easterly westerly

Welcome, I’m Zephyr

Those first steps to reaching out for support can feel daunting. It takes courage to sit with the tension of your struggles and the uncertainty around what might unfold if you begin exploring them. Counselling offers the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of your inner world and how that manifests externally. By providing a confidential, non-judgemental space and considering the past, present and future together, counselling can allow you to move forward with more clarity and ultimately approach life from a more compassionate and authentic place.

Why me?

I had my first experience of Psychotherapy in my teens after struggling with Depression and disordered eating. I found the confidential, non-judgemental space offered invaluable. This fuelled my passion for understanding more about the intersection of thoughts, feelings and behaviours. I have explored Western psychology and Eastern spiritual perspectives and have maintained a daily yoga and meditation practice for over 20 years. My yoga practice has enhanced both my physical and mental well-being, deepened my understanding of self and brought great meaning to my life. In addition I have also benefitted significantly from periods of Psychotherapy both through moments of crisis and life transition and as part of a more in-depth personal excavation. I have found Psychosynthesis specifically marries Eastern and Western perspectives in a manner that resonates strongly with me.

I have experience working with Suicide, Self-Harm, moments of crisis and what brings meaning to life. I may also incorporate work with the body, breath and mindfulness into our sessions if relevant to your process and encourage daily rituals that could offer solace in difficult times. Counselling offers space to explore what is troubling you and broaden your perspective on what choices you might take moving forward.

“Your hand opens and closes, opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralysed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as birds' wings.”

This quote by Rumi, a personal favourite, promotes balance and the middle-way, encouraging us to welcome it all; the light and dark, ups and downs, the expansion and contraction. Finding presence in the dance of life is an approach that runs through both my counselling practice and yoga teaching. When we accept the invitation to know ourselves more intimately we may encounter pain and challenge yet also the road to compassion and acceptance.

How I work

As a Psychosynthesis counsellor, I offer an Integrative and Transpersonal approach that works with a wide range of difficulties such as depression and anxiety, relationship issues, grief, loneliness, shame and self-doubt, feeling stuck or struggling in a crisis or life transition.

This journey of self exploration might also steer you towards finding greater purpose and meaning. Psychosynthesis holds the vision that we are all unique souls on a journey seeking to embrace our fullest potential. Our problems and failures can in fact steer us towards becoming more authentically ourselves. By embracing our challenges and considering their roots we may also be gifted wisdom and self knowledge on the path to greater wholeness and purpose. To enhance the process if relevant we may work with creative techniques including the written word, images, dreams and the body to explore what is emerging together.

Contact me via email zephyrlilymercer@gmail.com or phone 07955 259786 to organise a free 20 min phone call/zoom session. This is an opportunity for us to make contact and begin to discuss the process and what brings you to counselling at this time. If it feels like we are a good fit we can then decide to work together for a six session contract or a longer more open ended contract.

Sessions are weekly and last for 50-60 mins and cost between £55-75.

I offer in person sessions at :-

Strides Highbury Counselling Centre (HCC), 12 Woodfall Rd, Finsbury Park, London, N4 3JD on Tuesday daytime

I also work with clients online Monday afternoon/evenings and Tuesdays.

As I was previously based in Cornwall I still welcome clients from this area for online sessions.

Qualifications:

BSc Psychology, University of Nottingham

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course, Australia

Foundations in the Fundamentals of Counselling and Psychotherapy, CCPE

Essentials in Psychosynthesis, Psychosynthesis Trust

Foundations in Psychosynthesis, Psychosynthesis Trust

Postgraduate Diploma in Psychosynthesis Counselling, Psychosynthesis Trust

Interest in working with the NARM (NeuroAffective Relational Model) approach, which works with complex developmental trauma

I am committed to ongoing professional development and undertake regular Supervision with a UKCP Psychosynthesis Psychotherapist.

I am a registered member of the BACP and fully insured.