Mr Steven Pattison

A conversation with Steven Pattison

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

  I chose clinical social work because throughout my career I witnessed the profound difference that skilled, compassionate support can make for individuals and families facing trauma, adversity, and complex life challenges. In frontline roles, I saw people navigating overwhelming circumstances with limited access to safe, informed help, and I felt strongly called to be part of changing that. Clinical social work allows me to combine evidence-based practice with genuine human connection, supporting people to feel understood, regain stability, and rebuild their lives with dignity. It is a privilege to walk alongside people in their most vulnerable moments and to support meaningful, lasting change.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  My professional development has been influenced by person-centred, trauma-informed, and attachment-based philosophies, grounded in the belief that healing occurs through safe and authentic human connection. I draw strongly from relational and strengths-based perspectives, recognising each person’s inherent capacity for growth and resilience. I also integrate neurobiological and somatic understanding of trauma, alongside systemic thinking that considers family, culture, and environment. These approaches shape my commitment to working collaboratively, honouring lived experience, and supporting meaningful, sustainable change.

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

  I am particularly interested in how people make sense of their experiences and rebuild identity, connection, and purpose after periods of pain, trauma, or significant life transition. I’m drawn to the human capacity for resilience, and the ways individuals learn to regulate emotions, form safe relationships, and transform patterns shaped by earlier experiences. I am deeply committed to understanding how the nervous system, trauma, attachment, and environment intersect to shape wellbeing, and how therapeutic relationships can restore safety, dignity, and hope. I am also interested in the ways families and communities heal together, break intergenerational cycles, and create healthier futures.

• What methods do you use?

  I use a combination of evidence-based and trauma-informed therapeutic approaches tailored to each person’s needs and goals. These include EMDR, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy, Polyvagal-informed practice, and attachment-focused and systemic family approaches. I integrate emotional regulation skills, somatic and nervous-system-based strategies, relational and reflective work, and practical tools that support change in everyday life. My approach is collaborative, paced safely, and grounded in respect and empowerment.

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

  Every person’s journey is unique, but many clients begin to feel a sense of progress when they start experiencing greater emotional clarity, feeling more understood and supported, or noticing even small changes in how they respond to stress or relationships. Progress often becomes noticeable within the first few sessions as goals become clearer and practical strategies begin to take effect. Sometimes the earliest signs are subtle—feeling more hopeful, more regulated, or more connected. Larger shifts often develop gradually as insight strengthens and new patterns become more familiar. Therapy is not linear, but with consistency, safety, and collaboration, meaningful change emerges over time.

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  Therapy has made a meaningful difference in my life by helping me understand my own responses, values, and patterns with greater clarity and compassion. It has strengthened my emotional awareness, resilience, and ability to stay grounded during challenging situations. Through the therapeutic process, I learned the power of safe connection, reflective practice, and sitting honestly with difficult experiences—growth that continues to shape both my personal wellbeing and my work as a clinician. Experiencing the impact of therapy firsthand reinforced my belief in the value of this work and deepened my commitment to supporting others on their own journeys.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  What I value most about being a clinical social worker is the privilege of walking alongside people during some of the most vulnerable and transformative moments in their lives. I appreciate the depth of connection, trust, and honesty that develops through therapeutic work, and the opportunity to witness people rediscover strength, hope, and possibility. I find it meaningful to support individuals and families to create real and lasting change, break patterns shaped by pain or trauma, and reconnect with who they want to be. Being part of someone’s healing journey—no matter how small a step—is something I never take for granted.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  Absolutely—just like everyone else, I have days that feel messy, stressful, or imperfect. I believe it’s important to normalise that being human means having ups and downs, and therapy isn’t about being flawless. Those experiences help me stay grounded, empathic, and connected to the real challenges people face. Growth doesn’t require perfection—just willingness to show up.

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

  One work that continues to inspire me is Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. The book explores resilience, purpose, and the capacity of the human spirit to endure and transform even in the most painful circumstances. It reminds me of the power of hope, meaning, and connection in healing, and reinforces why I believe so strongly in supporting people to reclaim their sense of agency and direction, even when life feels overwhelming.