Maria Nulty

Clinical Psychologist

There are times in our lives when things are not working out well and we need help so that we can understand why we feel the way we do and in so doing learn to change what is preventing us from moving forward in a way which feels positive and meaningful. My role as a therapist is to help facilitate this process in a therapy space that is safe, caring and nurturing. My aim is to assist clients to understand and work with the challenges they face in order for them to become more empowered to take charge of their lives in an open and honest way.

My approach is essentially informed by psycho-dynamic principles. But I also take into account every client’s individual needs and use an integrated approach when required, including offering practical coping skills. I aim to identify and work with what it is that drives our feelings, thoughts and actions, which very often stems from underlying unconscious factors. This means that we are often not aware of our attitudes and behaviours and hence cannot change them. But through processing and understanding what lies beneath the surface, we can start to have more insight into what it is that is causing us to feel, think and act the way we do and to consciously make choices concerning how we want to live our lives.

People seek help from a psychotherapist for various reasons. Some of these include

• They may be feeling very low, unmotivated and depressed and want to find more meaning in their lives.
• They may be worried and stressed that things are not going well in their lives, and experience a lot of insecurity and anxiety, and even panic attacks.
• They may have gone through a very traumatic event, such as a robbery, a serious accident or illness, or abuse of some kind, and are experiencing emotional distress because of it.
• They may be finding it difficult to deal with their anger in a healthy way which could be affecting their personal, social or work relationships
• They may need help with resolving conflict or other problems in a relationship or within the family.
• They may be grappling with issues concerning their sexual health, be it in relationships or stemming from sexual identity issues.
• Or they may want to delve more deeply into understanding themselves better in order to achieve increased personal health and development.

During the first three sessions or so, I will spend time listening in detail about a person’s current problem/s and gaining background information. In order to get the most benefit from the therapy process it is generally best to meet once a week. A very important part of this journey is for the client to feel free to communicate openly and honestly with the therapist. Hence I strive to offer a warm, empathic and non-judgemental therapeutic alliance.

The length of the therapeutic journey depends on each person’s specific needs. Therapy is a process and it can take time to uncover what lies underneath the presenting problem/s. But no matter what the underlying issues are, therapy is a journey which requires commitment from both client and therapist.

Practice No: 0860010163171
HPCSA No:  PS0083658