I have been living in Devon since 2006, working as a psychotherapist with the NHS and in private practice, and, for four years, as a counsellor in a voluntary sector counselling service. I work in Exeter and Totnes.

I am registered with the UKCP, and hold a Masters degree in Core Process Psychotherapy. As an experienced psychotherapist, I work with people at all the stages of the inner journey, from those just starting out for the first time to those already committed to the work of inner change & transformation.

I have been involved in the world of psychotherapy for almost 30 years, since the late 1980s.

I have an equally long-term commitment to spiritual practice, enquiry & meditation, and my approach to depth psychotherapy is fully informed by spiritual values.

How does psychotherapy help?

Working with a psychotherapist gives us a private and confidential place where we can explore all that is really going on for us.

We can begin to explore our innermost thoughts and beliefs, feelings and experiences in an unpressured way, and free from judgement. We can get to know, and to be, ourself more deeply and more honestly.

Most fundamentally, this kind of creative inner work provides a profound support for our development and growth as a person. It is a way we can begin to bring all of ourself - heart and mind, body and soul - back together into a more harmonious whole.

As a result, many people have found that working with a therapist is a rich & life-changing experience, a journey that is sometimes challenging and painful, but often rewarding, and sometimes even magical.

A free first meeting

If you think you might like to work with me, or would like to find out more, I offer a free first meeting with no commitment on your part.

This is a chance for us to meet, to discuss your situation, & to explore your needs and wishes.

Please phone or email if you would like to arrange this meeting.

The inner journey

Many people these days realise that there is an inner journey that we may choose, need or wish to make.

We usually find ourselves at the start of this journey because of our struggles and our suffering. Most of us experience challenging, confusing or painful times at points in our lives, and while these times can be difficult, they are helpful if they set us on the road to change & growth.

The journey is an inner journey because it is a uniquely personal exploration, a voyage of discovery that each of us can make into our own particular life and circumstances, and into our own heart and mind, body and soul.

And it has no particular destination. Instead, what changes is our attitude to ourselves, to our life, and to others; trust, curiosity & openness deepen.

Once we start out, we begin to discover that this is a journey of learning and self-awareness, of healing and transformation, and, eventually, of greater wisdom and maturity, acceptance and peace.

What happens on the inner journey?

Real change happens, slowly but surely.

Unfashionable virtues and qualities develop, slowly but surely: patience and deliberation, sensitivity and cooperation, presence of mind and self-awareness, for example.

Our deepest and most intimate concerns can be addressed: about friendship and relationship, health or illness, getting old or being young, security and work, love and intimacy, sex and sexuality, and more.

We can allow hurts and wounds from any stage of life - all that has been buried inside us for too long - to return to consciousness for healing, transformation and reintegration.

Gradually, we can become more relaxed and confident, more open and trusting of life, and more free simply to be who and what we really are.

And as we grow and open, so does the quality of our life and our relationships. Life itself can become a mysterious and meaningful journey of discovery, not only a source of struggle, anxiety or discontent.

What brings people to this work?

Some people want help with personal, relationship or work difficulties, including specific issues such as anger, anxiety, depression, or trauma, or because they feel unhappy without understanding why.

Others come to therapy because they have been through shocks & traumas which they need to address and heal.

Some come because they are in a period of significant change or transition in their life, and they want or need support as they find their way through the rapids.

And others come because they are committed to their inner journey of healing & personal growth.

Whatever is bringing you to this work, all that is needed to make the most of psychotherapy is some commitment to your own well-being, a little openness, and a willingness to explore your experience.

My approach as a therapist - in its essence - helps you to slow down and to bring an open-hearted and open-minded presence and attention to yourself & your inner experience, which few people are used to doing, but which is profoundly healing. This attention to our own experience (often called Mindfulness these days) is what enriches us, and what changes us. All the evidence confirms this.

Eight facets of the inner journey

Something in the depth of our soul is always seeking greater wholeness and fulfilment. A flame ignites in our heart and impels us onto the inner journey, and as we travel deeper into ourselves, we discover there are many layers and many levels to heart and mind, body and soul.

I think of my work as helping with eight different facets of the inner journey, all of which are important, and each of which may need some care and attention at points in our life. The chances are, as we make our way through life, we will meet these layers and levels within ourselves, and need to work on these eight facets, perhaps many times.

EIGHT FACETS OF THE INNER JOURNEY:

1) Navigating the rapids: Challenges or crises, life transitions & events of all kinds can bring difficulties and uncertainty. We may want help at these times because these transitions push at our limitations and stretch our capacities. My work here involves support & enquiry to help you meet the challenges and navigate the rapids with awareness and presence of mind.

2) This being human: Life presents us all with many concerns, issues & needs. Therapeutic enquiry & inner work help us to address our particular concerns with presence & maturity. We can explore friendship & relationship; health & illness; ageing or being young; mortality or vitality; work, money and career; love & intimacy; sex & sexuality; or anything else significant.

3) Strengthening the self: Many of us carry old hurts & wounds, as well as beliefs, self-images & a harsh inner critic, that seriously hamper our freedom and enjoyment, and that can leave us struggling with anxiety, depression & irritability. Here, healing is important, so that we can feel confidence & trust, perhaps for the first time, in ourselves & our impulses, in our strength of being & our value.

4) Healing trauma: Our sensitivity & subtle awareness make human beings uniquely vulnerable to trauma, particularly in our earliest years, which can hamper or even stop our growth and development in many areas of our life. Trauma, the deepest & most painful wounding, carefully sealed away and hidden from consciousness, can be triggered and surface again, but this can be a precious opportunity for healing & resolution. Please see here for my recommended reading on this important subject.

5) Knowing the self: Our character and personality - who we think we are - is made up of fixed patterns of emotion, behaviour, and bodily tension, as well as ideas and beliefs about ourselves and others. Looking with the eyes of kindness, we can see that we had no choice but to shape ourselves in these ways in our earliest years. Now, however, we need to bring subtle awareness to the inner workings & history of our conditioned self, to see how it shapes, limits & confines our freedom & authenticity.

6) From self to soul: As we discover that our personality patterns, structures & strategies are not really us, we may wonder, "Who am I then?" With support, we can allow the self, made of our defences and fears, to soften and dissolve. We can begin to open up and experience spaciousness, rather than remaining closed or defensive. This spaciousness allows the deepest healing, our authentic presence, our core or essence, to emerge from within.

7) Soul, Being & Source: As our contracted patterns dissolve, and we turn to soul, more in touch now with awareness & authentic presence, we may start to wonder, "Is Life itself supportive and benign, despite appearances?" This is the stage of the journey when we may discover a wider & deeper field of holding and support, called by some being or source.

8) Integration: At every stage of the journey, as we return to everyday life, it takes practice, intention, & commitment to stay present and aware and to start living by all the qualities that we discover on the inner journey. This is the stage of grounding and integrating our development in our everyday life, moment by moment; with this, we start to feel more truly or fully human.

Website: http://www.watermarktherapy.net/

Email: watermarktherapy@gmail.com 

Tel: 07799226989