How I Work
I consider myself an experienced guide and companion on your journey. But I hold the knowing that you are a competent person who is the ultimate source of what is right for you.
I'm Relational.
There is a profoundness in the moments we are both present, authentic and transparent. It is in these moments, when we show up and are seen by each other that healing can happen.
The counselling relationship offers connection and space where you can be heard, and — more importantly — hear yourself while you are reflected and witnessed by another. Together we figure out what you need to feel safe, so that you can find the strength and courage to be a witness to your own emotions.
I Work in the
Here and Now.
Being in the here and now with you means that I am a person who is IN the experience with you. Not an observer, or an expert who gives you advice.
I won’t ask you to spend lots of time talking about stories from the past, as being in storyteller mode keeps you distant from how the past is impacting you in the moment. We will deal with challenges and trauma from the past, but will concentrate on how the fallout from these experiences is affecting you now.
My Practice is Embodied.
Your body is a gateway to your emotions, memories and past as well.
In my training, I learned to attune to my body sensations and signals. I rely on this information as a resource as we work together.
I pay attention to communication from your body too: your posture, gestures, and breathing are just as important as your words and your beliefs. Your body is a gateway to your emotions, memories and past as well.
I'm Faye
My life’s work has been about finding my own voice. Having followed a path of self-discovery through Gestalt, Internal Family Systems, Somatic and Embodied practices. Now, I want to share with others the healing modalities that have brought me freedom, clarity, and joy.
My Approach
Gestalt Therapy - Gestalt Therapy is the foundation of my understanding of how change happens.
Gestalt is a knowing that all of your behaviours make sense. All the ways you wish you weren’t: people pleasing, overthinking, lacking confidence, self-critical, overeating, using substance to numb out…. In Gestalt, all of these are creative adjustments you came up with when you didn’t have many other options.
Gestalt is a relational way of working. A kind of magic can happen in the space between you and I, in the here and now. As a counsellor I am curious about you instead of trying to change you. Paradoxically, being curious instead of pushing you to be different allows change to unfold naturally.
Somatic & Embodied Practice - Our bodies hold wisdom. If you are anything like me, you grew up in a culture that prioritised your thinking, rationale mind. You might even feel disconnected from your body. But your body, emotions and intellect each have valuable information and work together in a balanced way.
When we don’t feel safe, we automatically flip into self-protective ways of being; like fight, flight or freeze. Noticing those cues allows you to attend to what those frightened, protective parts of you need. When your nervous system regulates, you can tune into the deeper ‘felt sense’ of your body. If you haven’t done this before you will be astounded at the eloquent and creative ways your body communicates to you through sensation, thoughts and images. It is a powerful way to tune into who you are and what you need.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) offers a powerful, transformational model of change.
In IFS all parts of you are welcome. All parts make sense. The beauty of this approach is not just in understanding and acceptance of all our parts; it is the centering of our Self and the relationship between our Self and our parts. Our Self can offer us the support and healing we have been searching for in all the wrong places – especially from other people.
When you have harmony in yourself you can be harmonious in relationships with others, within your family and in your communities. In this way, IFS offers a model for a more compassionate caring world.
Insights
Dealing with Overwhelm
Navigating Sensitivity
