita Therapy is a holistic practice that views human beings as whole and complex, integrating mind, body, and spirit. It teaches acceptance of all emotions, even those we often label as “negative,” such as sadness, anxiety, or anger, recognising that every feeling carries meaning and reflects our desire for a purposeful life.

Rather than trying to control or suppress unpleasant emotions, Morita Therapy encourages you to allow them to exist naturally. There are no “right” or “wrong” emotions, only experiences that help you understand yourself and your relationships more deeply. Ignoring difficult feelings often causes them to resurface later with greater intensity.

Morita Therapy is essentially about accepting anxiety as a natural feeling, and emphasises at the same time that it is possible to taking small, consistent steps toward your goals, even when you feel uncertain or anxious. Progress, no matter how small, builds momentum and helps you reconnect with your sense of purpose and direction.

Nonviolent communication

Developed by psychologist Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication (NVC) teaches empathetic and respectful communication, both with others and with yourself. It is about listening deeply, expressing needs clearly, and building understanding rather than conflict. This compassionate approach helps us connect more meaningfully with ourselves and others. It is based on the idea that every action is an attempt to meet a need, and that when we learn to express those needs clearly and listen with empathy, we can transform conflict into understanding and connection.

At its heart, Nonviolent Communication is about listening with empathy, compassion and without judgement and speaking with honesty. It encourages us to move away from blame, criticism, and judgement, and instead focus on what we are truly feeling and needing in any given moment. This creates space for genuine dialogue, where both people feel seen, heard, valued, and understood.

The process of nonviolent communication involves four key components:

✴ Observation: describing what is happening without evaluation or blame.

✴ Feelings: identifying and expressing how we feel in response to what we observe.

✴ Needs: recognising the underlying needs or values that give rise to those feelings.

✴ Requests: making clear, respectful requests that encourages cooperation rather than demand compliance.

In practice, nonviolent communication helps clients develop emotional awareness, self-compassion, and the ability to communicate in ways that build trust and mutual respect and thereby resolve conflicts peacefully. It can be especially powerful in relationships, workplaces, and family dynamics, where misunderstandings often stem from unspoken needs or unmet expectations. By learning to express yourself authentically and listen with empathy, you can create more harmonious relationships and experience a deeper sense of peace within yourself.

Imago therapy

Created by Dr. Harville Hendrix and Dr. Helen LaKelly Hunt, Imago Relationship Therapy helps couples transform conflict into connection and growth. The word Imago means “image” in Latin and refers to the unconscious image of familiar love we form in childhood through our early experiences with caregivers. As a result, we are often drawn to partners who reflect both the positive and negative traits of those early relationships: “the image of the person who can make me whole again.” Imago Therapy helps the couple identifying misunderstandings, rediscovering intimacy, and resolving conflicts.

These connections can recreate unresolved childhood wounds, offering an opportunity for healing through conscious, loving partnership. Imago Therapy views conflict not as a sign of incompatibility, but as a natural and essential part of growth. When approached with awareness, conflict becomes a doorway to deeper understanding and intimacy. This framework also focuses on identifying and healing childhood wounds, breaking destructive communication patterns, and fostering conscious, intentional love.

A key tool in this approach is the Imago dialogue, a structured communication process that helps couples listen, validate, and empathise with one another:

✴ Mirror: Reflecting back what your partner said, so they feel seen and heard.

✴ Validate: Acknowledging that your partner’s perspective makes sense, even if you don’t fully agree.

✴ Empathise: Expressing emotional understanding and connection, rebuilding trust and closeness.

The goals of Imago Therapy include:

✴ Building empathy, safety, and emotional intimacy

✴ Healing childhood wounds within a committed relationship

✴ Replacing reactive behaviours with conscious communication

✴ Strengthening understanding, compassion, and connection

✴ Creating a renewed sense of partnership and shared growth

The three principles

I am also inspired by Sydney Banks’ Three Principles — Mind, Consciousness, and Thought — which remind us that our experience of life is created from within. Mind represents the energy and intelligence behind life that allows us to think, feel, and experience the world. Consciousness is what makes us aware of our thoughts, emotions, and surroundings. Thought is the creative power that shapes our ideas, opinions, memories, and meaning.

Every event we experience is filtered through our own unique perspective, which is why the same situation can evoke completely different reactions in different people. This understanding helps clients see that peace and clarity are always available, no matter their circumstances. By becoming aware of how thoughts shape feelings and actions, you can begin to experience more calm, resilience, and self-compassion in everyday life.

Our feelings are not created by events or people, but by the way we think about them in the moment. When our thinking changes, our feelings and experiences naturally shift too. Recognising how our minds work allows us to experience greater clarity, resilience, and a deep sense of wellbeing from within.

If you are ready to experience a compassionate, holistic approach to personal growth, I would love to support you. Reach out today to book a session and begin your journey toward clarity, confidence, and emotional wellbeing.