Psychotherapy & Counselling

"Listen, are you breathing just a little, yet calling it a life?"

Mary Oliver

Welcome &Thank You for Visiting

Integrative Psychotherapy, Couples Therapy & Clinical Supervisor based in Spilsby within easy reach of Horncastle, Boston, Skegness, Louth, Lincoln and surrounding areas.

Sometimes life's struggles can become too much, things may seem overwhelming, life unsatisfying and confusing, finding your way out on your own proves difficult, and can lead to more distress and confusion. Maybe your struggling with a traumatic event/s or the root cause of your distress is unclear and that's ok, many individuals don't know. Do words like stuck, anxious, lonely, or depressed fill your thoughts, relationships with yourself and others feel strained? Are you using substances or alcohol to excess? Does your body hold tension or do you suffer with fibromyalgia, IBS, ulcers, fatigue, autoimmune issues, arthritis? This list could go on.... Our emotions cannot be denied, repressed or ignored for long, if not given a voice they will find other ways to manifest themselves. Psychotherapy can help to give this voice, understand and resolve what your facing.

I understand reaching out can be a big decision; I am committed to offering therapy in a safe, confidential environment, meeting you with respect, empathy, and valuing the individual you. A space where we can work together to promote life enhancement, with lasting solutions to what you face, enabling you to experience life and others in the fullest possible way for you.

I hold an MSc in Integrative Psychotherapy and Diploma in Clinical Supervision. I am a full clinical member of the UKCP and graduate member of SPTI. I adhere to all their ethical codes.

Making the decision to see a therapist can be one which takes a lot, and it is normal to feel nervous, it can also be a very positive one. Please read on to find out more about how I could help you.

What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy does differ to counselling, put simply counselling generally focuses on a specific problem or issue in the here and now. Counselling may offer advice supporting you within that specific issue. Psychotherapy offers the opportunity to work at a deeper level to address and resolve long standing issues, allowing for awareness of feelings and assumptions which shape the way you feel about yourself and others, and may cause negative patterns and repetitions in your life. This may be seen within the context of your whole life, including your earliest relationships and experiences, and the meaning these hold for you. Within this awareness comes liberation, a freedom from old patterns that at one point may have helped you but now are unhelpful or harmful.

The uniqueness of a therapeutic relationship means another being available to you who has no preconception of you or agenda. Instead I offer a safe space, being with you to explore, reflect, make connections, feel and understand. Within this safe relationship is a place where you can be heard, accepted and understood.

Therapy is a place where you can become the artist and creator of your life, where storms can pass, breakdowns can lead to breaking through and old wounds are allowed to heal.

What can Psychotherapy Help with?

We often develop creative ways of being to help regulate uncomfortable emotional states, hiding the unspoken pain, often from ourselves, compensating for needs which have not been met. Whilst a very clever strategy at the time of creation they often become harmful and may manifest as some of the ways described below, although these lists are not exhaustive;

Feelings of Stress or Anxiety, Not Coping

Panic attacks/Phobias

Relationship Issues

Unexplained Physical Symptoms

Addiction

Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress

Abuse

A Sense Something is Lacking in Life

No Sense of Belonging

Depression, A Sense of Emptiness

Low self-esteem or Confidence

Anger or Rage

Eating Disorders

Loneliness & Isolation

Identity - Who am I?

A Want to Understand Why Do I Do This, Why Does this Impact Me So Much?

Self Harm & Suicidal Ideation

How Can Psychotherapy Help?

"It is a Joy to be Hidden and a Disaster not to be Found" D.W. Winnicott

At first this quote may seem to make no sense yet I believe it talks to something innate within all of us, a deep truth. Feeling unknown, unseen, sometimes within plain sight can be both painful and comfortable, a clever strategy at one point in time that was found to be effective at taking care of ourselves. Yet just as the child's game of hide and seek goes on there is an ongoing realisation in the disaster of not being found. This disaster can show itself in many ways; addictions, anxiety, depression, psychosomatic symptoms, isolation, eating too much or not enough to name but a few. Working together within the safety of a therapeutic relationship enables this disaster to be halted, for you to know your story, the why do I? why does this happen to me? why do I feel/think this way? inclusive of all the chapters, no longer hidden, but connected to yourself and others.

Couples Therapy

Do you notice negative cycles in your relationship? Patterns of miscommunication, maybe blame, withdrawal. Does this lead to a place of anxiety, worry, further conflict and uncertainty?

Alongside an MSc in Integrative Psychotherapy I have also had the privilege of training alongside experts in the field of couples therapy. I integrate all of this knowledge, including cutting edge research around neuroscience, developmental and attachment theory which all dictate how we can relate to one another. Often struggles in relationships connect back to our earliest relational experiences and the meaning these hold for you.

I'll work with you to create and develop the supportive and close relationship you both want and need.

I believe with your desire and the right guidance you can rebuild your relationship.

