KIRSTEN MEYER
PSYCHOTHERAPIST
SERVICES
Who I treat
I work with late adolescents (16+), adults, and couples. In specific cases some family work may be offered as part of individual or couples therapy. If I identify a need for treatment outside my scope, such as for the child of a client, I will make an appropriate referral.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy
Psychodynamic psychotherapy finds its roots in Freudian psychoanalysis and Freudian theory, but it has come a long way since then. Unlike psychoanalysis, psychodynamic psychotherapy can be brief, medium, or long term. I predominantly draw on two forms of psychodynamic psychotherapy in my practice: self-psychology and intersubjective psychodynamic psychotherapy. I recognise the impact and importance of the therapist’s presence, and view the therapeutic process and relationship as something that is co-constructed by the therapist and their client. The fundamentals of psychodynamic psychotherapy include the importance of early childhood experiences in predisposing people to their current patterns of behaviour and relationships. The therapeutic space is employed as a space in which to provide insight and corrective experiences to help break destructive or negative patterns. These shifts often occur at a sub-conscious level.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a more modern form of psychotherapy. Sessions tend to be more structured and the therapist takes on a more directive role. The fundamentals include an understanding that negative patterns of emotion and behaviour can be shifted through challenging previously unchallenged automatic negative thoughts about the self and world. I achieve this by employing various techniques ultimately empowering my clients to continue the work independently.
EMDR
I am a fully trained Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist. I completed my training with Alexander Richman, a fully accredited EMDR trainer with the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) and EMDR-Europe Association (EMDR-E). Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing is an innovative and well-researched form of therapy that was developed in the 80s by Dr Francine Shapiro. It draws on the strengths of various forms psychotherapy and includes the novel use of bilateral brain stimulation to engage the brain’s information processing systems. Initially EMDR was used to alleviate severe forms of posttraumatic stress symptoms with great success. Types of trauma that have been treated effectively include assault and other crime-related trauma, road traffic accident trauma, war trauma, torture, natural or man-made disasters, sexual abuse and childhood neglect. Since its inception, however, the treatment has been found to be effective with a growing number of psychological psychological disorders including panic disorder, phobias, performance anxiety, self-esteem issues and other anxiety-related disorders.
Mindfulness
Simply defined, Mindfulness is: “Bringing your awareness into the present moment, on purpose, without judgement" - Jon Kabat-Zinn.
I was exposed to Mindfulness meditation during my clinical training and thereafter attended an 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course. I went on to develop a Mindfulness based stress reduction workshop which I delivered to over 250 offenders during my time working for the Department of Correctional Services. I incorporate elements of Mindfulness into my individual therapeutic work where it is useful, and personally practice Mindful meditation daily. I can teach the practice in its pure form or, more commonly, I draw on the practice while delivering other forms of therapy. Mindfulness is a useful and highly effective technique for managing stress and increasing your capacity for living in the present, reducing the negative effects of anxiety caused by getting stuck on past regrets and future worries. There is a vast amount of literature available online and numerous mindfulness exercises accessible via YouTube and other purpose-designed apps such as Insight Timer and Waking Up. These can be explored independently or as a part of a therapeutic process.