My name is Vicki Bowker and I’m a pluralistic psychodynamic therapist. I specialise in working with women experiencing menstrual health issues such as endometriosis and fibroids. I also have a very keen interest in working with people to explore their dating and romantic relationship issues and patterns.

What does this mean?

Being a pluralistic therapist, I am trained in a variety of therapeutic approaches – Psychodynamic, CBT and Humanistic / Person-Centred. This means that I tailor our sessions to your needs, and this might change each session. Sometimes you may want the space to just talk and be in the here and now, other times we may delve into the past and look at how your experiences have shaped and affected you. 

My predominant approach is person-centred. Within this approach you have the space to really explore your thoughts, feelings, beliefs and behaviours. Person-Centred therapy assumes that you are the expert of yourself, so we delve into how you see yourself and the world around you. A beautiful result of this approach is that you get to know and understand yourself on a deeper level. 

Alongside this, I work a lot with psychodynamic approaches. This is where we explore your past, be it early childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, and see how your experiences have impacted you, particularly in the way of your defence and coping mechanisms. One particular theory I really enjoy working with is attachment theory, especially in a dating and relationships context, helping people to explore and understand the repeated patterns and frustrations they experience, so they can move into a more fulfilling and secure way of dating.

CBT is then seamlessly intertwined into these approaches, where we look at your thought process to untangle, challenge and reframe. 

However we approach any session, you will always be in control.

How long does the process take?

There is no right or wrong length of time for therapy. The process takes as long as feels right for you. Only you know how much you want to explore and work through, and to what depth. For some clients, it may take a few months to explore issues, for others, it may take a few years. The work I do is open-ended, which gives you the choice and flexibility to continue with therapy for as long as you feel you need to. 

How will I know where to start?

As with everything in therapy, this is completely your choice. You may instinctively know where you want to start, other times you may want a bit of guidance. You can bring whatever you like to therapy – nothing is too big or too small – and use the time however you like.

How would we start unpacking issues?

Sometimes you may know exactly where and when you want to start to unpack issues, and other times you may want to have a little guidance. Unpacking issues will be a gentle process, particularly around the issues which feel harder to unpick, so we will always go at your pace. I’ll check if you’re ready to start unpacking certain issues, and also check in with you throughout to ensure that you’re feeling comfortable – keeping you emotionally safe in the therapy room is my priority. If you’re feeling uncomfortable, we can move the conversation on to something which feels more comfortable. The one thing I always say is to be kind to yourself in therapeutic work!

Get in touch if you’d like to work with me. I’m here to help.