Issues we can resolve together include;

Poor Communication

Infidelity

Repetitive Arguments

Sexual Issues

Loss of Emotional Connection

Conflict and Disagreements

Family Issues

Dealing with loss and illness

Couples can also access therapy to consider if their relationship is to continue, and, if not how to uncouple in a conscious and healthy way. Painful, destructive endings are often taken forward within both individuals and impact future well being and relationships.

These are just some examples, this list is not exhaustive.

Relationships

Relationships play a core role in our well being, and can bring us unbearable pain; both the relationship with ourselves and others. Do you notice repeating relational patterns? Do your relationships leave you feeling unsatisfied or confused inside. Maybe you notice patterns of withdrawal, feeling frozen or chaotic, anxiety, anger, fear of rejection, frustration. Maybe the relationship with yourself feels disconnected and your left with a lingering sense of who am I, or your trying your best to cope in a world that doesn't make much sense and some of these coping strategies have become unhealthy. Together we can explore and try out new ways of relating which are fulfilling, bringing you resilience, meaning and connection, a place where you can flourish.

Make better, healthier choices and Lasting Change

Working together I can help you gain greater insight into the difficulties you are facing, help you understand why you act or react to them the way you do, and see how you can start to make better, heathier choices moving forward. Together we can know the root cause of what your experiencing and facing. Rather than a quick fix solution, so often sought after, yet not with the desired results, psychotherapy does not confess to offer a magic wand. Rather a place where we can untangle your experiences and what you face; a place where wounds can heal. The emotional pain from the past no longer alive in the present day choices and experiencing, facilitating long lasting change. Entering therapy is not a decision to be taken lightly and one that requires commitment and participation from both client and therapist alike. An initial meeting together will give the opportunity to see if this is the right way forward for you.

My Approach

I believe in the uniqueness of human personality and experiences, not in a 'one size fits all' approach.

I draw from my varied experience and a blend of theories, allowing me to work with a therapy unique to the individual you. I integrate object relations, psychoanalytic self-psychology, neuroscience and aspects of humanistic psychology along with somatic experiencing, the integrating of the bodies story. The mind and body must be connected for full health and connection to both self and others, distressing physical symptoms may be related to trauma held in the body or repressed, avoided or denied emotions. Working with embodied physiological symptoms can be essential for moving towards health and healing old wounds. Our bodies often communicate an unknown part of our story.

I believe relationships, both current and historical play a key role in our well being. The relationship between you and I is an important one, that we fit and you feel comfortable working with me. Because of this I offer a free initial phone call which would last around 15 minutes to enable you to discuss with me what you feel comfortable to, and get a sense of me before an initial meeting is booked.

Qualifications & Further Training

Msc Integrative Psychotherapy from Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute & Stafford University. This took four years of in-depth study, clinical work and research, with all clinical work and research gaining distinctions. UKCP & BACP accredited.

PG Diploma Integrative Psychotherapy from Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute & Stafford University. UKCP & BACP accredited.

Diploma in Clinical Supervision - UKCP Reg Supervisor

Full Clinical Training - Couples Therapy - The Couples Institute - Dr's Bader & Pearson

Further Training -

Working with Complex Trauma, PTSD & Dissociation - Kathy Steele

Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors - Janina Fisher

Shame, Obsession & Habitual Worrying - Richard Erskine

Affect Confusion, Cumulative Trauma and Attachment Disruption; Psychotherapy for Borderline Disorders - Richard Erskine

A Masterclass - Psychotherapy of the Schizoid Process - Richard Erskine

I am a member of an International Supervision & Process Group with Richard Erskine

Re-Decision Therapy - Ian Stewart

Beyond Symptom; an Exploration of Addiction, Dependency & Connection - UKCP

Working with Boarding School Survivors - Karen Macmillan.

Area of Specialist Interest

I have a specialist interest in long standing complex issues, anxiety, depression, paranoia, self-harm, suicidal ideation, isolation and early relational trauma.

FAQ's

How much does it cost?

£60 per session for individuals, £70 for couples.

Supervision £60.

How long do sessions last and how many will I need?

Sessions last for 50 minutes. The number will be unique to each individual, dependent upon the complexity of what you face and the solutions you seek. Supervision sessions last for 60 minutes.

How often do we meet?

Regularity and continuity are important in our work together, as they give structure and a reliability to the therapy process. We will agree on a day and a time that suits you and then this will be set aside for you on a weekly basis. Sometimes I see individuals more often if required.

I require at least 48 hours notice for cancellation or the full fee is payable.

Get in touch

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how psychotherapy works, or to arrange an initial appointment. You can also call me on 07547 605004 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. Please be assured no one has access to my phone or the messages left on it.

I will always aim to return any messages as soon as possible, on week days within 24 hours.

I work from a peaceful, private room near Spilsby, overlooking woodland and greenery, and will provide location details when we arrange our initial meeting. Free parking is available.

Amy Mottram Psychotherapy, MSc, UKCP

Integrative Psychotherapist/Counsellor and Clinical Supervisor, Spilsby Lincolnshire. Easily accessible from Boston, Louth, Horncastle, Skegness, Lincoln and surrounding areas.