About Us

Pathways Psychotherapy offers counselling to individuals, couples and families. 

 

All individuals and couples face trouble at times.  

You may experience emotional distress, low levels of motivation, a lack of trust or diminished affection. There may be conflict, injustice and misunderstanding where you would rather feel connection, support and love. 

 

Beneath many of these scenarios hides an inability of some people to tune into themselves or one another. Sometimes a person may struggle with an inability to make a less than superficial connections or to truly understand and be understood.

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At our core, we all want to be heard, accepted and supported.

We like to be understood as the masters of our own circumstances, as the expert in our own life.

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At Pathways Psychotherapy we specialise in Emotion Focused (EFT) and Person-Centered (PCT) Therapy approaches.  Additionally we draw on tools and techniques with proven efficacy from the modalities of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Dialectic Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Art Therapy, Narrative Therapy and Internal Family Systems (IFS).

In our couples and family work we lean on Gottman Method as well as Emotionally Focused Family Therapy. 

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We firmly believe that our emotions are the integral driving force behind human development. 

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Our emotions, no matter if consciously or without our awareness,  are the reason for what we do, who we like our friends to be, who we enter into a relationship with, etc.

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Simplified, our emotional 'likes or dislikes' are the reasons why we do what we do, are indeed the basis for human learning and behaviour in all areas of home, professional and social life.

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Taken to the extreme the emotion of ‘I don’t like’ can also be understood to mean  ‘I am not safe’ or ‘I am at risk/in danger’. In this way our emotions have developed to protect us from potentially harmful situations to ensure our survival. 

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In modern society it seems that many people are no longer fully in tune with their feelings and may find it hard to clearly read the emotions of others. Sometimes, it can be a culturally expected that feelings are suppressed and ignored. 

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Unfortunately, ongoing disconnection from or denying of emotions comes at the cost. When we lose touch with our inbuilt emotive system too frequently, our lives can become unsatisfactory, unsettling, depressing or downright scary.

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Our style of therapy promotes emotional awareness and intelligence and is aimed at striking the balance between being safely attuned to your feelings and your ability to expressing them constructively to get your needs met. 

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Needless to say that although all humans share the same basic set of emotions, only you will know the depth and breadth of what your own personal feelings. 

Pathways Psychotherapy operate from the perspective that you are the expert in your life.

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We do not assume to telling you what to do, what to think and feel. We think of ourselves as your skilled companion, walking along side you to help you navigate your own, personal path.  We approach all therapeutic relationships with a basis stance of unconditional positive regard for our clients, we do not judge and do not seek to influence. 

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Come as you are. 

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We will meet you with empathy and a truly open heart seeking to understand you as you understand yourself through listening carefully to what moves you. 

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In this way, our style of therapy differs somewhat from more cognitive or behavioural approaches where your thinking and actions are analysed and actively modulated. At times we do utilise tools from cognitive, behavioural or dialectic therapy forms but only when we consider them helpful to develop clarity. More typically we seek to learn from and grow with you. 

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Positive change happens at the intersection of gained understanding and ideal conditions for growth.

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This is the space we aim to provide.