Blog

Autumn Equinox, new beginnings.

Autumn time is upon us! After a hot and dry summer here in the Northern Hemisphere it is time to let go of long summer days, to ground and rebalance. It is also time for new beginnings for some, and or restarting school, work, and hopefully also to find time to rest as the nights get longer and we get closer to winter time. I successfully completed my graduate foundation year in counselling and psychotherapy at Birkbeck university in July, this has helped me to understand better the unconscious dynamics at play in the therapy or coaching space such as the transference and countertransference, which I also experienced first hand (the transference), during my counselling sessions, a very humbling experience. I also spent time reflecting about the roles I unconsciously take and why. It has been a busy year with so much going on, I also struggled with some health issues which culminated in surgery back in November 2025 which meant I had to take some time off from seeing clients; thankfully I am now doing much better and the health issues are behind me. I am also starting the MSc training in psychodynamic counselling and psychotherapy at Birkbeck and I am looking forward to be delving much deeper in the unconscious. Psychotherapy training will help me consolidate my skills as a space holder, after all one never stops learning on this Earth. I do have some scepticism around certain psychodynamic theories, which I am looking forward to voice and explore, but after all one cannot forget that the origins of talking therapy does lay with Freud and I am particularly interested in understanding better and deeper the origins of psychotherapy and how they apply to todays world. Understanding and honouring the intersection between the internal and external worlds and processes at play in our daily individual and social lives. 

Please support me in the next three years of training, book sessions with me, come sit or walk the forest with me, cultivating presence and awareness together. You are so welcome at Our Liminal Space.

On listening and holding space

The other day I was walking along a quiet residential street and I saw this little twig with some jelly ear mushrooms on it. They are edible but I never tried. It wasn’t the first time I’ve seen them, but this time it really struck me how close they look like to human ears 👂, don’t you think?

I have since then been reflecting on the marvellous sense of hearing and how lucky we all are to be able to hear, and listen. You might be all familiar with the saying: “listening to understand vs listening to reply”. 

In my work as a transpersonal coach I practice open awareness in my sessions. I do so by cultivating embodied presence and hold space for myself and my clients with openness, curiosity and compassion. 

Hearing what someone is saying without saying anything or interrupting is sometimes what people really need. That sense of feeling heard and comprehended is truly important and seldom experienced. 

🌙How do you feel when you feel heard and understood? 

🌙How do you feel when you feel free to express yourself to someone who doesn’t feel the need to fix or share their opinion on something you expressed? 

I’m not saying that a coach shouldn’t speak to their clients but it’s incredibly important to understand where the urge to say anything is coming from: is it a need to fix? A need to say something to fill the silence? What happens if you remain silent but engaged?

As practitioners we all have a responsibility to reflect on where what we say is coming from and how aware of our personal bias and projections we are. 

Most of us want to help and support others and in doing so my preference is to notice my bodily sensations, posture, thought patterns and emotions. I ask permission before I make any offerings and I make sure to check if I understood what my client said or ask for clarification.

🌙How are we holding space? 

🌙What qualities do we want to cultivate and share? 

May your listening skills be nurtured and appreciated 👂🙏🏼🌱✨