My Approach

List of Tools

Visual Storytelling (VS)
Visual Storytelling is a tool that helps bring a person’s story out of their head and into view. As someone talks, their experiences, thoughts, relationships, and patterns are captured visually — often on a whiteboard, sometimes on paper — in a way that reflects their story back to them. Seeing the story laid out visually can be powerful. What felt tangled or overwhelming suddenly becomes clearer. Connections emerge. Patterns are noticed. Gaps, repetitions, and turning points become visible.

Visual Storytelling supports people to:
This tool isn’t about analysing or interpreting — it’s about showing the story as it is, so meaning can emerge naturally. Often, once people can see their story, they already know what needs attention next. Visual Storytelling turns conversation into something tangible, understandable, and workable — supporting clarity, insight, and direction.

• see their life or situation as a whole

• understand how they arrived where they are

• notice what’s influencing them now

• separate what’s theirs from what isn’t

Sense Mapping (SM)
Sense Mapping is a tool used to help people see their story clearly. It involves listening, mapping, and reflecting back what is shared, often visually, so the bigger picture becomes visible.
As someone talks, key themes, experiences, patterns, and turning points are mapped out in real time — sometimes on a whiteboard, sometimes on paper. Seeing the story laid out helps make sense of what can otherwise feel confusing, overwhelming, or stuck inside the head.

Sense Mapping supports people to:

• understand how different parts of their life connect

• notice patterns and repetitions

• separate facts, thoughts, feelings, and assumptions

• identify what actually matters right now

This tool slows things down and creates clarity without digging or forcing. Often, once the story can be seen, insight naturally follows. From there, people are better able to decide what they want to do next, and how they want to move forward. Sense Mapping is about making the invisible visible — turning lived experience into something that can be seen, understood, and worked with.

Life Mapping (LM)
Life Mapping is a tool used to step back and look at the bigger picture over time. It involves mapping key stages, experiences, influences, and turning points across a person’s life so patterns and direction become clearer. By laying things out visually — often across a timeline — people can see how past experiences connect to present challenges, and how long-standing patterns may still be shaping their choices today. This often brings perspective, relief, and insight.

Life Mapping supports people to:

• understand where they’ve come from

• recognise repeated patterns or themes

• see how life stages and events have influenced them

• identify what they want to carry forward — and what they’re ready to leave behind

This tool isn’t about analysing the past for its own sake. It’s about understanding the journey so far, so choices going forward can be made with greater clarity, intention, and confidence. Life Mapping helps people locate themselves — where they’ve been, where they are now, and where they want to head next.

Three-Pronged Approach (TTA)
We're often taught counselling is entirely client-centred - that everything revolves around the client. In practice, meaningful change happens through three vital parts working together: the person, the process, and the practitioner.

• The person brings what matters to them.

• The process is alive and responsive, shaping what unfolds.

• The practitioner is present and prepared, holding the space with care, clarity, and intention.

When all three come together, people are able to see beyond the immediate issue, make sense of their experience, and engage more actively with themselves and their world. Often, when someone is given space to talk freely, the story naturally takes shape - and once it can be seen, it can be understood.

Tying The Three Together (TTT)
This tool brings together three core elements: thoughts, feelings, and actions. Each one directly influences the others, shaping how we see ourselves and how we move in the world. Here’s the reality: unhelpful thinking can fuel uncomfortable feelings, which then drive unhelpful behaviour. That cycle can repeat itself until it becomes familiar and limiting. When people pause and check in with how they’re feeling, they can often trace that feeling back to a specific thought. Once a thought is identified, it can be questioned, tested, and reframed. A person may feel stuck or distressed because of a thought they believed — only to later realise that thought was inaccurate, outdated, or misplaced. By tying these three together, people gain awareness, choice, and the ability to respond differently, rather than staying caught in automatic patterns.

TTT helps cut through old patterns by asking simple, direct questions: Where did that thought come from? Do I actually believe it? Was it learned, assumed, or inherited? When a thought is identified and reshaped, feelings begin to shift — and actions follow. It’s simple, and it’s powerful. Changing even one part of the three creates a ripple, opening up a new way of thinking, feeling, and acting. This builds self-responsibility, clarity, and real empowerment, giving people a clearer picture of what’s happening now — and how they can make meaningful, productive change.

Identifying My Triggers (IMT)
Sometimes we don’t immediately understand why we react the way we do — a person, situation, or moment can suddenly set us off. These reactions can become automatic, a default way of coping. Think of a trigger as an instant reaction point — it may feel sudden, but it came from somewhere. By identifying, naming, and owning our triggers, we take back control. Instead of reacting on autopilot, anchoring helps us pause and ground ourselves, asking three key questions:

(1) What happened?
(2) What meaning or belief did I attach to it?
(3) What was the outcome — and what could I do differently next time?

This exploration process cuts through confusion and brings clarity. By working with triggers in this way, old reactions lose their power, automatic loops are interrupted, and people regain choice. Anchoring provides stability in the moment, while insight clears the path forward. The result is self-responsibility, healthier patterns, and real empowerment. At their core, triggers are signals — not enemies. They alert us that something needs attention. When we slow down and look at them honestly, they can become valuable guides rather than obstacles.

The Art of Role-Playing (AOR)
Role-playing offers a safe and structured way for people to express things that often stay bottled up. It might involve speaking to a chair, an object, or the practitioner, as if they were someone else. This approach can surface new perspectives, release emotion, and bring clarity. It’s a versatile tool that can be used in many situations — from working through unfinished business to exploring different roles, responses, or parts of self — always with care, guidance, and support. Clear briefing and debriefing are essential. This tool is used with discretion, consent, and comfort as a priority. We brief, we practise, we debrief — and often, relief follows.

