Whatever your reasons for seeking therapy, feeling stuck, unsure, overwhelmed, or confused about the choices you have made, I will help you explore what patterns might be repeating out of your awareness and open up the possibility of choice and change.
You don’t have to wrestle alone.
Maybe there is something specific you are struggling with; a bereavement or loss of some sort, the breakdown of an important relationship, the fallout after a traumatic event or perhaps a sudden change in your circumstances such as leaving home, redundancy or retirement.
Perhaps it’s a sense that you are not flourishing; you feel stuck, unfulfilled, bored and restless and that things are harder than you expected or feel you have the resources to handle.
You may also recognise that you dwell on past events and feel that they are unresolved, such as experiences in your childhood or early adult life, leading to feelings of anger, anxiety, hypervigilance or depression. You may now feel that you have the space and time to ‘explore’ your thoughts and feelings and finally leave the pain and emotions behind.
Context matters. We impact and are impacted in turn by our environment (people, places, events). Unexpected events knock us sideways. Or we feel lost. Sometimes painful experiences from the past get in the way of fully embracing and flexing with what’s happening in the present. Past ways of coping, which may have kept you safe, may no longer be serving you and are impacting how you show up, at home, at work, in relationships.
I offer a non-judgemental, confidential and safe space, where together, with curiosity and empathy, we can explore what it means to be you, right now, in the life that you have.
Gestalt Psychotherapy with Grania FitzGerald
My Approach
I practice Gestalt therapy which has its underpinnings in existential philosophy, Zen Buddhism and embodiment, with a core belief that we carry within us the wisdom to know what we need to live authentically, given the right conditions and context. By staying close to your lived experience my aim is to help you explore and become aware of how you make sense of the world.
What might it mean to you to regain a sense of authorship and authenticity in your life or to mourn what needs to be left behind? Sometimes support that was missing at important times of our lives needs to be grieved for or rediscovered and taken in. Or anger at what we endured or continue to endure be accessed and expressed. In other circumstances the right kind of compassionate challenge and kind curiosity can reignite a sense of wonder and possibility.
Who I am and how I work
I work with individuals face to face or on zoom. We sit together and talk about what you bring or what might be most relevant at any one meeting – trusting in the process that what shows up or comes to mind in the immediate will be relevant. While being alongside you with empathy, I may share what I observe of our process of being together for our joint inquiry and curiosity. Gestalt therapy can shed light on patterns in relationships, being focused on process rather than exclusively on content. So what emerges between us as we meet will be part of what we explore together.
I believe that body and mind work together and are shaped together. Gestalt is an holistic practice and where relevant and if it appeals to you we might use more creative ways (drawing, use of metaphor, body movements) to express and explore collaboratively what is happening for you and the meaning you make.
If there is a concept of health underpinning my approach, it is about finding a way to live flexibly, responsively and authentically. Every ‘symptom’ serves or once served a purpose, the question is whether it still keeps you safe or is holding you back.
If you would like to meet to see if we might work together, please email or call me and we can have a quick phone chat to arrange a date and time. Having met once, if we then decide to work together our initial sessions will begin with exploring “why now” for therapy and what you hope to gain.
Areas I work with:
Some of the areas I work with include:
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Childhood emotional neglect
- Depression
- Existential questions of meaning
- Hypervigilance
- Lack of access to feelings
- Life stage transitions
- Loss
- Low mood
- Panic attacks
- Self-harm
- Self-esteem
- Suicidal feelings
Psychotherapy Qualifications & Training:
I am a Senior UKCP trainee Psychotherapist in the final year of a five year MSc in Gestalt Psychotherapy at the Metanoia Institute.
As well as private practice I volunteer at a low cost therapy service.
I am a registered trainee member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
A little more about me
I began my working life in book publishing and newspapers, ultimately working as a change and engagement consultant for large corporates. I have an Executive MSc in Organisational Change from Ashridge Business School, a BA in Psychology and a BA in Philosophy.
I grew up in a small town in Ireland, have lived briefly in New York and Los Angeles and in London since the mid 80s.
Contact:
Rates:
My fee is £70 per 50 minute session. I offer a reduced fee of £60 for an initial exploratory meeting.
Sessions:
Psychotherapy sessions at City Therapy Space: Wednesday
