10 Questions with Fenella Hansen

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

• It was something I had always considered, but initially I went down the IT path. After the death of my Mother I decided to pursue becoming a counsellor. I'd always been interested in what makes humans act and react the way they do, so studying it was fascinating.

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

• The works of Socrates, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche have always drawn me in. Simone de Beauvoir is also great for her activism and feminist works. Judith Butlers' works on gender have also been highly influential.

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

• I have a keen interest in trauma and how it manifests in both the body and the mind. I am also fascinated by medical traumas as these are less studied and spoken about. I have had my own experiences of PTSD from medical trauma and I found at the time that there was not much information around it. I believe my lived experience puts me in an unique position, I have experienced both side of the journey - as a therapist and as a client myself. Leading on from this, I have done a lot of work with chronic illnesses and how trauma is often linked to these.
  I also have an interest in sexuality, kink, non monogamy, LGBTIQ+ issues, having worked as a sex therapist for a number of years.
  
  

• What method/s do you use?

• I promote a trauma informed approach, with a focus on somatic (body based) therapies. I have trained in many areas including CBT, ACT, DBT, Person-Centred, Somatic Therapy & Trauma-Informed Therapy. I have completed my Trauma Centre Trauma Sensitive Yoga training and I am also trained in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).
  
  I practice in Collaborative, Strengths-Based, Trauma Informed and Recovery Focused Models. I believe in a holistic approach to therapy, looking at what each client needs and adapting my therapy to assist them the best.

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

• That really depends on the presenting issue. Sometimes just taking that initial step and talking to someone can be progress, other times it can take a number of sessions. It isn't a one size fits all process.

• How has therapy made you a better person?

• Therapy has helped me to grow and flourish. It has allowed me to examine who I am and how I became this person and to work on the aspects of my own life that I felt needed attention. Therapy has allowed me to become more empathetic, less judgmental and more open to how our experiences can shape our worlds.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

• I think it's wonderful that people can trust me enough to share intimate stories of their lives and to collaborate with them to assist with making meaningful change. I have met people from all walks of life, in all situations. From inmates in prisons, dying individuals in palliative care, survivors of institutional sexual abuse, each person has a unique story to tell and I feel privileged to be able to hold space for them.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

• All the time! No one is perfect 100% of the time and being open about this with my clients allows them to connect to me as a human, rather than me being seen as someone who has all the answers and all the power.

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

• Currently I think that mental health issues are not getting the attention or funding they need. I think trauma needs to be more widely recognised and a trauma informed lens should be used on most aspects of life. I also think that a holistic approach to mental health issues makes a significant difference, rather than trying to force someone to use an approach that may not work or be relevant to them.

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

• BOOKS
  The Body Keeps the Score - Bessel van der Kolk
  Waking the Tiger - Peter A Levine
  Sex Outside the Lines: Authentic Sexuality in a Sexually Dysfunctional Culture - Dr Chris Donaghue
  
  MUSIC
  Works by Hybrid, Henry Saiz, Underworld, Tool, The Presets, RATM, Massive Attack to name a few. My musical tastes are eclectic, with a heavy leaning towards electronic and 90's grunge!