My general approach is to safely and gently work together towards your emotional and mental well-being.
Just as each of us is unique, so too is your therapy. As a result, the specific approach we adopt will depend on your requirements. Often, a few different techniques are used to explore your situation as therapy unfolds.
The therapeutic techniques used in Brave Therapy™ have emerged from 21st-century science and concentrate on integrating body, brain, mind and soul.
The Conversational Model
The Conversational Model is a relational psychodynamic therapy, which simply means how the therapist and the client interact is vital. The CM incorporates concepts from other schools, including Self Psychology, Intersubjectivity Theory, Trauma Theory, Attachment Theory, Contemporary Neuroscience and Memory Systems Theory. Three years of training in this method included twice-weekly sessions with clients that were recorded and assessed, enabling me to develop an in-depth and reflective practice. The model was created to treat complex developmental trauma and borderline personality disorder.
EMDR
EMDR is one of the most researched psycho-therapeutic approaches for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Since 1989, over 24 controlled studies have found EMDR Therapy effectively decreases or eliminates the symptoms of PTSD. EMDR Therapy is also used for various clinical problems that may have resulted from disturbing life events, like anxiety disorders, depression etc.
Somatic Experiencing®
SE does not focus on talking about or re-living trauma. SE works at the physiological level where traumatic activation is held in the body. Often, clients have had therapy to deal with their traumas and still have symptoms, physically, emotionally, and relationally. Or perhaps they have symptoms and don’t know why. Dr. Peter Levine found that by processing the body and guiding the discharge of stored energy in the body, homeostasis of the nervous system occurred, and symptoms resolved. No matter how severe, this seems to be the missing piece in trauma resolution.
Brainspotting®
Brainspotting® is one of the latest techniques that emerged for treating trauma, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. During trauma, the brain’s processing capacity can become overwhelmed, leaving behind traces of the trauma, frozen in an unprocessed state. Brainspotting® uses your field of vision to find where you are holding pieces of the trauma in your brain to be processed. Your eyes can actually scan inside your brain as well as outside!
The Daring Way™
The Daring Way™ is a highly experiential methodology based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown. The method was developed to help men, women, and adolescents learn how to show up, be seen, and live braver lives.
The primary focus is on developing shame resilience skills and developing a courage practice that transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead. It can be facilitated in clinical, educational, and professional settings and is suitable for working with individuals, couples, families, work teams, and organizational leaders.
I became the first Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator in Australia.
I utilize Brené Brown’s work in my psychotherapy and counselling and integrate The Daring Way™methodology into my work with trauma, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and addictions of all kinds.
Learn more about my Daring Way™ work.
Mindfulness-based interventions
Mindfulness means developing a moment-by-moment awareness of our feelings, thoughts, bodily sensations, and environment. Mindfulness involves acceptance, meaning we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judgment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we sense in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future. Mindfulness has its roots in Buddhist meditation, and mindfulness has entered the mainstream in recent years. Thousands of studies have documented the physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness. I incorporate mindfulness into my practice and my daily life as I practice daily mindfulness meditation.
Safe and Sound Protocol
Dr. Stephen Porges developed the Safe and Sound Protocol, the SSP is a five-hour auditory intervention designed to reduce stress and auditory sensitivity while enhancing social engagement and resilience. The program is implemented based on the client’s needs. Calming the physiological and emotional state opens the door for improved communication and more successful therapy. SSP is a research-based therapy that can be used in adjunct to other treatment methods or in itself.
Other methods
I have been extensively trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT, Art and Play Therapy, Pia Melody’s Codependency Model and Mindfulness-based interventions. Learn more about other methods.
