Mel McGrath is a counsellor in Central London and online

What attracted you to become a therapist?

After 18 years in the arts world I begun a search into a second career. I saw a coach for help after being unsure of whether to train in mental health nursing, psychology, or counselling and this helped me gain clarity over what I wanted. After a year of a psychology degree and an introduction to counselling course, I found the Psychosynthesis Trust, where I trained. What I wanted to do was be of service in a way that I hadn't before in my life, to sit and listen, be a guide, and to just hold space for others.

I started with The Essentials course at the Trust and it all went from there, that was it, that was my model of therapy and off I went! I have not regretted this decision once and am always happy to be able to offer space to people who work in the arts, having this background and being able to understand the work from their perspective. However, I also work with a wide range of people which is a real gift.

I feel very lucky to have also worked as a manager of large teams throughout my career and been a trainer to large scale arts venues whilst also focusing my skill base in the arts around diversity and inclusion. In my twenties I also worked at the LGBT Switchboard which was a fantastic way of being part of the community and supporting people; this is what partly led to my change of career into mental health. Being a counsellor has allowed me to further develop my skills and be of service both within my community, but is not my defining client base and I welcome enquiries from all.

Where did you train?

The Psychosynthesis Trust at London Bridge

Can you tell us about the type of therapy you practise?

I am trained in psychosynthesis which is a transpersonal therapy. The model allows me to work from quite a creative place and I can use meditation, breathwork, guided visualisations and drawing, where appropriate, to assist the work. I have an integrative training that gives me an oversight of other models, but I stick to my model for the majority of the time aside from some Gestalt work.

The key thing is that I work relationally and so this means that our work has meaning and I take great care to ensure you feel safe and heard when we work together, whilst maintaining a place of no judgment. For the most part we just talk - well, clients talk and I listen!

I have always thought that the model isn't always that important for the majority of people, but the relationship built in the room is what is key and this is where I find my strengths lie: the relationship and safety felt in the room when working with me is key to our work. It is in the strength of the relationship and trust built that can really lead to deep work and healing

How does psychosynthesis help with symptoms of anxiety?

Psychosynthesis looks at the person through a split lens that allows me to see the person - their experiences, what makes them up - but also their potential and what brings them joy. For me this means that when working with anxiety, for example, I can work with the body and mind, knowing both are connected and look to the stories our bodies tell alongside thoughts and feelings.

Working with the whole system and all the parts of us that make us who we are allows us to consider our inner world as an orchestra that we can learn to know and conduct from a more peaceful, accepting place, a synthesis if you like of our inner world. I am really curious about the connection between our bodies and our thoughts, how our bodies talk, but do we really listen? With anxiety, really exploring the physical reaction can help support learning new ways to manage it better.

What sort of people do you usually see?

I work with adults around a range of issues, including but not limited to:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Sexuality, gender and identity
• Chronic conditions
• Trauma
• Grief and loss
• Relationships and polyamory
• Miscarriage
• Divorce and separation
• Pandemic trauma
• Work stress
• Major life changes