Psychotherapy, as I understand it, is about helping people to live. To live as the unique and complex beings that we all are. My approach to psychotherapy is informed by all my life experiences, supported by my robust training, ongoing supervision and professional development, consultation with colleagues and personal reflection, and study.
As a psychotherapist I aim to meet and collaborate with each person who comes to see me. I hope to develop a place of safety, exploration and curiosity with each person. When therapy works well I believe each person is able to kindly struggle with their problems, learn new ways of being, (re)encounter parts of themselves and experience themselves as more.
I see counselling as an aid to learn and practice ways of managing problems in life. And this is where most therapy starts. Psychotherapy, a usually longer process, is more an exploration of who you are and your way of expressing you in life. Both can be tough, both can be life-saving.
Mark Gullidge Counselling and Psychotherapy for Hanwell, West London
