Rhys Hawkins

I currently have availability for online and phone based work - usually on Mondays and Wednesday mornings. 

I’m an Integrative Experiential Psychotherapist, which means I don’t believe there’s a one-size-fits-all way to do therapy. Instead, I work collaboratively with you to find an approach that actually fits how you experience yourself and your world.

My approach looks to integrate all the different parts of you - get them talking to each other, understanding each other, and eventually working together. 

Rather than asking 'What do you think about that?'

..I prefer to explore with you: 'How does it feel when we experience things in that way together?' 

My style is relational (based in our growing relationship), experiential (based in our shared experiences), and grounded in curiosity about who you are in session when we're exploring together.

I’m not interested in offering quick fixes. Instead - we can go at your pace to be with your feelings, play and explore together, and listen to what your body has to say. 

Together, through listening to your body, talking things through, and using creative techniques, I hope we can understand what’s really going on beneath the surface in your mind, and help you grow for the better. 

How I Work...

As a loose guide I use the principles of 'Meet - Connect - Grow' 

Meet - we get to know each other, and discover / hone what you need. 

Connect - we build a strong working relationship - you start to feel safer to be yourself in the therapy space. 

Grow - we put into action what we learn along the way, moving in the directions we've agreed on and work on the aims you've chosen. 

Alongside a safe, light-hearted and warm conversation, I often draw on:

• Metaphor and imagery to make sense of complex inner experiences
• Body awareness to help you tune into what’s being held physically, not just with your thinking mind 
• Creativity and doing things together to explore things that can’t always be put into words

I like to see our therapeutic relationship as a safe, non judgemental and intensive 'template' - which we can branch out to how you relate to yourself and others. 

I approach difference and intersectionality with honour and respect. As a white, cis-gendered, heteronormative presenting man, and as a member of the neurodiverse community myself, I welcome you into the therapy as a person of colour, a member of the trans community, someone who is also neurodiverse, older, disabled, LGBTQIA+ and/or other. 

I aim to offer a space that is:

• grounded but not rigid (I use aims as a compass for us both)
• exploratory but not overwhelming (We go at your pace - you are in control)
• supportive without being passive (Gentle challenge is sometimes necessary)

What I Can Help With

I work with a range of experiences, including:

• Anxiety and overwhelm
• Depression and low mood
• Self-worth and confidence
• Relationship difficulties
• Bereavement and loss
• ADHD and neurodivergence
• College and university-related challenges
• Trauma and its ongoing impact
• Gender identity and questions around sex and sexuality

You don’t need to fit neatly into a category to come to therapy. Often, people arrive with a sense that something just isn’t quite right and that’s more than enough. 

Working with me starts with a quick 15 minute phone-call. Hearing each others' voices can help us get a feel for how each other works and helps you to start to feel emotionally held and understood. If we agree I may be a right fit for you - we then move onto an assessment session. 

In our assessment session - we take slightly longer online or on the phone to build a picture of your childhood, relationships, strengths, difficulties and needs. I start to make sense of what you might need and how we can create this together. 

We use our assessment sessions and phone-call to set some loose aims for our work. We ask: why do I want therapy at this time? 

How will I know it's 'working' for me? 

What do I want and need from it?

First sessions then involve me working hard to help you feel safe, contained and comfortable with me in session, and we begin to connect - before we move onto focusing on the aims and goals of our work. 

As with all my work - we may use talking, meditation, tuning into your body, drawing, journaling and more when and if you need these.