Priscilla Schwartzman

A conversation with Priscilla Schwartzman

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

  I’ve always been drawn to people’s stories. The moments that shape us, challenge us, and gently call us back to who we are. Over time, I found myself naturally listening, mentoring, and holding space for others in ways that felt meaningful and grounding.
  
  Through my own personal therapy and inner work, I came to understand how powerful it can be to have a place where you feel seen, heard, and supported without needing to have everything worked out.
  
  I didn’t step into this profession overnight. It unfolded gradually, alongside two decades of leadership and mentoring, and a growing desire to work in a way that felt more aligned and purposeful. Becoming a therapist wasn’t a career change so much as a return to something that had been quietly forming in me for years.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  My practice is grounded in Gestalt Therapy, which has shaped the way I meet clients with presence, curiosity, and attention to what is unfolding in the here and now. I’m drawn to its relational nature and its emphasis on awareness and choice, without rushing toward solutions.
  
  Somatic-informed principles also influence my work, supporting clients to notice what their bodies may be holding beneath thoughts or words. When additional structure or clarity is helpful, I gently integrate CBT- and DBT-informed tools in a practical, supportive way.
  
  At its core, my approach is informed by humanistic and existential ideas, recognising that many of us are navigating questions of meaning, identity, and belonging. Therapy becomes a space to explore these themes safely and at your own pace, and to notice what can emerge through awareness and connection.
  
  At its core, my approach is informed by humanistic and existential ideas, recognising that many of us are navigating questions of meaning, identity, and belonging. Therapy becomes a space to explore these themes safely and at your own pace, and to notice what can emerge through awareness and connection.

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

  I’m drawn to the quieter turning points in people’s lives, the moments when someone begins to sense that the way they’ve been coping no longer quite fits. This often shows up around burnout, perimenopause, identity shifts, emotional overwhelm, or a growing sense of disconnection. I’m interested in what becomes possible when we pause long enough to notice these signals and explore who we are beneath the roles we’ve carried.
  
  Much of my interest centres on self-acceptance and self-support, and the gentle practice of staying with our experience rather than pushing it aside. I’m curious about how people make meaning during times of change, how they relate to themselves when life feels uncertain, and how awareness can open space for choice, clarity, and compassion.
  
  I’m particularly interested in emotional wellbeing, relationship patterns, and the mind–body connection, especially during seasons when life feels full or quietly fragile. My focus is on supporting people through change with presence and care, not by rushing toward solutions, but by paying attention to what is emerging and what is asking to be met.

• What methods do you use?

  My work is grounded in Gestalt Therapy, which focuses on building awareness in the present moment and exploring the patterns, beliefs, and relational dynamics that shape your experience. Rather than following a fixed method, I respond to what is emerging for you in each session and what feels most supportive at the time.
  
  Alongside Gestalt, I draw on somatic awareness to gently include the body in our work, as well as CBT- and DBT-informed tools when they offer helpful structure, grounding, or clarity. These approaches can support emotional understanding, steadier nervous system responses, and practical shifts that feel manageable in everyday life.
  
  Whether we’re paying attention to emotions, body cues, or thought patterns, my intention is to offer a collaborative and supportive space that honours your pace and supports you to reconnect with what matters most.

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

  Many people notice small but meaningful shifts even within the first few sessions, simply from being supported, heard, and no longer carrying everything on their own. Progress can show up quietly at first, as a softening, a sense of relief, or feeling more present with your own thoughts and emotions.
  
  Over time, progress often looks like greater self-awareness and choice. You might notice yourself pausing instead of reacting, recognising your needs more clearly, setting boundaries with more ease, or responding to situations in ways that feel kinder and more aligned. Rather than quick fixes, the focus is on building clarity, self-trust, and a steadier relationship with yourself, so changes feel sustainable and meaningful in everyday life.

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  Therapy gave me something I didn’t realise I needed: a space where I didn’t have to hold everything together. For much of my life, I learned to be capable, attentive, and tuned in to others. I could read the room, support those around me, and keep going, even when it came at a cost to myself. Beneath that strength was a quiet disconnection from my own feelings and needs.
  
  By my twenties, the strain began to surface. I felt anxious, depleted, and unsure how to make sense of what was happening inside me. Therapy didn’t offer quick answers, but it offered something far more meaningful: a place where I could slow down and simply be. I didn’t have to perform or manage anything. I was met with presence and care, and that steadiness made a difference.
  
  Over time, I began to hear myself again. I learned to notice what I was feeling, understand the patterns shaping my life, and respond with more honesty and compassion. It wasn’t always easy, but it was grounding. That process became a pathway back to myself.
  
  That experience now informs how I sit with others in therapy. I don’t aim to fix or advise, but to offer a space where people can be met with care, curiosity, and respect. A space where you don’t need to be anything other than who you are, and where that is enough to begin.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  I love getting to know people in a way that feels real and human. It’s a privilege to be invited into someone’s inner world, to hear their story and sit with the honesty, vulnerability and courage that often stays hidden in everyday life.
  
  Through the journey of therapy, I also love seeing people grow, navigate life with a little more ease, or begin relating to themselves in new and gentler ways. There is something deeply moving about witnessing someone soften into their truth, make sense of their patterns, or take a step that once felt impossible. Being part of that process is profoundly humbling.
  
  What unfolds in the therapeutic space reminds me why I do this work. Supporting people as they reconnect with themselves feels less like a job and more like a calling. It is meaningful, grounding and something I feel grateful for every day.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  Yes, absolutely. I still have days where I feel unsure or question myself. Old patterns can surface, especially when I’m tired or under stress. There are moments when I feel disconnected or hear that familiar inner voice suggesting I should be further along or doing more.
  
  The difference now is how I relate to those moments. They don’t define me in the way they once did. I notice them sooner and respond with more kindness, whether that’s slowing down, offering myself care, or reaching out for support. Being a therapist doesn’t mean having everything worked out. It means being human, staying aware, and continuing to show up with honesty and compassion, again and again.

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

  Disconnection from ourselves, from each other, from nature, and from what truly matters feels like one of the most significant challenges of our time. Many of the struggles people bring into therapy, such as burnout, anxiety, relationship strain, and a sense of emptiness, often trace back to feeling cut off from their needs, values, and sources of meaning or joy. We’re encouraged to keep going, meet expectations, and perform, often at the expense of listening to ourselves.
  
  When that inner connection is lost, it becomes difficult to feel grounded, and harder still to relate to others with care and authenticity. I see therapy as one gentle way of turning back toward ourselves, noticing what has been overlooked or silenced, and beginning to show up in the world in ways that feel more real, compassionate, and aligned.

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

  Vincent van Gogh is my favourite artist. It’s difficult to choose a single piece, as his entire body of work continues to move me. His paintings express feeling beyond words, holding pain, longing, and beauty in a way that feels honest, raw, and deeply human. There is an intensity in each brushstroke, a reaching toward understanding and connection.
  
  I was born in Amsterdam and have visited the Van Gogh Museum many times. Each visit reminds me of the power of expression, and how art can hold emotion with both truth and tenderness, without needing to explain or resolve it.
  
  That perspective sits at the heart of how I approach therapy. I aim to create a space where emotions can be met safely, explored with care, and allowed to become meaningful, rather than something to be fixed or hidden.
  This perspective sits at the heart of my work at Rising Phoenix Counselling: creating a space where emotions can be met safely, explored with care and transformed into meaning and connection.