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Body Oriented Psychotherapy

Body-oriented Psychotherapy is used to address a wide variety of physical and emotional concerns. Sessions are conducted fully clothed lying on a padded table, sitting or standing. The gentle touch applied is based on the Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais method. Awareness of the body's energy system is used to help release tension and shift deep holding patterns thus allowing the body to find a new and healthier balance.

Simultaneously therapeutic dialogue is used to unearth memories and emotions stored in the body so they can be cleared, The method is respectful and effectively incorporates humour and visualisation.

Working with this alchemical combination of body work and psychotherapy has an impact both on the psychological / emotional functioning as well as physical functioning.

The energy work, deep relaxation and visualisation can have a positive impact on the immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems.

The use of touch helps to access deeper brain structures than traditional talk therapy, thus contributing to the unique effectiveness of this method.

Clinical and Somatic Psychology

If you are seeking the services of an experienced and holistically oriented clinical psychologist, Laura offers highly specialist assessment and/or short-term therapy.  This is usually 12 sessions or less.  She specialises in chronic pain and works alongside a team of pain specialists in the Pain Consultancy (www.painco.co.uk).  

She also works with issues such as self-harm, depression, anxiety and eating disorders.

Core Process Psychotherapy

Core Process Psychotherapy offers a therapeutic relationship with a trained practitioner.

The therapist offers an environment of confidentiality, respect, acceptance, warmth, empathy and supportive challenge and works from the premise that at our core we are all healthy.

Central to our work is the recognition of the 'Brilliant Sanity' that resides within each of us. This force for health may be hidden by distress and difficulty but is the 'Core' of our being.

Core Process Psychotherapy develops the capacity for awareness within a compassionate relationship. Openness to our experience in mind, body and spirit frees the energy from the core and moves us towards healing.

Whatever can be brought fully and safely into awareness will eventually be integrated, allowing the past to be released and enabling movement forward into greater wholeness.

Core Process Psychotherapy can also offer a safe and effective means of addressing the effects of trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Creative Therapy

The Creative Therapy offered by Gary Smith is rooted in Gestalt Psychotherapy, a holistic and flexible approach that acknowledges the unity of mind, body, emotions and spirit which allows all aspects of an individual to be included and valued.

Central to this therapeutic approach is the belief that we are all in essence complete and whole individuals with our own unique relationship to the world. Past events often leave deep wounds that limit the full expression of your personality.

While acknowledging these past events and unresolved issues, Gestalt Therapy attempts to work in the here and now with a focus on gaining awareness of your inner state, your current needs and your present life situation, exploring how you relate to the world and your potential for growth and change.

Gary views the therapeutic relationship as an integral part of therapy and aims to work in collaboration with clients to encourage a sense of personal empowerment.

Sessions last for 1 hour and may include talking, artwork, writing or meditation. A simple image, a line from a poem or a fragment of a dream can reveal unexpected insights, helping the therapeutic work to reach a deeper level and enabling you to see situations as they are without the filter of the rational mind. Meditation can bring a quietness to the mind and help to focus attention on your needs in the present.

Over a period of time sessions can help to explore and unravel the fixed and often unhelpful patterns of behaviour you have created in your life, allowing for a freer expression of yourself and enabling more fulfilling relationships with others.

Gestalt - (meaning) Formation of the whole picture.

Gary is also available to run Creative Therapy groups.

Gestalt Psychotherapy

Gestalt psychotherapy is a holistic and flexible approach, that acknowledges the unity of mind, body, emotions and spirit, allowing all aspects of an individual to be included and valued.

Central to this therapeutic approach is the recognition that we are all in essence complete and whole individuals with our own unique relationship to the world.
Past events often leave deep wounds that limit the full expression of our personality.

While acknowledging these past events and unresolved issues, gestalt therapy attempts to work in the here and now, with a focus on gaining awareness of your inner state, your current needs and your present life situation, exploring how you relate to the world and your potential for growth and change.

Accepting things as they are is one of the key concepts in gestalt therapy and the basis of any change. Without accepting 'all of you', even the parts of you that you dislike and want to change, you are creating a resistance to the full expression of yourself and the fulfillment of your needs.

The process of therapy is about developing awareness of your blocks and resistances and opening up choices for yourself.

Personal Development / Integrative Louise Hay Counselling

Life is a continual process of change. It is not always easy to cope with transitions positively or to see light at the end of the tunnel.

In personal development you become more self aware and discover and develop your own potential to deal with problems so that they turn into opportunities for personal growth.

Gabriella works either on a one-to-one basis or in small groups. By looking with you at challenges and difficulties she helps you find ways through barriers so as to live a more fulfilling, happy and joyful life

You learn to identify negative thinking and to transform old damaging thought patterns, such as those of resentment, guilt, criticism and self hatred, into new thoughts of self acceptance self approval, health and love.

You will be helped to express and release feelings like anger and to eliminate self-doubt and fear.

It is possible to increase your confidence and self-esteem. With Gabriella's help you will enjoy becoming your own best friend! Challenging areas in our lives can be numerous. Gabriella works in a person-centered way starting from where you are at this moment in your life.

She also works with ideas and techniques developed by Louise Hay in 'You Can Heal Your Life' and by Susan Jeffers in 'Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway'.

If you require it, you will learn deep relaxation techniques and how to visualize and meditate, in order to reduce stress and to cope better with the challenges of today's world.

If you want to learn assertive behaviour, you will be shown how to express your feelings and thoughts in an open and honest way, how to deal with both fair and unfair criticism and how to recognize the importance of body language in communication.

Part of the first session is for you to decide with Gabriella how you want to work together so that you can benefit most from individual sessions or workshops.

Sessions last one hour.

Most benefit is achieved form weekly or fortnightly sessions. You can discuss with Gabriella the number and frequency of sessions.

Workshops are held regularly. Contact Gabriella (0131-315-3532) for more details and a booking form.

Counselling
for help with specific problems

See also Hypnotherapy

Psychodynamic Counselling

In therapy clients can bring unmet needs and difficulties around self-esteem, relationships, trust and life direction. Whatever has had to be denied, cut-off or hidden from view can be explored in an uncritical setting. It is in relationship with others that we learn to grow and find ourselves and it is in therapy we try to understand why this can be so difficult.

Rogerian / Person-Centred

Person-centred (or Rogerian) therapy works from the belief that all human beings have the capacity and impulse to struggle towards the realisation of their full potential.

When the counsellor provides enough acceptance, transparency and warmth a sufficiently therapeutic context is created in which the client feels safe enough to look at whatever issues are uppermost for them. Gradualy, these can then be resolved allowing the client to come to some measure of self acceptance.

Clients may wish to explore events in their past or they may wish to concentrate on what is happening to them right now. Sometimes it may be more relevant to focus on how to go forward from now rather than look at what has past.

In the end it is the relationship between client and counsellor that provides the basis for the client to explore, to learn to trust themselves and to find their own meaning.

Transactional Analysis Counselling & Psychotherapy

Do you ever feel excited thinking things are working out, only to fall flat the same old way, wondering how this happened yet again?... Wrong choice yet again… same old patterns… same old quarrels… same old feelings.Are you experiencing difficulties such as:

Transactional Analysis (TA) has developed many ways of uncovering how our reactions to past events and relationships block our ability to enjoy the present, and be spontaneous and energetic. It gives us new approaches that enables us to move forward.

We can review the decisions we once made and choose which are still appropriate for today, which to discard and which to update.