Elisabeth Bowen MBACP

About me

I am an experienced psychodynamic counsellor. I trained at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in London and at a BACP accredited Training Centre in Kent. Besides my private practice I work at a counselling centre for adults in Tunbridge Wells and at Burrswood Health and Wellbeing in Groombridge. I also work as a tutor at a Training Centre for Counsellors.

• What is psychodynamic counselling? Psychodynamic counselling focuses on unconscious thought processes that have become manifest in the present life. Together we will reflect on early life experiences and beliefs to gain insight into your present day problems. The goal of psychodynamic counselling is your increased self-awareness and understanding of the influence of the past on your present life.

• Why explore the unconscious? We all like to keep painful feelings, memories or experiences in the unconscious and have developed defence mechanisms like denial or repression to keep them there.  Whilst our defence mechanisms often work for many years we may suddenly find ourselves confronted with challenges where our usual coping mechanisms no longer work. We might blame others, but more often we blame ourselves and feel increasingly at odds with ourselves, questioning our self worth. Such self blame and internal conflict can be painful and destructive not only to ourselves, but also to the relationships in our family or to professional relationships at work.

My practice offers a place where you can talk freely about things that are troubling you. Together we can explore the cause of these. Reflecting on early experiences and significant events in your life helps you understand the root of thinking or behavioural patterns. The exploration and understanding of unhelpful thinking patterns will enable you to gradually make changes and to live a truer and more fulfilled life.

How can you contact me? It may feel daunting to speak with a counsellor for the first time, but if you phone me we can discuss what is troubling you and how counselling can help you. If I cannot answer my phone you can leave a message and I will call you back or you can send an email with your contact details and the best time to call you. When we speak on the phone we can arrange to meet at a mutually convenient time.

What happens next? Our first meeting will be an opportunity for us to speak about what is troubling you in some more detail and for me to explain to you how I work and how counselling can help you. If we both feel that counselling will benefit you we will agree a day and a time for us to meet on a weekly basis.