"No-Dig" Psychotherapy

Practically, and metaphorically as a therapist, I aim to be a no-dig gardener. 

No-dig gardeners care for the soil, and cause no harm to the delicate ecological systems in the soil. If we don't nourish the soil with compost then our garden cannot grow unless we use harsh, chemical fertilisers. Therapy is a natural way to grow.

If we don't have weeds, then there's nothing to make the compost with! No compost, no flowers!

In therapy, we will be able to identify your strengths i.e. your flowers, and help those to grow. We will also be able to identify some of the weeds i.e. the internal difficulties and challenges that are at the roots of your disharmony and distress. 

Usually these weeds have long roots into the deeper structures of the mind, so we work carefully to unroot them and give the flowers more space to grow. Once unrooted like this, the weeds will eventually transform into compost and become flowers. 

Also, remember weeds are beautiful in their own right. Just look at the resilience of the dandelion! And dandelions are great food for bees. Sometimes just changing how we look at something, can help us to value it instead of trying to get rid of it. Whilst we don't want weeds to overtake the entire garden, it is true that wild patches with dandelions, nettles, clover and comfrey boost the garden's eco-system and make great fertilisers for all the blooms we want to grow.