Psychotherapy & counselling in Brighton & Hove and St. Leonards-on-Sea

"Change occurs when one becomes what he is, not when he tries to become what he is not.

Change does not take place through a coercive attempt by the individual or by another person to change him, but it does take place if one takes the time and effort to be what he is -- to be fully invested in his current positions."

~ A. Beisser

Dear Visitor,

Thank you for stopping by to read my website. I am glad that you are here.

My name is Katy and I am a UKCP & BACP-registered Gestalt psychotherapist.

I work integratively, relationally, and with an awareness that our mind, body, and nervous system are intrinsically connected.

I am a neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ affirmative practitioner.

I work online with people all over the UK, as well as face-to-face in Brighton & Hove & St.Leonards-on-Sea. I work in English and Polish (po polsku).

If you are here, then you are likely looking for a therapist. This may be because you want to grow and develop, or simply to be heard and listened to.

Finding a new therapist can be a daunting task, particularly for newcomers. I hope that this website will support you to make a choice right for you, whether you are new to or familiar with psychotherapy.

Please feel free to read on to find out more about how I work and my services.

I wish you good luck on your psychotherapy journey, and I hope to see you in my therapy room.

Warm wishes,

Katy

Do You Recognise Yourself Here?

We can so easily be hard on ourselves - we often don’t really like ourselves, or aspects of ourselves, or who we perceive ourselves to be, or what we look like, or what we do and where we are in life. Do you recognise yourself here?

We can feel overwhelmed with difficult feelings, body pain or uncomfortable sensations, and it doesn’t help when we compare ourselves with others who, we think, are doing better. If so much is going on, no wonder that we can feel overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed, and end up, experiencing dark days of hopelessness and isolation.

Sometimes we can forget about our basic needs and, disconnect from friendships, family, and have disheartening thoughts about our romantic relationship prospec. Short-term, this may help us cope with pain, but we know very well that longer term this way of life won’t give us happiness.

I know that life can feel like this and I am here available to support you in a safe, warm, confidential and non-judgemental atmosphere.

If you’re still reading this, then you may want to know more about who I am and how I work. Please read on.

My Unique Approach

In My Unique Approach I Combine:

A Compassionate View of Human Existence

All our experiences can be held with warmth and in non-judgemental awareness. No aspect of us is intrinsically ‘bad’. Through developing different perspectives, we can develop a less judgemental and more spacious understanding of ourselves.

Imagine climbing up a mountain, and stopping every now and then to rest and admire the views. Depending on where you stand, the sky, clouds, the Sun, trees, houses, rocks, maybe people walking on a path, will all look differently.

Working Relationally

One of the things that I like the most about Gestalt is that clients can have new experiences during a therapy session. These experiences emerge from a co-created process between the client and therapist. New ways of relating can be found through experimenting in the present moment.

Facilitating Somatic Awareness

We live our lives through experiencing ourselves in our body and have a unique relationship with it. Noticing and acknowledging our bodies can bring a range of feelings and attitudes. All of them are welcome in my sessions.

Being aware of how we relate to our bodies, and bodily sensations can be helpful in finding out more about ourselves and our needs.

I am trained in Somatic Developmental Psychotherapy which is an experiential approach helping us notice how our relating to others is encoded in how we express ourselves through our bodies, including impulses, sensations, gestures, and movements. This idea is underpinned by a theory about the development of relational movements in infants.

Attuned Presence, Listening and Authenticity

We all have our ups and downs in life, and may need support of a professional who can listen and hear you. I will meet you where you are in your life situation, without judgement, or trying to fix or change you. While working with you I will offer my attuned authentic presence and responses.

Collaborative Spirit, Creativity and Psychotherapeutic Expertise

Depending on your goals and hopes regarding therapy (which we discuss together at the beginning and review as therapy proceeds), I creatively use different aspects of my psychotherapeutic expertise and intuition.

Therapy is a collaborative dialogue between us, supporting you to explore, and get in touch with what is important to you.

Who I Can Help

I support clients with the following:

self-regulation
childhood trauma and difficult experiences
addictions
disordered eating
body image issues
identity issues
grief and mourning
relationship, family, and group conflict and unresolved dynamics
self-worth and esteem
life transitions
loneliness and isolation
unexplained body discomfort

‘Gestalt’ means ‘whole’.

In my practice this translates to us working, with the whole of you as a person, including your thoughts, feelings, body sensations, gestures, or images that come to you. I also work with gentle movement.

We will work at your pace and in collaboration and dialogue; any feedback is welcome from you in the process. People have different needs and I listen to your needs and preferences which we discuss in the initial meeting as well as when therapy progresses.

We will explore your experience together in a safe, non-judgemental and confidential space. I work creatively. For example, we may talk using metaphors, or I may invite you to intuitively draw, or use objects to represent your situation, or to simply notice your inner experience and say ‘hello’ to it.

I believe in your capacity to use your natural inner strength in service of living

a fulfilling life and I support you to trust and build on this capacity.

I believe that via supporting you to raise your awareness and honour what happens

for you in the here-and-now, change can happen in your life.

I am sensitive around social-cultural and spiritual issues.

I hold an MSc in relational Gestalt Psychotherapy from Middlesex University, and a Postgraduate Clinical Diploma (Level 7) in Gestalt Psychotherapy from Metanoia Institute in London, UK. I am a UKCP-accredited psychotherapist.

I have a Certificate in Janina Fisher’s Certified Clinical Trauma Training, Level 1(CCTP): Working with Neurobiological Legacy of Trauma and am currently continuing Level 2 (CCTP).

I also hold a Diploma in Somatic Developmental Psychotherapy.

I have trained in Grief Tending in Community with Sophie Banks.

I have experience working with NHS patients as well as with clients in London-based counselling and therapy charity and private services.

I have worked with clients suffering from anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, shame issues, relational developmental trauma, as well as relationship, family, and work/study issues. I abide by the code of ethics of the BACP, UKCP as well as this of Metanoia Institute.

Photos by Kim Manley Ort

Embodied Gestalt Psychotherapy Online, in Brighton & Hove, and St. Leonards-on-Sea