Humanistic Integrative Counsellor

Psychodynamic Counsellor

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

Relational Integrative Counsellor

Integrative Relational Therapist

ONEplus and Integrative Counsellor

CBT Therapist

An innovative approach to counselling that unlocks meaningful change in just one session. Most people who choose it don’t need further sessions (although more support is available if appropriate). Use it to resolve a problem; make a decision; improve a relationship; manage difficult feelings, or overcome anxiety.

ONEplus counselling is offered at the Soul Spa by Karen Bray who has been trained and certified as a ONEplus practitioner by Prof. Windy Dryden (Emeritus Professor of Psychotherapeutic Studies at Goldsmiths University, London) who has pioneered this approach in the UK.

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Relational therapy is a therapeutic approach based on the idea that mutually satisfying relationships with others are necessary for one’s emotional well-being. This type of psychotherapy takes into account the ways in which social and familial factors relate to the relationships in a person’s life. The integrative approach means the therapist can draw from a variety of therapeutic models to offer a tailored approach depending on individual need.

Talking about our life experiences, emotions and beliefs in this framework can help us start to understand the events of our past and how they affect us presently so we can make different choices when necessary in the future. Relational therapy aims to build an individual’s sense of self and agency, it can help us to have a deeper understanding of ourselves and others, as well as developing new ideas and thinking patterns about relationships by learning about boundaries, compromise and healthy balance.

For many this is deeply valuable and can have a long-lasting effect leaving us with the feeling of having completed something worthwhile, perhaps something that has changed our life forever.

Humanistic Integrative Counselling recognises that there are significant connections between all approaches to counselling. It acknowledges that different clients have different needs and believes that no one single approach is sufficient. Humanistic Integrative Counselling is inspired by a range of creative theories which encompasses the contributions of Humanistic and Existential Psychology, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Transpersonal Psychology.

The Humanistic Integrative Approach recognises that the quality of the therapeutic relationship, rather than any one particular theoretical orientation, is the most important aspect of successful therapeutic work. Thinking, sensing, feeling and intuiting are all given emphasis within the framework of the relationship. The model aims to help counsellors understand the complexities of the clinical situation, which includes not only the clients’ internal world, but also their experiences within the wider family and socio-cultural context.

What is Psychodynamic Counselling?

Psychodynamic counselling is an approach with incorporates different theories around the unconscious into one approach. The main core theory of psychodynamic theory is that our unconscious holds a lot of our thoughts and feelings and perceptions, and therefore reactions to life events. The unconscious mainly developing during childhood during different developmental phases. When working with a psychodynamic counsellor you will work to uncover some of these unconscious thoughts, through exploring your life both in the present and looking back to past experiences. When doing this the aim is that your unconscious is made more conscious, therefore helping you to resolve difficult feelings.

Patterns may have developed over the course of your life which can sometimes be unhelpful, or defences put up in order to deal with a painful event perhaps. Psychodynamic counselling works to help bring these to the surface to analyse and help you move forward. Different theorists have been at the route of Psychoanalytic theory such as Freud, Melanie Klein and Carl Jung.

A counsellor may use a variety of approaches taken from one of these theorists. The main principles of the overall approach will remain the same though, with consistency of time, place and the relationship between therapist and client holding significant importance in the work.

Psychodynamic therapy is a talking therapy and in a typical session you will be expected to ‘freely associate’ which means you can talk about whatever comes to mind. Your counsellor will be there to listen to you, reflect or summarise for you, and perhaps offer an interpretation to help you understand what you are experiencing at the time. Psychodynamic counselling is typically a long term therapy where the sessions are open ended, this allows for a deeper understanding to be uncovered and self awareness. However it can also be used in a shorter term model, particularly if the client has a particular issue they would like to work on with their therapist.

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