Sometimes people come to into therapy at a time of stress or crisis, or it could be that finally the time feels right to address something that has been there for a while. Whatever it is that provides the impetus, we often come to therapy looking for something, such as to understand ourselves better, have better relationships, make a change in our lives, or come to terms with a loss. As with many people who become therapists, I first found therapy this way too. I remember how confused I felt about how to make sense of all the different therapies on offer. So, what is transpersonal integrative psychotherapy and how can it help?

As an integrative therapist, I have trained across various modalities which enables me to adapt my approach to the needs of each person I see:

• Psychodynamic and object-relations theories enable a deeper understanding of early experiences and how these are still impacting life today.
• Humanistic approaches such as person-centred, attachment theory and gestalt therapy provide the means to work relationally in the here-and-now to uncover and explore unconscious patterns and habitual ways of being.
• Jungian and archetypal therapy highlight the power of symbols and imagery, which allow these forms of experience to be explored through dream or artwork.
• Transpersonal therapy holds the perspective that there is more to each of us than just our ego or personality. The word transpersonal, first coined by Carl Jung, literally means beyond the personal. This perspective both transcends and includes the aforementioned aspects of ourselves and sees the individual in a broader context that includes the transcendent dimension sometimes referred to as Oneness, Spirit, or the Divine.

I will draw on some or all of these foundational theories during my work with a client, depending on what is called for in the moment.

To keep my practice current, I undertake regular training as part of Continuing Professional Development (CPD). This means I am a perpetual student and have taken courses across a range of modalities and themes, such as, trauma, anxiety, neuroscience, self-destructive behaviours, the impact of digital technology on mental health, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS).