Stephanie Petrie

I work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, my hours are flexible so please enquire.

I have availability for Online Clients

I am an experienced psychotherapist and specialise in relational trauma recovery. 

Are you feeling stuck in repeating patterns and struggling to make changes?
The quality of your life really does depend on the quality of your relationships, do you find yourself in repeating toxic patterns choosing partners who hurt and manipulate you or are emotionally unavailable ?
Or did you have and still have a conflicted relationship with your parents, always feeling like you can’t truly step into the relationship, minimising and hiding yourself.
The brain likes to back to what is familiar and that’s why it can be very challenging to break a pattern of behaviour.
Relational trauma arises generally from attachment difficulties - the failure of an attachment figure to attune to us and be present for us can be just as traumatic as the traumas of accidents or any other traumatic experience that the body and brain finds overwhelming.
When we don’t have an early healthy enough relationship template this can result in our nervous system living in survival mode and not fully functioning in a way that the body and mind feel enough to step into be vulnerable with another.
This is about cellular memory and nervous system regulation.
Learning about how to create a more secure attachment within ourselves, setting boundaries and taking care of ourselves will result in time with a stronger and more stable sense of self where your internal experience will reflect more of your external life.
You start living from a more creative place instead of in your defences.

My approach to therapy is to work towards creating a relationship with you that is grounded in equality, where you will feel safe enough to be seen and heard and understood on a deep level.
I work in a client-centred way which means working at your pace however I will also use direct language and gently guide and offer insights.
As research indicates it is the therapeutic relationship that is the vehicle for change and is ultimately the medicine.  It is through connection that healing can take place.
I use a number of therapeutic approaches that will help you process the past and move you towards post-traumatic growth and building resilience.

My aim for the first session is for you to feel comfortable enough to explore what has brought you to therapy and for us to get to know each other.
I will discuss confidentiality and some contracting terms.
My first sessions are very much about you and what you need.