The focus of the sessions is based on what you want to achieve. In TA we work as a team and I will have agreed to work with you on your goal for therapy. Generally the sessions would involve you telling me about what is bothering you and me responding with the relevant questions and responses to help you find out the causes at play. This process usually involves learning about our autonomic nervous system and how we need to feel safe to develop and live healthily and happily. It also involves you learning the language of TA and constructing your own knowledge of yourself and the aspects that are problematic so that you can address them. I include Mindfulness (guided meditation) and grounding and calming exercises that you can apply on your own outside of the sessions. Mindfulness helps us develop a healthy sense of self & a more supportive internal dynamic. Mindfulness is proven to have many benefits for our health & well-being.
I consider the most fundamental aspect of counselling psychotherapy as the process of developing awareness. Albert Einstein stated that our problems cannot be solved at the same level of consciousness (awareness) that created the problem. In reality all of our problems stem from the ego level of awareness so raising our awareness is necessary. This is what we do when we practice mindfulness and develop the ability to observe our self and bring awareness to what was previously automatic.
Awareness is therefore the key to freedom along with another fundamental aspect of mindfulness – ‘non-judgment’ also known as ‘acceptance’. These two shifts in perception will ensure old patterns fade into the past and new supportive patterns of response (new neural pathways) are constructed.
To support this emergent process I base my practice on Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal theory https://www.stephenporges.com/ Polyvagal theory takes into account our innate and involuntary responses to threat and provides us with an explanation of why we are all so stressed and how to address the problem within our own body (please see the section on Stress on the resources page). Most importantly it clarifies the fundamental need that human-beings have to feel safe.