Tess Sterland
I offer a warm, empathic space for people who’d like to explore how they are feeling about their lives. My sessions hold a spectrum of reflective moments of depth, creative moments that reveal what our minds might not be able to grasp, and moments of humour and play that strengthen our connection and remind us that we’re human. The variety of ways I approach counselling keeps my work varied with each client- you might want to explore a recent relationship or transition in life that brought up a lot of emotions for you, we might reflect on how your past & childhood influences your present, you might have had a dream recently that felt potent and we could explore the potential meanings of this dream together, we might invite your body to move or respond to what we’re speaking about (especially if you’re someone that’s usually stuck up in your head).
Laughter is always a possibility in my sessions with clients, and I think it’s important to be able to move through moments of lightness and depth in sessions. I am an integrative transpersonal therapist. Depending on your individual preferences, I draw on these different therapeutic traditions in the following ways: psychodynamic (exploring how your childhood and relationship with caregivers provides a blueprint to behaviours, feelings or relationships in the present) person-centred (I will provide a non-judgemental, empathic space for you to explore your psyche, following your lead on what you’d like to focus on) Gestalt/somatic (this involves incorporating how you are feeling in the present moment in a session, including how your body is responding to the session) Transpersonal (our work can include exploration of things such as dreams, spirituality, myth, symbols, nature, ancestors and poetry.
My training is rooted in a soulful approach, and I’m interested in the ways that the story of your life connects with the wider web of human stories. We might explore an impactful dream you recently had or I might invite you to draw after a visualisation, creating meaning from the images and symbols that your subconscious brings to our work.) Parts work/IFS (this approach assumes that we all have different parts of our psyche, and sometimes these parts are in conflict or respond unhelpfully to our current circumstances.
Working in this way would involve me guiding you in visualisations to get to know this part better and communicate with it, hoping to shift the ways that it might dictate your behaviour.) I am committed to creating a therapy space where clients can speak about all parts of their lived experience, including the ways that they have been marginalised or othered in our society. It’s important to me that my approach is open-minded, curious and non-defensive and I welcome conversations about how our differences or similarities may impact our work together. I have a passion for working with those who are neurodivergent (diagnosed or wondering whether you might be) and those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Online and/or telephone appointments are available.
