Strong emotions like depression, anxiety and anger are at the route of why so many people seek help from GPs, counsellors, psychotherapists or clinical psychologists. At any one time, millions of people in the UK suffer from the negative effects of these emotions.

Any one of us could find ourselves emotionally distressed if our essential needs were not being met and the innate resources we posses had been damaged or were being misused. Emotional distress can manifest itself in many different ways, such as depression, addictive and compulsive behaviour, eating disorders, anxieties, and phobias.

As a Human Givens psychotherapist I support clients by offering practical help to manage emotional and mental distress.  I use evidence-based techniques to help clients explore their un-met emotional needs as swiftly as possible depending on circumstances, without requiring a long-term commitment to therapy.

The term Human Givens refers to the emotional needs and resources we are all born with. They are our essential biological and emotional needs, and the innate resources that we have evolved in order to fulfil them.

• The need for security
• The need for intimacy and friendship
• The need to give and receive attention
• The need for a sense of autonomy and control
• The need to feel connected to others and be part of a wider community
• The need for privacy
• The need to recognise our competencies and achievements
• The need for a sense of status, meaning and purpose

• Imagination
• Curiosity
• The ability to build a rapport
• Memory and the ability to forget
• Our ability to problem solve
• Understanding through metaphor
• Self awareness
• A dreaming brain
• Resilience
• Empathy
• A rational as well as an emotional brain