MEET THE TEAM – VELIA CARRUTHERS

What is your favourite thing about being therapist?

I love helping clients look beyond the facts which they bring as concrete and the assumptions which they make, in order to find unconscious meanings, links to their past and the possibility of being able to experience an alternative present.

What is the most common/frequent issue people are bringing to therapy?

I work mostly with both couples and individuals who have relationship issues. The most common problem I am presented with is difficulty in communicating. This can easily translate into a difficulty in feeling heard and understood in an empathic way.

Is therapy an art or a science?

Does it have to be one or the other? To me, therapy is a perfect combination of both.

What do you do for your own self-care?

Spending time with my family and friends and going for walks with my dog. I also crochet, sometimes even between sessions. It calms the mind and the spirit.

What is the book/movie that comforts you?

‘Breakfast at Tiffany’ never fails to comfort me. It reminds me that we all want to belong and be cared for, as well as caring for others.

What’s in a joke?

The capacity to laugh about ourselves

Tell us one:

At a job interview for a new receptionist:

“I see you used to be employed by a psychotherapist. Why did you leave?”

“Well, I just couldn’t win. If I was late to work, I was hostile; if I was early, I was anxious; and if I was on time, I was obsessional.”