Hello and welcome,
I'm Siana, a psychotherapist based in Carrickfergus, near Belfast, offering integrative therapy in person and online.
How can therapy help you?
When people begin thinking about therapy, some key questions that often arise are:
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Is therapy right for me?
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Is this the right therapist for me?
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What might I actually gain from therapy?
Let’s start with where you want to be when you no longer feel you need therapy. Here are some examples which might ring true to you.
You might want to:
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feel genuinely happy in yourself and your ways of being in the world
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be able to actually relax rather than constantly feeling on edge
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have a clearer sense of direction or purpose
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navigate a significant life change
Is now the right time for therapy?
Perhaps you have circumstances you want to change
Or relationships that feel entangled or painful
Perhaps you feel caught in familiar situations that seem to repeat themselves, even when you’re trying to move forward
You might be burnt out or highly stressed
Maybe you are navigating a life transition
Or exploring issues related to your identity
Maybe you’re sick of running, striving, trying all the things
You may have already done some personal work but it’s time to go deeper
Or old wounds and pain you thought you'd pushed aside might be resurfacing
You mightn’t have the words
You might feel overwhelmed by emotions or you may not feel much of anything
You know you need to be seen and heard as you truly are (terrifying though that might feel)
You are serious about wanting meaningful and lasting change and have the time, space and willingness to commit
How I work
My approach to psychotherapy is integrative. This means I draw from several therapeutic traditions, including person centred, relational and creative therapy, Internal Family Systems / parts theory, and trauma-aware practice.
Rather than applying one fixed method, the work develops around you, your experiences, your pace, and what your nervous system can safely hold.
Therapy isn’t about “fixing” you or forcing change. It’s about understanding the patterns that have developed over time and exploring them with curiosity and compassion.
Many people find that through this process they begin to feel more grounded, more able to make choices, and more connected to themselves and others.
Offerings
You might be interested in learning a little more about the different areas of my therapeutic focus to see whether they feel aligned with what you’re looking for.
IFS
"A part of me thinks ... another part of me wonders ..." If this is you and you're open to the idea of working with your "parts" IFS might be a good fit.
IFS is based on the idea that aspects of ourselves get "stuck" or weighed down in certain roles.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is essentially a relationship which provides a secure base for change to happen.
As a therapist, I'm often described as down to earth and "real". No blank or neutral communication here! I'm curious by nature and genuinely interested in people and how wonderfully diverse and complex we all are.
I'm also excited about how neuroscience in recent years has been able to conceptualise what we see and hear about in therapy every week - those magical moments when things shift and old habitual patterns become unstuck. Or when a spiky traumatic memory loses its charge and literally reconsolidates in a different area of the brain.
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Jungian Sandplay
This is a gentle, non verbal approach which can affect powerful change on a deep level often inaccessible to our "thinking" minds.
The sandplay process is rooted in the psychological theories of Carl Jung.
Circles
The Circle format has been around for a very long time. Consider how our ancestors in pretty much every ancient culture of the world used to gather around a fire! These were multi-generational spaces where people shared their lives. They also marked significant rites of passage, grieved together, celebrated success. Often there was an element of ritual or ceremony, bringing a "specialness" to the space. It was so ordinary in its familiarity yet "other" in the comfort, connection and belonging it offered.
Have we forgotten what we used to know?
Circles are mutual spaces where we both offer and receive attentive listening and compassion. There is "room" for everyone to be seen and heard and for great depth to be held within each Circle.
Supervision
Are you looking for a supervision experience which is a little bit - or a lot! - different?
Maybe you have a niche you are developing, a particular client group you want to learn more about, maybe you are training in one of the approaches I use ... or maybe you are simply curious and want to see what would emerge if you allowed yourself to step outside the norm?
Neurodiversity
I'm neurodivergent myself (autistic, ADHD, highly sensitive)
I love co-creating and re-imagining the therapy space with fellow neurodivergent people. Many come to me at various stages on their journeys of self discovery and may be unlearning deficit based identifications and self concepts. As traditional therapy settings and "norms" have often been unhelpful for us, my desire is to offer a space which is neurodivergence affirming and celebratory at its core. SPINS and stims are welcome and encouraged; eye contact and sitting in chairs opposite each other is rather rare and we do actually often smile and enjoy the connection we share!
How to start therapy
If it feels like there could be a good fit, you are very welcome to reach out and we can arrange an initial conversation.There are no expectations or commitments at that stage. The purpose of an introductory conversation is simply to see whether working together feels right for both of us.
My practice is based in Carrickfergus, around 12 miles from Belfast in Northern Ireland, and I also offer therapy online via Zoom.
