FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Ever feel like you are just repeating your story? And paying for it again, emotionally and financially ?

We listen so you feel heard, understood and respected;

work on what you want; how you want; when you want;

to deliver happiness, outcomes or results.

How do we do that?

We get your feedback on how good the session was for you. And track progress.

Will you give advice? My last therapist only just listened to me.

Ask our advice or opinion. You value honesty. We trust you will decide what’s best.

People only every really do what they truly freely choose to do. Give your self those options. That’s my wavelength.

I don’t know what my goal in coming to therapy is.

It is very common, while a problem may be obvious, that therapy is about trying to work out the goal/s. This is normal like can’t see the forest for the trees, or the tree you need among the forest. Problem is ‘c’ but conversation is ‘x’ or ‘x,y,z’.

How do you handle labels?

We’re not ‘clinical’.  No fancy terms. We don’t avoid diagnoses but you’re not broken.

Rise above labels. We’re all works in progress. Discover you.

Anxiety, Autism, Depression, PTSD, ‘executive function’, ‘behaviour’, ‘sensory processing’. No problem. You’ve come to the right place.

 Just opportunity, learning, something to handle, grow. Feel supported. We can teach skills. Support wellbeing.

Let’s not minimize this.

Your humanity and vulnerability/openess/awareness is your strength.

Borrow us’. Question us. Ask us, we’ll tell you.

We are here for you. There’s no agenda. Feel free to be your self. Have time for you, you need it. Feel that support.

Do I have to talk about the past?

Don’t talk about your past if you don’t need to, or now is not the time. ‘Lean’ into pain/problems where you can. Or ask a ‘key interesting question’. We can help with that.

How do I know therapy’s making a difference?

We benchmark where you are at every session and track how you progress.

How refreshing! Have those real conversations. Let’s be real. Got a goal. Let’s look at it. Got a problem? Let’s talk about it. Need coaching? Let’s do it.

Is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy awesome and the only evidence based therapy?

CBT has some fantastic aspects and one big drawback. It’s fundamental assumption is that your thinking is wrong, and it drifted away from the behavioural (read habit) side and focused mainly on the thinking side (this will feel like you are not being listened to).

 Most psychology marketing at least is stuck in that brain space. My view is that feelings are facts and good psychologists but not all will compromise (which is good) in practice to stay in business. I believe a therapist should always do therapy with people not to  people as if we were some kind of expert running your life instead of you having choice, control and a sense of agency.

I draw on CBT and many other evidence based therapies.

Are we useful? What do clients say? Do you have a set approach?

Are we useful? Damn straight we are. You are paying good coin, we would want to be! I know because I ask.

I am like a coach. The best coaches learn. I am a polymath (expert drawing from many fields). You are my feedback. It is 100% corny to say but you complete me. You ‘practice’ me to be the best me I can be for you.

How well is the therapist’s approach a good fit for you is a vital question. I am always growing. My secret is to ask every session and not be (totally) afraid. Just a smidge 😉

But therapy hasn’t worked before for me.

If therapy hasn’t ‘worked’ before for you, perhaps therapy hasn’t been doing the work, attending to its process, frequently that’s the case. Maybe it’s a case of not being taught the skills. How can you learn if you are not shown. Let’s get it right this time. Clients appreciate my genuine usefulness.

If therapy is not progressing, we will stop and talk about it. If the therapist cannot be open, how can I expect you to be open! I need to practice what I preach.There is nothing that cannot be talked about. I have every confidence in you and me to face this and get through it.

I think I am a special case.

Welcome to the club. You are not alone.  We will lift our game where needed and increase support to get the right progress. We will not abandon you or ”coast’ from  session to session just listening, taking your money and hoping you feel better (which is often enough frankly because therapy is usually so powerful an experience)

Therapy should be comfortable but not too comfortable. The map is not the territory. Trust the process. Never abandon. I recently called a guy for 7 minutes every night for 2 weeks between 6.30 and 7.30pm, revolutionalized his loop thinking, all for no extra charge. Just part of the service.

Summarize Conversations with Owen for me

Flexible approaches that fit. Not ‘clinical’. Where feelings are facts. No ‘agenda’. We’re real. Lean into your fear. I do. Boost support where needed. Go above and beyond.

In cases Turning Impossible into I’m Possible.

Conversations with Owen. We’re personal. We listen so you feel heard, understood and respected. And be relevant to you so we’re useful for you

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