10 Questions with Duda Baldwin

• What led you to choose psychotherapy or counselling as a profession?

• Since I was a young girl I was drawn to human behaviour, spirituality and social psychology. I went on to study sociology in Europe, where I am originally from, as it gave me a broad education on both social behaviour and psychological aspect of individuals. I later trained as a counsellor and psychotherapist.
  As a person, I have always been the go-to girl for my friends and colleagues when overcoming challenges.
  
  Having overcome depression, trauma, and anxiety myself, I had a keen interest in using my lived experience and combine it with my formal training to support others facing similar life challenges.
  I believe that the purpose of life is to get to know ourselves and live authentically. There is no better pace to start then therapy and self-reflection.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional/personal development?

• I have been influenced in my personal and professional life by the Stoic philosophy and Tibetan Buddhism. I personally practice both but do not call myself religious, rather spiritual.
  I have been raised and educated in Christianity as well. Part of my studies involved philosophy and ethics.
  

• Which particular aspects of health or the human journey are you interested in?

• There is no particular aspect of the human journey that I would point out. What I would point out is the attitude towards challenges that I am keenly interested in.
  We all face challenges, but what differentiates us is the the attitude how we overcome them. An obstacle can be either seen as an hindrance or it can be seen as a challenge to become an expended version of what we are today.
  I am very much drawn to clients who want to dig deep to get to the root cause as quickly as possible in order to understand their own drivers for the choices and behaviour and then decide in which manner they would want to continue.

• What method/s do you use?

• I use an eclectic approach as no person is the same. There is no one fit all model.
  I am trained in a number of approaches and I adjust them to my clients' unique needs.
  I often tap into REBT, CBT, ACT, Buddhist psychotherapy, Mindfulness and always with a trauma informed approach, even existentialism. We all experienced trauma (small to big) and most of us aren't aware that we haven't resolved them, however they manifest in our emotional reactivity and often cause problems in our relationships.
  

• When do you think the client will start to feel that progress is being made?

• My clients often feel elevated and more aware of the underlying causes of their distress after the first session. As my therapy is an active process in which clients commit to do the work, they see results as soon as they get home. As they describe it: "I could feel a shift and things started to make more sense."
  Progress is incremental but significant. It gives client hope at times of doubt.
  Deeper work and more long-term progress is often felt between the 3rd and 6th session.
  The same goes for couple therapy and family sessions.

• How has therapy made you a better person?

• I personally attend therapy when needed and it always helped me finding clarity when I doubted my own experience and perspectives. I personally seek a therapist who can challenge my ego and my judgements/perspectives. This has made me a more tolerant and patient person and most certainly more forgiving to myself.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

• Clients bring their own stories and wisdom with them. I am humbled to be trusted to guide them at times when they are most vulnerable.
  In addition, this work requires me to constantly develop in both my professional and personal life and I am thrilled to continuously learn.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

• Totally having a few "bad hair" days. I learnt to be kind to myself and not to beat myself up.
  I am a therapists who likes to share my own flaws with clients in order to create a space of two equals, where they feel like there is nothing "wrong with them" and their self-esteem is elevated as a consequence.

• What do you think is the most significant problem we face, in the world today?

• There are a number of new issues but the old issues that existed for thousands of years are still not resolved.
  Greed and selfishness have led to constant overload in consumerism (excess) and building a (false) reputation. This puts many people under enormous pressure and most of my clients feel they aren't being themselves due to these pressures.
  Loneliness is another big issues, amplified by over-usage of social media and lack of social face to face contact.
  I would like to see more solidarity and compassion amongst humans, wether that's in our families, friendships or workplace.

• Can you share the name of a book, film, song, event or work of art that inspires you?

• BOOKS:
  As a book addict (and writer) I cannot single out a book. I have hundreds of books on my bookshelf that I share with clients in sessions.
  SONGS:
  Previously a professional singer, the same goes for songs, however "My Way" would sum up the need for authentic living that comes up in my clients sessions as one of their major concerns. I love classical music and Rachmaninov Piano Concerto 3 is my favourite piece of music.
  TRAVEL:
  Travelling inspires me the most. I have been a digital nomad for 10 years running my private practice and have traveled to over 50 destinations and counting.