I offer one-to-one therapeutic sessions in-person and online
Psychotherapy Poetry Therapy Creative Contact
If you’re not sure what your preferences are, I offer a free 30 minute call to talk things through. Here are some details about each of the therapies I offer . . .
I see therapy as a holistic process which includes the whole of you - emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual.
I am qualified in Integrative Psychotherapy, which enables me to adapt my approach to suit your unique needs. I have also trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) which provides ways to know and help the hurt and protective parts of our psyche which influence us daily. My aim is to help you reconnect with your own innate qualities for bringing healing and change.
You may find that working with images, and/or writing intuitively, assists the therapeutic process for you. For some people this is easier than talking alone, allowing exiled and vulnerable parts to be seen and heard in safe and gentle ways, and revealing what is trying to come into view.
Whichever methods work best for you, deep and caring attention is at the heart of my practice. This enables me to provide the acceptance and compassion that you may be struggling to give to yourself, allowing you to explore your inner landscape more freely. In the therapeutic relationship the usual human judgements are not relevant, allowing interaction on a different level. This quote from Rumi sums up my approach,
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”
Since qualifying in 2016 I have been registered with the BACP, which ensures ethical practice. You can find out more about how I practice, and reach me, by going to Psychology Today, or make an enquiry by emailing hazel@thegreeningedge.co.uk
Psychotherapy
Poetry Therapy is a specific way of working with poems and other texts to bring insight, relief, and expression. It provides many ways of engaging with words (reading or writing them, or both) to gently bring realisations and offer new and surprising perspectives. The term ‘poetry’ is used very loosely, including anything made of words which holds some emotional charge or crystallises some meaning. I provide poems which can open up gentle explorations, as well as other texts and images which provide springboards for your own responses. I create a safe space for you, where you can write and share what you want to, and I explore the experience with you, supporting you through the process.
You do not need any special writing skills or experience; this is not about writing in a particular way, it is about you. Writing can be very much a process of discovery. I love this quote from James Baldwin,
"When you’re writing, you’re trying to find out something which you don’t know".
Words give form to thoughts and feelings which can otherwise be difficult to get hold of, and provide containers for them. This can bring great relief, whether the words are your own or someone else's.
Sessions may last one hour or 90 minutes, and can take place in-person or on zoom. You can book a one-off session or return for more to see what unfolds.
If you think you might be interested in one-to-one poetry therapy sessions please contact me for an initial chat on hazel@thegreeningedge.co.uk
Poetry Therapy
Creative Contact is a one-to-one therapeutic conversation, using creative and expressive writing which is carried out over email.
I provide you with writing invitations designed to help you gently explore aspects of your life, including those which are challenging, and I suggest ways to use writing freely and creatively for discovery, expression, and release. I respond to what I see of you through your writing; there is no focus on the style or quality of the writing. I am interested only in you, and what you are showing me through your words.
The timescale is flexible so the dialogue can unfold at a pace that suits you. You might like a weekly rhythm to keep the momentum going, or prefer to take more time to engage with the invitations and your own writing.
A face to face session (on zoom) is required before the written dialogue begins. This is to help you feel at ease with me, to talk through anything you might want to focus on, and to identify any particularly tender aspects of your psychological life which I need to be aware of.
Creative Contact
The fee is £60 for a one hour session of psychotherapy or poetry therapy, or for one set of responses and invitations in creative contact.