Sebastian Kinne

A conversation with Sebastian Kinne

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

  I came to psychotherapy after many years working in business and consulting, where I saw firsthand how much people’s wellbeing and relationships shape their lives and work. Over time I realised I wanted to be in a role that focused more directly on people’s inner worlds rather than organisations. My own experience of therapy also showed me how valuable it can be to have a space for reflection, healing, and growth. That combination of personal conviction and professional curiosity led me to train formally in counselling and psychotherapy.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  My work is strongly influenced by the humanistic tradition, especially the person-centred philosophy of Carl Rogers, which emphasises empathy, authenticity, and unconditional positive regard as the conditions for change. I also draw on existential perspectives that explore meaning, freedom, and responsibility, as well as contemporary insights from interpersonal neurobiology that link our emotional experience with the nervous system. These approaches shape both my professional development and how I meet clients in practice.

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

  I am particularly interested in how people navigate periods of transition — whether that’s coping with anxiety, depression, or loss, or moving through changes in relationships, identity, or life direction. I’m drawn to the ways individuals make sense of their experiences and reconnect with inner resources during such times. I’m also interested in questions of meaning, belonging, and personal growth, and how body, mind, and emotions interact in shaping our wellbeing.

• What methods do you use?

  I don’t bring a set of methods to therapy so much as I bring presence, awareness, and a safe space for clients to explore their experience. My orientation is person-centred, which means I trust in each person’s capacity to grow when met with genuine understanding. While my training includes emotion-focused, somatic, and existential perspectives, I use these more as background influences than techniques — what guides me most is listening deeply and responding to what emerges in the room.

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

  Progress can look different for each person. Sometimes clients notice a shift quite early — feeling more understood, lighter after sharing, or clearer about their situation. For others, change emerges more gradually as trust builds and deeper patterns are explored. I see progress less as reaching a fixed point and more as beginning to sense movement, relief, or new possibilities in areas that previously felt stuck.

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  My own experience of therapy has been transformative. I came to see that I am not simply my thoughts, but the aware space in which thoughts, emotions, and words arise and move. Individual work helped me recognise and soften long-held patterns, while experiential and body-based approaches opened a deeper connection to myself. Group processes showed me the healing power of being seen and of seeing others in their truth. These experiences continue to shape the way I meet clients — with respect for the courage it takes to enter therapy and trust in the changes it can bring.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  What I value most is the honour of being invited into people’s inner worlds. It’s a privilege when someone feels safe enough to open up deeply, and to witness the relief that comes from being heard and understood. I find meaning in holding space for these moments of honesty and discovery, and in accompanying clients as they move toward greater clarity, resilience, and self-acceptance.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  Of course — like everyone, I sometimes have days where I’m self-critical or feel I could have shown up differently. That’s part of being human. What therapy has taught me is that these moments don’t need to be improved or erased but met with kindness. The journey of therapy is about learning to relate more gently to ourselves and, in turn, to others — even when things don’t go perfectly. Over time, this kindness makes it more likely that life flows more smoothly and that our aspirations and actions come into greater alignment.

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

  From the perspective of a mental health practitioner, I see aloneness and disconnection as one of the deepest challenges people face today. As a father, I am mindful of how rapidly evolving technologies — including AI — will shape the lives of the next generation, and of the unforeseen consequences these changes may have on our global discourse. As a citizen of the world, I see widening inequality as a major challenge that tears at the fabric of our societies. All of these are interconnected, shaping how we relate to ourselves, to one another, and to the communities we build.

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

  I draw inspiration from many sources. Irvin Yalom’s The Gift of Therapy reminds me of the depth and simplicity of the therapeutic encounter. Films like The Matrix speak to the possibility of waking up to deeper layers of reality. And Niguma’s verse — “So close, I didn’t recognize it. So profound, I couldn’t grasp it. So simple, I couldn’t believe it. So noble, I couldn’t conceive of it.” — captures the paradox of wholeness: that what we most seek is already here, yet often overlooked. These works affirm the courage it takes to look beneath appearances and step into greater awareness.