Core Process is a form of talking therapy that emphasizes embodiment and shared presence. We stay connected to present-moment experience, for example by sensing into the body, even when talking about the past. This creates space for something new to emerge and for things to begin to shift.
You can read about the practicalities of therapy here.
As a therapist I create a space where you can explore your own inner world. I accompany you on the journey and sense into what might support it in each moment. Things may open up to be seen through bodily sensations, as glimpses which you might not at first think are related to anything, or in how it is to be together. In therapy there is space to be as you are. In joint presence we can meet such aspects of you and your emotions that have not had space before.
An important part of the therapeutic process is the therapeutic relationship – a human relationship that gradually deepens. An essential part of this approach is also that we do not try to force things to change. When we are together and present with what is, things have space to shift – also in ways that neither of us could have planned or predicted in advance.
What might bring you to mindfulness-based therapy could be for example:
- difficulty in taking space to be yourself, in valuing your own needs, or in setting boundaries
- difficulty in knowing who you are, in hearing your own directions
- difficulty in finding or feeling connection with others
- depression, anxiety, traumatic experiences
- feelings of shame, difficulty to love yourself
- states of being that are hard to be present with alone
- habitual patterns of action or emotional reactions that you get stuck in
- need for support in a challenging life situation
- difficulty to be present in your body, feeling that you are not quite at home in your life, search for deeper meaning
All aspects of being human are welcome in therapy, including, if you wish, the spiritual dimension – whatever that means to you. A spiritual path, for example in the form of meditation practice, may at times bring up things that are easier to face together. Sometimes it can also be meaningful to explore how to remain open to the spiritual without bypassing other facets of humanity, such as emotions, needs, and your own individuality.
I have trained in Core Process Psychotherapy at the Karuna Institute in England. This six-year training led to an MA in Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapeutic Practice and accreditation as a Core Process Psychotherapist in the UK (by UK Council for Psychotherapy).
The training I have completed combines a meditative perspective and the therapist’s own practice of presence with psychotherapeutic understanding and expertise. It includes perspectives on trauma, early interaction and attachment, as well as the impact that our prenatal experiences and the challenges that past generations have faced may have on us. Focusing is included as one of the starting points, especially in my own practice.
Why the name “Core Process”?
Core refers to the innate capacity within each of us to feel well, be present, care, and experience connection. Deep inside, we are more than our challenges. Like the sun that does not disappear even when covered by clouds, the core remains beneath everything that has built up over it and can gradually emerge more fully.
Process refers to the way layers form over our core through life experiences: ways of protecting ourselves, coping with our environment, and meeting its expectations. We develop beliefs about ourselves and the world. Our nervous system may become attuned to vigilance, and tension can build up in our bodies. These layers have often served a purpose at some point, but we easily become stuck in them. Therapy offers a space to both explore these layers and gradually uncover opportunities for the “sun” beneath to start peeking through the “clouds”.
Practicalities
- We can negotiate the price for a one-hour therapy session between €75–110 (incl. 25.5% VAT), taking your financial circumstances into account. Financial support from Kela (in the Finnish system) is not available for the therapy I offer.
- I offer therapy online or in person in Helsinki, Finland. My therapy space is in Kaisaniemi (Vuorikatu 22 C), very close to the Central railway station.
- I offer therapy in Finnish or in English.
- Therapy sessions are usually regularly once a week 60 minutes at a time. We can deepen into work in a long-term therapeutic relationship (many months to many years), if that feels right.
- The first meeting is free of charge, as it is time for us both to discover whether we could work well together. After that, we usually agree on 6 sessions, and then see if it feels right to continue.
- It is usually helpful to protect the special quality of the therapeutic relationship by not meeting in other contexts.
- You can also ask about the possibility of more occasional or short-term support.
- Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or would like to book a time for an initial meeting.