Creative Psychotherapy in Bath, Chippenham and Westbury

A Creative Approach to Psychotherapy

Combining talking, art, dance, movement, music,

breath, voice and body work

to help you find the voice within.

ARRANGE AN APPOINTMENT

Psychotherapy is a way to explore whatever is bothering you in a safe and held space with another human being.

As individuals, we require an individual approach

to discovering and creating inner resources

to cope with life’s inevitable struggles.

And sometimes words alone just aren’t enough…

A safe and accepting therapeutic space to be yourself

Kristina draws upon a wealth of therapeutic and creative experience to support you to develop your full potential.

It may be that your difficulty hasn’t got a clear label and you don’t quite know what it is yet.

Or that you have a combination of issues you need to explore.

Maybe you just feel lost, sad, anxious, or have no sense of purpose, self-worth or connection with yourself or the world.

You may need help finding confidence to move forward in a new way, or coming to terms with something difficult in your life.

Sometimes it might be feeling overwhelmed or angry that brings you to asking for support. Or an inability to stop and enjoy things or to engage with things you’d like to.

Maybe you’re often feeling tired or have frequent illnesses or pain. You might be experiencing sleep problems or feel zoned out, or keep acting in ways you don’t feel good about and are finding it difficult to change.

Maybe you’re feeling frustrated because things just aren’t working out how you’d like them to be - maybe relationships are difficult or you’re having a tough time parenting or caring for a loved one.

Whatever it is, mind, body or spirit, or a combination, the creative approach can really help as it allows whatever is present in your life to unfold itself to be seen and understood in a new light.

I am a psychotherapist registered with the UKCP, which is the UK Council for Psychotherapy, as part of the Humanistic and Integrative College.

I am also registered with ADMP which is the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy.

I adhere to both bodies’ codes of ethics which require a high level of training, a commitment to CPD and regular supervision.

I am trained to Masters Level (Level 7) and have completed CPD in areas relating to:

Diversity including LGBTQI+,

Race, Culture and Class;

Disability and

Neurodivergence;

Trauma,

Gender Dysphoria,

Autism,

ADHD,

Attachment,

Chronic Pain,

Grief and Bereavement,

Suicidal Thoughts,

Self-harm,

Eating Disorders,

Sensory Processing,

EMDR,

Anxiety,

Depression,

Self-Esteem,

Shame and Guilt,

Dyslexia,

Dyspraxia,

Highly Sensitive People,

Imposter Syndrome,

Relationships,

Work-Related Stress,

Developmental Language Disorder,

Playback Theatre,

Music and Mindfulness,

Therapeutic Songwriting,

among many many others.

I also studied on a post qualification diploma in Vocal Psychotherapy and Depth Psychology with Diane Austin.

I firmly believe that all people deserve respect no matter what their gender, race, sexuality, cultural background, disability, age or status. This includes neurodivergence.

I have experience of and wholeheartedly support anyone with learning difficulties of any kind, anyone on the autism spectrum, trans people and people identifying in whatever way they wish that feels right.

I also acknowledge the difficulties that these issues can present in the current social climate and the ways that this may impact mental health.

I also recognise the influence of adverse childhood and adult conditions such as poverty and neglect upon mental and physical wellbeing.

Person- centred relational ethos

I believe that we all can find and learn to listen to the power within us to do what we need to support our wellbeing, whether that be learning to reach out more or to set healthy boundaries for ourselves or the many other aspects of therapy that might be addressed.

Creativity is a great way of getting in touch with that power - the voice within.

We all need and deserve support sometimes - we are interpersonal relational beings - and we can all gain a lot from having a safe space to be heard and seen by someone else without judgement.

I believe in the power of the therapeutic relationship itself to facilitate change.

Different parts of us needing support

Having someone we can turn to who is outside work, our usual friendship group and outside the family can be very helpful.

For issues that may have arisen when we were children or teenagers or even just difficult situations that are difficult to put into words, we may not yet have developed the verbal or logical means to discuss problems in ways that are offered by traditional counselling alone.

In a similar way, our inner child may have been traumatised or may simply have experienced misattunement which also cannot be expressed verbally - creative approaches offer different channels for expression of these issues to be resolved.

People of all ages can benefit from learning strategies for self regulation and self soothing which is why a body based creative approach can help. Movement in particular can be a powerful way to put emotions into motion.

Non verbal approaches and body/mind balancing

Current research into polyvagal theory and trauma by Stephen Porges, by and Bessel van der Kolk in his book The Body Keeps the Score, highlight the importance of non verbal interventions in therapy, particularly for the treatment of trauma, disrupted attachment, or when early needs were not recognised.

Often we think it is

our mind or our personality that is at fault, when actually our body is crying out for support and understanding.

Body/mind imbalances can create chronic patterns that can cause a great deal of trouble as we grow older as our body becomes less tolerant of the stresses it is under.

This multidimensional approach to therapy using voice and breathing to recalibrate the traumatised nervous system

offers the potential for a new experience of vitality and clarity in your life.

How does therapy work?

Having therapy, especially for the first time, can be a daunting process. It can take time to build up sufficient levels of trust and relationship to work through sensitive issues. Part of my job is to help you to navigate this.

Usually we will have a short conversation on the phone to discuss how we might arrange our initial meeting.

Once this is set up, in our first session we would discuss the types of things you would like to work on and the ways you would be comfortable to approach them.

For each person this will look very different and it may also evolve over time.

Some people will not want to use their voice, others prefer to talk only, some want to dip in and out of different artistic media.

Some people like to write songs with support, others want help to sing a song that expresses how they’re feeling. Other people may want to move physically with an issue to express what is inside, or draw a picture.

These are just tiny examples of fragments of how this type of therapy can work in practice but the reality is that it is different for everyone and that we work together to find what works for you.

Moving forward

Usually after the initial meeting, if we decide to work together, we will then make an agreement to meet once a week or at a different pace depending on your need. This is usually at the same time and place every week.

Depending on the location, sessions are usually 50 minutes to an hour long, but this also can be changed to suit your need as some people benefit from longer sessions.

We may decide to start with an initial six or twelve sessions or we may be happy to work with a more open ended longer term plan.

All terms are discussed and set mutually.

My locations

I currently work from several locations on different days of the week.

I work from the Practice Rooms in central Bath, https://thepracticerooms.co.uk/

from New Oriel Hall in Larkhall, Bath,

from the Therapy Rooms in Chippenham with free parking: https://the-therapyrooms.co.uk/

and from Westbury, Wiltshire.

I usually offer sessions in the daytime only.

Fees & availability

Currently sessions start at £70 for one full hour.

Low cost sessions for those on low income are also occasionally available (£55).

Get in touch

I can be contacted via this website and I aim to return your message as soon as possible even if I do not currently have slots available.

Should your message not have received a reply within a week, please do feel free to contact me again to check that your message has been received.

You can also find me on the UKCP Find a Therapist website.

I really look forward to supporting you on your therapeutic journey!

“If you want to improve the world, start making people feel safer.”

Stephen Porges

”It is in playing and only in playing that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.”

Winnicott

“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.”

Martha Graham