I believe people hold the answers to life’s questions within them.
My role is to help you discover them and make use of them in a way that leads to a more fulfilling way of living.
How I work
I offer counselling and psychotherapy grounded in a Gestalt approach, with a way of working that is active, relational, and rooted in real life.
You may have already spent a lot of time trying to work things out on your own, going over things in your head, trying to keep going, or telling yourself you should be coping better.... yet still finding yourself stuck in the same patterns.
My role is not to analyse you from a distance or treat you as something to be fixed. It is to work alongside you in understanding what is actually happening for you, and helping you make changes where it matters.
This might involve looking at how anxiety, overwhelm, relationship difficulties, low self-worth, addiction, or trauma are showing up in your day-to-day life, not just in theory, but in how you actually experience them.
Talking matters, but sometimes words alone are not enough. Where helpful, I work in more active and imaginative ways to help you connect with what is going on. The aim is to help you see things more clearly, move out of patterns that aren’t working, and feel more able to engage with your life in a way that feels manageable and real.
What is Gestalt therapay?
Gestalt therapy focuses on helping you understand what is actually going on for you, not just in theory, but in how you think, feel, and respond in your everyday life.
A lot of people already have some understanding of their difficulties. You might know you feel anxious, overwhelmed, stuck, or unhappy in relationships, but still find yourself going round in the same patterns.
Gestalt is interested in how those patterns are actually happening, not just why they exist.
Understand what’s really going on
Things often become clearer when you stop explaining them and actually look at what’s happening, how you feel, react, and respond in the moment.
Get out of your head
If you tend to overthink or go round in circles, this work helps you step out of that loop and connect with what is actually going on underneath it.
Understand your reactions
Rather than just saying “that’s how I am”, we look at what is driving your reactions, especially in moments of anxiety, overwhelm, or pressure.
Make sense of relationship patterns
If you keep ending up in the same situations with people, we look at how those patterns are happening, not just why they exist
Work with what you avoid
The things you push away often keep you stuck. This work helps you approach them in a way that feels manageable.
Why this feels different
This way of working can feel more engaging than simply talking things through, because it helps you see what is going on clearly, rather than just trying to explain it.
Working creatively and flexibly in counselling
I work creatively and draw from a broad range of approaches and interventions.
In my work, I may draw on approaches such as:
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Trauma informed stabilisation, including grounding and pacing
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Nervous system regulation practices, to support steadiness and safety
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Polyvagal informed understanding of stress, shutdown, and overwhelm
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Parts work (parts of self exploration), where different aspects of you hold different needs or protections
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Addiction focused counselling that explores what may be driving the addiction, while also supporting you to develop ways of coping and moving forward
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Self-harm informed counselling, attending to the function the behaviour serves and developing alternative ways of coping
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Gestalt awareness and creative, present-moment exploration, noticing what emerges in the here-and-now
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Meaning oriented reflection, when life feels misaligned or uncertain
Gestalt counselling is not a single technique or fixed method. It is an evolving way of working that allows for different techniques and forms of exploration, depending on what fits you and what is happening in the moment.
The therapeutic relationship provides the foundation. Everything else builds from there.
Practicalities
I work with adults and young people.
Sessions are offered in person in East and Central London, and online.
You’re welcome to get in touch for an initial conversation to see whether working together feels right for you.
Mobile: 07463 962636
Email: matthew@hopefultides.com
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