Maura Cowen

I am an integratively based therapist, which means that I adapt my approach firstly to the person in front of me rather than being led by a modality; I value being able to meet you, as you are. I am inclusive in my practice, considering culture and sexual or gender identities as part of the richness my client brings. When helpful I draw from the arts, using colour, imagery, metaphor or writing to further our work. I draw from a range of approaches, responding to your needs and our exploration, and work in partnership with you, knowing that fluid and creative exploration will support your change.

It is understood that the relationship between therapist and client is key in supporting change. I know that you are keenly aware of your experience and therefore are the expert on your lived sense of that. By seeking therapy it indicates you are also aware you need support from a committed professional, and I hold that responsibility as primary. I respect the journey you have been on to seek help from the therapeutic space in the first place. We will work together for your betterment, and my task is to safely and flexibly support you to reflect on your experience, your strengths and difficulties. I offer a grounded presence, facilitating in a safe and boundaried space.

I have been supporting clients for over 10 years with a variety of difficulties. These included anxiety, depression, trauma, identity, self-esteem, relationship difficulties, recovery from abuse or life transitions such as loss. I have worked in trauma services, shorter term practices, and held a private practice throughout. I can offer telephone sessions and video calls. During our first meeting we will begin to explore what has been troubling you, and you will get a sense of me and how I work. I build in reviews to ensure our work remains relevant and useful. 

My work is a talking therapy, and we will mainly be working in that way. Within our session times we can enhance our work with use of the arts if helpful. You and I will adapt our work as we progress, to be of much use to you as possible.

My aim is for you to have a protected space where reflections, explorations and the feedback I can offer, all go to helping you feel more empowered in the way you wish to live. The therapeutic space is unique in that it offers a rare time of focus purely on ourselves, and I am your partner in this opportunity for change.

We will aim to arrange to meet at the same time- and place if face to face- each week, as this safe predictability can offer good grounding for our reflections.

It is important for you to feel confident about the choice of person you will do this work with, and our first session will offer you a sense of what it will be like to work with me.

Within our first session I will get a sense of what you would like support with. I will of course answer questions you may have, and can describe broadly what to expect as we work. We will decide on the regular timing of the work, and location if we are to meet face to face. We will establish the fee you will pay, whch includes this first session, and discuss if you want to consider a time frame or work initially in an open-ended way. 

As well as offering one to one talking therapy, I have long known the power within writing, and use it for my own personal development and within my therapeutic practice. I approach writing creatively and have supported people at many levels of experience, so it need not concern you if you have not used the medium before . Examples of writing styles I have employed to good effect include: prose, descriptive, creative, poetry, mind-mapping.

When supporting someone in this medium, I commonly use a variety of prompts to inspire our reflections. These will include visual, verbal, pre-produced, all of which I will create and locate to support your thinking.

I believe you are the expert in your own experience, and so you will remain the point of reference for how the work is going.

I develop a broad and bespoke programme for our work, based on what you would like to focus on. This will develop and change as we work. It will be important for you to be in partnership with me in this thinking, and so I build in reviews and opportunities for us to ensure the sessions are as useful to you as possible.

I combine skills I have learned in a range of work I have carried out. The effect of this is that I can offer a broad style of support, paying regard to your emotional reflections and well-being across the process. I am an integrative therapist, and carry this core principle into all of my work: I will aim to meet you as the unique individual you are.

It is important for you to feel at ease with the person you choose to support you, and in our first session you will gain a sense of what it would be like to work with me. We can do a small amount of writing, as a taster of how we could work. We will discuss what areas you would like to focus on. 

I can outline what you can expect from our work. It is also useful to reflect together on how the work may impact you, and what support systems you already use or can develop.

It would be common for us to arrange at least 4 initial sessions, and discuss the spacing out of those to support the work and to make it most useful for you. We can meet at one of two places where I work, unless you have needs which mean I would discuss coming to you.