Mr Michael Grunwald

A conversation with Michael Grunwald

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

  I studied General Psychology in my undergraduate degree, specialising later in Work & Organisational Psychology during my time abroad, with a real focus on Cross-Cultural Psychology. However, my interest and passion for counselling/psychotherapy emerged from our family's decision to adopt a baby girl from Asia and I began to prepare for dealing with the trauma experience she would bring with her into our lives. This inevitably led me to also examine my own family of origin and attachment history.

• What methods do you use?

  Whilst primarily person-centred and strength-based in my approach to therapy, I am is also trained in and incorporate elements of Narrative Therapy, Existential Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Family and Relationship Counselling and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). I have a good understanding of the psychobiological foundations underlying our thoughts, emotions and behaviours, often providing clients with simple yet effective methods for reducing acute symptoms, modifying ways of thinking and developing more functional behaviours. My counselling and therapy approach focuses on harnessing clients' proven strengths, abilities, knowledge, skills and motivation as a platform for discovering new directions and meaning in their lives.

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

  I would like to think that my clients feel that some form of 'progress' has been made from the very first session. As a person-centred, strengths-based practitioner I am a strong believer in the power of the client-counsellor relationship, i.e. the client's experience of being truly heard and rediscovering hope that their life and well-being will improve.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  The ability to help people feel better, often by simply being there for them - listening, supporting and normalising there psychological distress can be incredibly comforting and soothing. This in turn allows them to examine the situation, themselves, significant others and their options with greater clarity and emotional stability in order to make life-changing decisions - that might actually involve only small changes in the way they think, act or feel. In addition I find it really rewarding to be able to provide clients with new and insightful resources (books, videos) that help them on their life journey - alone and with others.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  I don't think I have 'bad hair days' (I don't have enough of it anymore), but I certainly believe in the concept of optimal and suboptimal client-counsellor fit. I think that it is important for either or both parties to recognise if the match just doesn't feel right, be it due to transference, modality, skill or personality issues. In such cases the client should be referred to someone else. The same applies if a client is not seeing the progress they seek and a discussion with their therapist does not result in the desired change.

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

  Global warming and our inability to motivate decision-makers to take appropriate action with a long-term outlook, regardless of the exact cause of the problem.

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

  'The Brain that Changes Itself' by Norman Doidge as it provides clear proof that under the right circumstances each of us can harness our brain's plasticity to change the way our brain and mind operate and hence the way we are in the world.