Our ethos & values
The word pathways was important for us as we think that therapy is always, in some way, about how to move forwards from the place we are in. And it is also important for us that there is not only one way to go forwards, but many. It is our job to help you get unstuck and create more possibilities for your life or lives moving forward.
The values that are important to us in practice are:
Care - we care! We are here to help and support- and look forward to celebrating your wins with you.
Collaboration- we work with you to establish your goals and what you would like to work towards!
Growth focus- while skills and techniques have their place, we believe that therapy can be transformative. We are also committed to our own growth and are always driven to improve our practice.
Social justice
In terms of social justice, we would like to acknowledge that all therapy is political.
What we mean by this, is that the way therapy is conducted is always taking a stance on issues. Therapists need to be aware of this and critically engaging with their approach. This is part of our ethical duty. For example, if someone comes to therapy due to discrimination, and is taught coping techniques and then discharged- this is taking a stance that it is the individual’s issue to deal with rather than a societal problem. Injustice needs to be acknowledged and the possibilities of how to address this needs to be explored- alongside talk of coping.
If you are meeting with a therapist claiming to be neutral, that means they are going along with the status quo.
Like all therapists, we have beliefs and ideas that underpin our work.
These are that:
- all identities and types of relationships deserve to be accepted and celebrated.
-we need to look at resisting and addressing oppression and discrimination, rather than thinking about coping as the first option.
-every person is happier in a world which is more just and fair.
-the health of our environment, and us, is reciprocal.
-violence is a social epidemic.
-kind, compassionate, curious and honest dialogue is the root of social and individual change.
We would like to reiterate that this is an underpinning- meaning we are not going to be raising macro level political or social justice issues, but rather this will shape our questioning and thinking. This will be more in some discussions than others.
