Embodied Gestalt Psychotherapy Online, 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
Welcome to my site!
My name is Katy and I am a UKCP & BACP-registered Gestalt psychotherapist. I work integratively, relationally, and am body-aware, supporting both embodied & emotional process.
I specialise in depression, anxiety and relational trauma.
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).
I imagine that you have come here because you want to grow and develop, whether you are new to therapy or have already had it in the past. I know that life can be tough and painful. I am here available to support you in a safe, confidential and non-judgemental atmosphere.
Do you feel stuck, trapped or overwhelmed and struggling to believe that things can change for the better?
Do you often feel like you are ‘too much’ or ‘not enough’?
Do you experience depression, anxiety, low mood, or a sense of disconnection?
Do you experience unease in relation to your body, hold a negative body-image, or perhaps your body feels like it’s rebelling against you?
Do you have racing thoughts and are good at predicting what could go wrong?
Do you often put yourself down or blame yourself?
Are you struggling with self-acceptance, self-love and self-compassion?
Do you find it hard to fully relax into relationships, or feel like you belong?
Do you often retreat into yourself, hiding some aspects of yourself, fearing judgement or rejection from others?
Do you feel mobilised to express yourself more fully, but you keep finding blocks and obstacles to expressing your authentic voice and feelings?
If any of these themes resonates with you, please contact me for an initial no obligation consultation to have a chat about how I could help you.
I am registered with UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I provide therapy in both English and Polish (po polsku). Please, follow your curiosity and continue exploring my website.
How Therapy Works
People often come to therapy because they would like change.
Sometimes life can feel difficult, painful and unmanageable. For many of us, it may be challenging to make changes that we want, and we may feel helpless, not knowing quite what to do, often falling into a trap of old and familiar patterns of behaviour, or trying to ‘fix the problem’, ‘improve ourselves’. Or the changes we want to make may feel unachievable, beyond our reach, scary.
Well, therapy can help in those situations. Talking to a professional who provides non-judgemental, respectful and kind presence can support you to speak about things that matter to you and be heard.
Change can be complex, messy, layered, and non-linear, but it is not about fixing you because there is something wrong with you. There can be small changes and bigger changes, insights, and bigger shifts; some changes can happen ‘just like that’, and others require consistent attention and nurture from us, and a willingness to stay with ourselves in moments of upset and pain. I am inspired by the idea, referred to as the Paradoxical Theory of Change, that change happens when we can truly accept who we are in the here and now, and this includes aspects of ourselves that we don't like or feel hateful about, our addictive tendencies, our shame, our anger and rage, our people's pleasing, our fear, our procrastrination, our anxiety, depression and shyness, and the list goes on. Then, we are able to let go, not be so hung up on our habitual ways of being and doing, and make space to welcome something new.
Therapy with me is about getting support at any stage of your life, or any change that you would like to make or are going through.
It is normal to live and breathe what we already know. It often has been what we have known through our experience of living in our family, society and cultural systems. And some of us have had a really tough time within these systems, challenging our sense of self-worth and belonging. For many of us these behaviours have protected us from danger for long time.
The trouble starts when these familiar ways of being and doing stop us from living our lives to the full and engaging in them the way our hearts and souls desire! Our
habitual patterns of being are a little bit like this old familiar coat which has protected you from bad weather for so many years, but now, it cannot be as good in different weather conditions - in Antarctica you may need a different coat, whilst in the rainforest of the Amazon you may not even need it.
Therapy with me is about supporting you wherever you are in your life journey and supporting you to become aware of and honour your old familiar coat.
It is about supporting you to develop curiosity and acceptance towards how this ‘coat’ may have been useful to you. It is about processing, little by little, elements of your experiences in a safe and supportive environment and making sense of them. It is about supporting you to develop deeper (visceral and embodied) connection with yourself and others, which will empower you to engage in the present moment and with it new opportunities awaiting ahead. Therapy with me will support you to equip yourself in bigger resilience in responding to life challenges.
Testimonials
'Katy helped me explore the issues I brought to therapy in a kind, supportive and warm environment. I appreciated her approach, in particular the way she suggested different methods of exploration alongside talking, such as drawing and considering the body as a whole which helped me to think about things from a different perspective.' Client 1
'Attending therapy with Katy helped me navigate a deep personal crisis and a very difficult period in my life. ' Client 2
Who I Can Help
I can help you if you are:
- Anxious
- Depressed
- Stressed
- Stuck
- Conflicted
- Lonely
- Hopeless
- Judging yourself harshly, including your body
And/Or if you:
- Have experienced loss
- Are lacking confidence
- Are experiencing relationship and family issues,
- Have a sense that something stops you from living your life to the full
And/or if you:
- Are emotionally aware and reflective
- Want to explore the impact of early relational experiences
- Are struggling with identity, voice, or self-worth
- Want deeper connection in relationships
- Are ready to engage in meaningful, exploratory therapy
About My Practice
‘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.
About Me
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.
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