Dorothy Thompsett

I specialise in short-term, focused sessions that help clients explore who they are if they strip away personality strategies, coping mechanisms and familiar roles. By delving into the unconscious using a variety of methods, clients can meet disowned or shadow parts of themselves. Engaging with these hidden aspects of self in a contained, supportive, non judgemental environment can support integration, fostering greater wholeness, aliveness and self-understanding.

I use a wide variety of creative and symbolic tools, tailored to each client:

Tarot cards – providing symbolic insight and reflection

Dream work and daydreams – decoding personal narratives

Song lyrics, film characters, literature – discovering projection and resonance

Collage, painting, drawing, art-making – externalising inner material visually

Sand tray, miniature figures – embodied storytelling and archetypes

Writing/journaling exercises – integrating insights into narrative form

Sessions are designed to be contained, safe, and meaningful, whether as a single deep-dive or a short block of sessions. I often work with clients who are curious, creative, and reflective, or who wish to complement ongoing therapy with focused exploration. My approach is collaborative, attuned, and adaptable, encouraging clients to engage at their own pace while fostering clarity, insight, and integration of discoveries into everyday life.

I am a counsellor and psychotherapist with a PhD in expressive arts, many years of running a successful private practice, post-graduate training in using the arts therapeutically, and undergraduate training in person-centred therapy. Before becoming a therapist, I worked as a professional artist and university lecturer, bringing creativity, imagination, and symbolic thinking into my practice.

I offer single sessions or short-term blocks of two to four sessions, depending on what feels right for you.

Single sessions (60 minutes) – ideal for exploring a specific question, meeting hidden or disowned parts of yourself, or reflecting on recurring patterns.

Four-session blocks – the first two sessions focus on exploration and insight, the final two on integration and reflection, helping you bring unconscious material into conscious understanding and everyday life.

Sessions can be scheduled weekly or bi-weekly, depending on your needs and the intensity of material. Each session is tailored to your interests and uses a variety of creative tools to explore unconscious material safely and meaningfully, including tarot, dreams, painting and drawing, art, movement, song, and guided reflection.

Whether you are looking to complement ongoing therapy, explore personal patterns, or engage in a short-term reflective experience, sessions are designed to be collaborative, safe, and transformative, supporting you in integrating hidden aspects of yourself and fostering a deeper sense of wholeness.