My Approach

Processwork is a creative and experiential approach to psychotherapy and facilitation, developed by Arnold Mindell in the 1970s. It grew from his work as a physicist and Jungian-oriented therapist, bringing together influences from psychology and systems thinking and his observation of how physical symptoms, dreams and other experiences can unfold in meaningful ways.

Processwork starts with curiosity about what is already happening. Rather than assuming that we already know what an experience means, we pay attention to the different signals, feelings, thoughts, body sensations, dreams, relationships and patterns that arise, and explore where they might lead.

In a session, we might begin by talking about what is happening for you and what feels most important to explore. There is no expectation that you will arrive knowing exactly what you want to talk about. We can start wherever you are and allow the focus to develop from there.

Alongside talking, Processwork uses a range of experiential methods. We might slow down and explore a particular bodily sensation, experiment with movement or posture, use role-play or imagination, or pay attention to a recurring pattern within a relationship. Sometimes this can help give words to something that has been difficult to articulate; at other times, it can open up a different way of experiencing or understanding something.

Our usual sense of ourselves can sometimes become quite fixed: this is who I am, this is how I am, this is what I should do. Processwork offers a way of becoming curious about what sits at the edges of this familiar identity. Sometimes there are parts of our experience that are difficult to hear, express or make sense of, but which may carry something important.

Processwork also understands people in relationship with the wider worlds around them. Our experiences are shaped by families, communities, cultures, organisations and the environments we inhabit. This means that therapy is not only about looking inward, but can also involve exploring the relationships and wider contexts in which our lives unfold.

There is no particular way you need to be in therapy, and no requirement to have everything figured out before you arrive. You do not need any previous experience of Processwork. We can work at a pace that feels manageable, and you are always able to decide what feels comfortable and what you want to explore. My role is not to impose an interpretation, but to bring curiosity and attention to what is happening and support you in discovering what feels meaningful and useful for yourself.