Stephanie Mackenzie

I am founder and lead therapist at Room to Grow Therapy. We are a team of qualified, integrative therapists interested in unburdening individuals from counselling issues that are distressing them, or stopping them from reaching their full potential. Whether you are going through a present crisis and you are struggling to function in the day-to-day, or you’re experiencing mental and/or emotional challenges that are holding you back, therapy may be for you.

Each therapist at Room to Grow Therapy has a slightly different approach to their therapeutic work - you can read about them on our website, linked above. My particular approach leverages our therapeutic relationship and what’s happening between us in the “here-and-now” to get to know your patterns in relationship with others outside of therapy. I believe in the power of the therapeutic relationship to become a “secure base” from which you can learn more about yourself and heal from relational wounds you have from past experiences. I will help you develop a better relationship with yourself in which you are empowered get your needs met in healthier ways in the present.

I work using an integrated model of counselling, which means I draw from several schools of thought in my own unique approach. My work is informed by trauma theory, Transactional Analysis and Internal Family Systems. As increasing evidence demonstrates trauma is held in the body, I incorporate what is being held in the body throughout my therapeutic work and help clients tap into the rich information our bodies provide us with to enhance the healing process.

Due to the relational quality of my therapeutic work, I tend to work with clients on a long-term basis but am happy to work with short-term clients too using more solutions-focused methods. I am familiar with 12 Step Fellowships and am used to working alongside these programmes with clients in recovery.  

In therapy with me, I will help you to become aware of the patterns of behaviour and thinking that are keeping you stuck, unhappy or distressed. I will help you to discover the roots of these patterns and investigate generational trauma, and will equip you with knowledge about the mind-body connection and the nervous system. You will gain tools to help you regulate your emotions, which in turn reduces levels of depression and anxiety, and increases our ability to cope with life’s stresses. I will also help you to recognise patterns of self-abandonment and foster a better relationship with yourself. This should in turn improve your relationships with others. 

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Ultimately, counselling and psychotherapy aim to improve our quality of life through change. This helps us lead more fulfilling, satisfying, and productive lives. They can be highly effective in helping individuals address a host of psychological and emotional issues, as well as behavioural changes. Here are some of the ways therapy can help:

Emotional Understanding

You will gain more insight into your emotions, thoughts and behaviours. This will help you unlock the root causes of your emotional distress and develop healthier emotional regulation strategies.

Improved Coping Skills

You can learn new, healthier ways of coping with life’s challenges. This may include stress management techniques, communication skills and strategies for handling difficult emotions.

Meaning 

We may explore your life’s meaning and purpose so you are able to live a more purpose-driven existence.

Increased Self-Awareness

The hope in therapy is that you will be better equipped for self-reflection and self-awareness. Through increased self-understanding you may be able to make more authentic choices in your life that align with your values and beliefs.

Boundaries work

We may work to help you develop better boundaries in the areas of life you feel need working on.  

How it works 

When you place an enquiry, I will ask you to complete an online referral form (accessible via a link I will send you). This is so I can learn a bit about you and why you are interested in counselling. This referral form gives you the chance to include your availability and which therapist at Room to Grow you would prefer to work with. 

You will be matched with a therapist based on your stated preference and therapist availability. You will then be offered an initial 50-minute consultation (held online or in-person). This is a chance to see how you feel with the therapist, and if you have a sense that you will be able to work well together. There is no pressure to continue after this consultation should you feel for any reason you are not the right fit. In this scenario, you will be matched with another therapist, availability dependent. 

Following this consultation, sessions will be weekly and will continue on an open-ended basis. Reviews are conducted regularly to see how you are finding the therapy and how well we are working towards your goals. Naturally goals shift and change over time, so these reviews are useful in checking in on what you feel is most pressing to work on at the time. You can have counselling for as long as you feel like you need or want it. Occasionally sessions will be about other topics and issues that crop up for you whilst you're having counselling - this is normal and allowed! The sessions are there for you to use as you wish.

Each weekly session lasts for 50-minutes and will take place at the same time and on the same day as the initial consultation, unless agreed otherwise.