Empowering you to live with freedom and authenticity
Find a new baseline.
Profound and lasting changes are possible for most of us. That is why I support people to address the root causes of dissatisfaction or suffering and not settle for learning to live with problems that can be fully resolved. I don’t offer magical fixes to complex problems, but I take pride in getting to the nub of issues quickly and creating the optimum conditions to bring about deep healing.
An optimised approach to accelerate change at a deep level.
Creating the conditions necessary for lasting psychological change is complex task that requires a deep understanding of the therapeutic process. To achieve this I have undertaken an analysis of thousands of hours of my work using video recordings to continually hone techniques and ensure the highest quality of care. If you’re interested in learning more about how I work and the type of therapy I offer—Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP)—click the link below.
What I can help with.
Many of the issues people seek help for are rooted in a common mechanism: the repression or pushing down of emotions. This ‘pushing down’ mechanism normally develops in circumstances where feeling and expressing emotions creates problems, for example if a parent frames any expression of a child’s anger as ‘bad’ or ‘dangerous’.
Consequently, in any situations where feelings get triggered, anxiety rises as the nervous system automatically attempts to block the rise of these ‘dangerous’ emotions. In other words, anxiety is the nervous system’s way of ‘pushing down’ emotion. If this mechanism is overactive, chronic and high levels of anxiety are the result. This includes: muscular tension, gastrointestinal issues (such acid reflux and IBS), dissociation, detachment and a wide range of medically unexplained symptoms.
In therapy we can identify these kinds of damaging patterns and create the conditions for a healthier way of relating to feelings to emerge and ultimately become the new normal.
This framework can be applied to relationship issues, depression, anxiety, aspects of ADHD, obsessions and compulsions or OCD, addictions, trauma-related symptoms, medically unexplained symptoms and many other issues.
“Stephen’s therapy has been a game-changer for me during a very tough time.
He created a safe, reflective and understanding space to face deep-rooted and difficult issues that had been holding me back.
I highly recommend Stephen to anyone looking to make real and significant change in their life.
Thank you, Dr. Rock!”
“Steve helped me work through some difficult experiences in my childhood and helped me to learn how to be vulnerable again. Trusting another person with your story is hard - especially when you’ve been mistreated in the past. But you can trust Steve. Our therapy sessions led me to reconnect with my passion for writing and publish my first novel. ”
“As someone who had never been to therapy before I had no idea what I was walking in to, I just knew I needed someone to talk to. Steve put me right at ease, but equally challenged me and helped me to realise that I was the one in the driving seat. He taught me how to recognise my emotions better, and helped me to realise how my own ingrained beliefs had been holding me back. I would highly recommend Steve to anyone looking for a therapist. ”