Lisa Stimpson

I offer a free initial 30 minute telephone consultation to explore whether therapy is for you, or to discuss details of a programme of nature-based anxiety & wellbeing groups. 

Hello and welcome to my page. 

As well as a general introduction, my page consists of 3 sections relating to:

- Individual psychotherapy (indoors or nature-based)

- Couples counselling

- Nature-based group workshops focusing on anxiety & wellbeing

Please scroll to the relevant area. 

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

I am a UKCP accredited psychotherapist, a couples counsellor, EMDR practitioner, eco-therapy & mindfulness coach and group facilitator, with 25 years experience in mental health and wellbeing.  

MY APPROACH

I provide a safe, confidential, non-judgemental space for you to express and explore whatever you are struggling with.  My friendly and relaxed environment is a place you can be listened to and supported to learn valuable skills for dealing with difficult thoughts, emotions and behaviour patterns.    My personal style as a therapist is interactive, coaching on how the brain and nervous system work and applying tools and practices that lead to greater self awareness and self acceptance.   Where needed, I offer EMDR to deal with trauma.  My approach integrates head (thinking / beliefs), heart (feelings, meaning, purpose) and body (sensations, trauma release, intuition).

Developments in brain science are exciting and positive: Our brains CAN be rewired from negativity loops to balance and resilience.

Psychotherapy for Individuals

Session length:

1 hour (in therapy room) or 2 hour "deeper dive" session outdoors in nature

How I Work

a) Understanding Our Different Parts, Thinking Patterns & Core Beliefs 

It is common to think we are "one personality".  In fact, we have multiple different parts, many of which developed in early life.   These young parts significantly contribute feelings of stress, insecurity and not fulfilling our potential.

An analogy:  We are like a bus, with lots of different passengers (our different parts) and with one passenger driving the bus at a time (the one who we are presently identified with).  A different trigger can cause a different passenger to take over the driving seat.

Have you ever noticed that a different part of you has “taken over” in certain circumstances?   The way these parts responded to life situations may once have been intelligent ways to survive when young, but they can often get in the way when we are adults.    It is an important stage in our development when we become conscious of who our various “passengers” are and to choose which aspect of Self we want to lead the way in our life.  Therapy can help us to let go of our adaptations and start to allow more authentic aspects of our nature to emerge.   We can also discover our "Essential Self" that holds the inner knowing, awareness, wisdom and kindness that exists within us all.   We access this through heart connection, which all too often is blocked by painful life experiences. 

b) Releasing Painful Feelings.  Trying to escape emotional pain (through addictions or distractions or repression) actually keeps it alive in you.  I offer techniques that help you to gently connect with the feeling sensations experienced in the body which allows the body to dissolve them.   

c) Creating A Meaningful Life.  As you step away from a sense of limitation and connect with your "Essential Self", important questions emerge:  What do you want your life to be about? What is important to you? What do you want more of ? What are your values?  What gives your life purpose?  These more existential and spiritual aspects of the work can be deeply satisfying, creative and expansive.  

THERAPY IN NATURE - 2 HOUR "DEEPER DIVE"  

Many of us are over-worked, over-loaded and over-stimulated.  Being in nature offers a soothing, calming, re-balancing backdrop for your therapeutic process.  The beauty and stillness can allow us more readily to drop into a heart space.  This is the optimum place from which to gently uncover and release feelings that may have been suppressed and to reclaim who we really are outside of our conditioning. 

The longer session allows us the time to explore more deeply and incorporate mindfulness and presence into the process.  This 2 hour session may be used every other week to make it more financially accessible.  

These sessions take place in a beautiful woodland in Forest Row and I also have a mobile therapy room nearby should we need to continue indoors.  

Scientific Research on the Benefits of Being in Nature: 

A wide body of research points to the many health benefits of being in nature:  In a study of 20,000 people, a team led by Mathew White of the European Centre for Environment & Human Health at the University of Exeter, found that people who spent two hours a week in green spaces — local parks or other natural environments, either all at once or spaced over several visits — were substantially more likely to report good health and psychological well-being than those who don’t. Two hours was the time specified to make a difference.  

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EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing)

Most people have experienced trauma (anything that was overwhelming) at some point in their lives.  EMDR is a quick and effective non-talking method of desensitising traumatic memories.   

EMDR therapy can be used to treat a wide range of emotional and psychological issues, including:   

* Anxiety and panic attacks

*  Depression

* Phobias

* Childhood trauma

* Addiction

* Chronic pain

* Self-esteem issues 

EMDR replicates REM sleep and serves to "deactivate" emotions that still have an emotional charge.  The therapy is based on the principle that the brain has a natural ability to heal itself and that when we experience traumatic events, the natural healing process can become disrupted. EMDR therapy helps to reprocess these traumatic memories and restore the brain's natural healing process, leading to lasting relief from symptoms.  It also allows our thinking and belief systems to become more "adaptive" and positive.  

COUPLES COUNSELLING

You may be experiencing ongoing conflict in your relationship, a breakdown in communication, a breach of trust, or just a slow decline in your sense of intimacy.

It is important to understand what is driving the conflicts in your relationship.  In relationships we all long to feel that our partner is really there for us, to have our backs, support us and be available for us when we need them.  As humans we are hardwired to need this.   When it is not there we feel anger, stress, hurt and disconnection.  Often our attempts to address this come in the form of attack or criticism which only fuels the disconnection.

In couples therapy we explore how our history and relationship experiences are impacting our partnerships in the present.  Being in a relationship can reactivate old wounds from childhood and often we are influenced by the relationship dynamics we witnessed in our parents.

We also have differences in our values or ways of communicating which can drive rifts between us. When we try to communicate about our needs but end up feeling misunderstood.  A vital aspect of couples therapy is learning how to listen to our partner.

My role is to mediate and bring clarity and openness to help you develop a deep understanding of each other and explore how to communicate in a more effective way.

2024 SUMMER PROGRAMME OF NATURE-BASED WORKSHOPS

Run by Natureways-Therapy (a CIC of which I am a co-founder, director & facilitator)

Releaf: Understanding & Alleviating Anxiety (series of 4 workshops)

Set in a beautiful woodland, seated around a central fire, Re:leaf is a series of Monday morning workshops combining the healing benefits of being in nature,  mindfulness,  brain education, therapeutic support .  Participants will learn about the brain, learn how to create a sense of safety & take away a toolkit of strategies for mastering anxiety.

Dates: Summer Course: Mondays July 1st, 8th,15th , 22nd 
Time 12.45 - 2.45pm
Location: Twyford Farm, Twyford Lane, RH17 7DJ
Cost: Free (National Lottery funded)

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I hope this has given you the information you need.  Thanks again for reading my page and I am happy to have a no-obligation chat with you to discuss how I can help.

I wish you all the best for your well-being and growth.

Lisa

Individual Counselling

1 hour session:  £90

2 hour session:  £180

Couples Counselling

75 minutes: £110

I have a waiting list for 2 reduced cost sessions