Why Inner Alchemy?

It all begins with a disturbance in the Self.

Perhaps someone passes away, perhaps your relationship has ended, perhaps you’re getting strange dreams, body symptoms or weird conflicts with people. Regardless, you’re noticing a sense of discomfort or unease about what’s happening. Maybe it’s coming out as anxiety, depression, isolation, lack of sleep, hopelessness or helplessness.

What do you do?
Do you shrug it off and wait for it to pass? Do you self-medicate with food, TV, doomscrolling social media, alcohol, substances or packing your schedule full of anything and everything? Do you say ‘it is what it is’ and barrel forward? Do you fight, flee, or freeze? Or maybe it’s time to reach out and get someone alongside you to help you figure it out?

That’s where Inner Alchemy steps in. My purpose for setting up Inner Alchemy Counselling and Psychotherapy was to help those figure out what’s happening within themselves and facilitate a focus on growth, compassion and strength.

Through my learning in Depth psychology, Somatic psychotherapy and Meaning-focused philosophy, I’ve come to truly appreciate what modern society and Jungian inspired perspectives call ‘Shadow Work’. Within the paradigm of Process Oriented Psychology (Process Work), which I’m trained and continuing to train in, this is called Inner Work, but the concept is along the same lines.

In essence, and without jargon, whatever is disrupting/disturbing or paining you can actually be a treasure trove of accessing energy, power, meaning, purpose and inner learnings for yourself. Although we are ‘attacked’ or ‘oppressed’ or ‘harassed’ by this anger, anxiety or symptom, once we negotiate with, calm, speak to, or get past our inner critics and inner edges, we can access what lies beyond that for our wellbeing. Everything can be a Call To Action for ourselves, a signal or what we need more of in our life.

Let me give you a very basic example.

Imagine someone who is the ‘nice guy’ in life. Very caring, loving and will give as much as he can for the benefit of others. Sounds beautiful right?
But what we may not be seeing is the everyday struggle this person has to stand for his needs, pull himself back before burnout, get in touch with his pain without minimising it, or just finding the ambition and motivation to move towards his goals or dreams.

He comes to psychotherapy because he’s getting constant headaches, and stomach pains, is in a constant state of irritation and frustration, and is alternating between feel overwhelmed, bouts of extreme anger, and collapsing in his bed.

From a Process Work perspective, his Primary Identity is the ‘nice guy’, the ‘helper’, the ‘supporter for others’, but because he can’t access that power for himself, his Inner Critic (or Edge Figure as we call it) continues to push for him to stay in that role because ‘you can’t be mean’, ‘you can’t be selfish’, ‘what will people think?’ etc. However, on the other side of that Edge/Edge Figure is a full expression of Self.

Yes, initially there will be anger, passion, fire, and fierceness on the other side, however, little by little, bit by bit, with every step over the Edge via talking, dreamwork, body symptom work, art, roleplay, visualisation, movement, inner parts work, and deep body introspection, he gets more and more access to this Secondary identity. This is the identity where he doesn’t have to minimise, judge or try to repress his inner fire. Instead he begins to integrate it, and over time, becomes a fuller, and more vibrant, strong, and healthy person. He has ambition, boundaries, stands up for himself, knows his needs, feeds his dreams, and finally finds a balance rather than being stuck in the corner as he once was. This may be a lifelong Edge with new layers unfolding over weeks, months or years depending on his upbringing and influences.

Compare this basic, bare bones example with how it could be worked with in a standard talk therapy/counselling session. Instead, this nice guy may have been offered anger management strategies, breathing techniques to manage stress, writing lists of goals for the future and steadily working towards them with motivation building, identifying negative thoughts, then combating them with alternate thoughts based on facts, and gentle behaviour change, all within a safe, warm and empathetic environment. The focus here is on self-care, education about how we work as humans, and then putting practical strategies and behavioural plans in action to reframe his thinking, ease painful emotions, and calm the body and nervous system.

Both lead to a positive result, but the question is, which does a person prefer? Some people may need counselling, some may need or want psychotherapy. Some may never be ready for either, but the point is, there is a path and learning for everyone.

This is why Inner Alchemy was created. To offer paths to all.

If you’re feeling ready to get the care and support you need and deserve so you can become the best version of yourself, touch base with me, or book a session.

Follow your gut, maybe it’s finally time…