Squat-in-a-Box (SIAB)
When you’re stuck in a box, what do you see? Very little. At best, four walls — maybe a lid. Boxes can keep us confined, shaped by our own limits, learned beliefs, or the expectations of others. Often this is called a comfort zone — but comfort zones aren’t always comfortable; they just feel familiar. These boxes influence how we think, how we see the world, and how we relate to those around us. This tool helps people explore the box they’re in — what’s keeping them there — and begin to shift perspective, loosen the walls, and open up a bigger view of life. We often step into these boxes because they once felt safe. There’s no pressure to leap straight out — movement happens one card at a time. Through honest exploration and choice, people decide when and how they’re ready to step beyond what’s been holding them in.

Know-See-Speak (KSS)
Sometimes it’s hard to put into words what we really think or feel. People often want clarity, but can’t always see beyond their current situation — let alone give voice to it. KSS helps build confidence, courage, and clarity by inviting a pause and three simple questions:

What do I know about this, deep down?
What do I see in my situation now?
What do I want or need to say?

This process supports people to tell their story, untangle confusion, and make sense of their experiences. When someone can know, see, and speak their truth honestly, they are able to own it — and move forward with greater confidence and direction. Another way to describe this is alignment. When all three come together, things feel clearer and more grounded. And when alignment isn’t there, that’s okay — it’s a signal to pause, reflect, and work through what’s happening. You’re not failing. You’re noticing.

Art-Draw-Scribble (ADS)
You don’t need to be an artist to use this tool. Everyone has a natural and authentic way of expressing themselves when a pen is in hand. Sometimes it shows up as a drawing; other times as a simple scribble — either way, it tells a story. This process helps people express what may be difficult to put into words. Through drawing or scribbling, feelings connected to a person, situation, or event can surface, bringing clarity to past or present experiences. With guidance and exploration, emotions become easier to recognise and name, opening up new ways to understand and work through what’s going on.

Art takes many forms. It might be a drawing, a puzzle, a poem, or an object — whatever resonates for you is a valid form of expression. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. You are your own unique artist.

Keeping It Real Journals (KIRJ)
Writing is a powerful way to express yourself. For many people, it’s easier to put thoughts and feelings on paper (or screen) than to say them out loud. Journaling provides a safe outlet to write freely — without restriction or judgement. Keeping a journal helps people track their thoughts, notice patterns, and make sense of what’s going on inside. It can ease anxiety by moving worries out of the head and onto the page, and it supports clarity, reflection, and self-awareness. Journaling becomes a tool for expression, challenge, insight, and self-discovery.

It doesn’t need to make perfect sense — that’s not the point. What matters is getting it out, in your own way. Keeping it real means writing what hurts, what helps, and what brings out your best self. That’s a strength — and for many, a quiet superpower.

Hear & Be Heard (HBH)
This tool centres on the power of listening well and speaking clearly. It’s about hearing another person — not just their words, but what sits underneath them, where meaning and feeling live. This kind of listening brings clarity and insight, helping people better understand themselves. Through presence, active listening, and clear communication, people are able to speak freely and make sense of what they’re saying. In doing so, they often discover their own truth and answers, rather than having them imposed. HBH supports people to feel heard, understood, respected, and empowered. This doesn’t happen instantly — it unfolds over time. But the shift often begins the moment someone feels heard without judgement, able to speak openly in a safe, confidential, and supportive space. The impact of this can carry through into relationships, work, and everyday life.

Your voice matters. Being heard — and hearing others — is what opens the way forward.

Cut Through BS (CTB)
Clear communication is a superpower. This tool supports people to tell their story with confidence, express themselves honestly, and interact more effectively in personal, professional, and everyday situations. CTB is about problem ownership — identifying what the real issue is, taking responsibility for it, and keeping things real. It involves setting clear boundaries, naming what matters, and cutting through the noise that gets in the way of healthy communication and relationships. When people learn to shift from blame (“you”) to responsibility (“I”), they gain clarity, self-respect, and stronger connections. CTB is practical, direct, and empowering — a communication skill that helps people reclaim their voice. It does require willingness and resilience — what I call a thick skin — but the payoff is clarity and strength.

CTB isn’t just a tool — it’s a capability that can change how you show up in the world.

Rip the Bloody Thing Off (RTBTO)
This tool is for times when circling around issues, softening language, or staying in “almost ready” thinking no longer helps — and is actually keeping things stuck. RTBTO is not about force. It’s about readiness. This is honest, grounded work. It cuts through avoidance, stops tip-toeing, and gets things moving — at the right pace. My role is to support clarity, keep momentum, and help people stay real as they move forward. Sometimes it’s kinder to remove the band-aid in one deliberate moment and deal with what follows, rather than pulling at it slowly. While slow avoidance can feel safer, it often drags the discomfort out longer. RTBTO is about choosing clarity over delay, and movement over avoidance — with discernment.

No shaming. No blaming. No gaming.

Summary:
There are many established therapies and approaches in counselling, each offering valuable insights and methods that can support people in different ways. I view these approaches as tools and resources, drawn on thoughtfully to support a person’s journey toward clarity and change. The tools outlined here are not exhaustive — there is always more that can be drawn from experience, learning, and practice. What they share is that they are practical, accessible, and grounded, and have been used consistently to support real insight, responsibility, and meaningful change.

Authentically You + Authentically Me
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Knowing, Seeing, and Speaking Our Truth!