About
HGP Values
What you can expect from me
Therapy is a place to make sense of what’s been difficult and consider what you would like to be different. At Hawthorn Grove Psychotherapy, these values guide how I listen and how we work together. My approach brings together thoughtful conversation and practical CBT work, shaped around your experiences and priorities.
Openness
I bring training and experience, you bring knowledge of your own life. I’ll listen, check that I’ve understood, and stay open to being corrected, rather than assuming I know what something means for you.
Curiosity
We’ll look at your reactions with interest rather than criticism or judgement. By noticing what happens around difficult moments, we can begin to understand patterns and consider what might be worth trying differently.
Authenticity
You don’t need to find the ‘right’ words or present a polished version of yourself. I aim to be clear and genuine in how I communicate, including talking openly about what is and isn’t working for you.
Collaboration
We’ll agree on what you’d like to work towards and make decisions together. There’s room to ask questions, say when something doesn’t feel helpful, and shape an approach that makes sense for your life.
Purpose
Our sessions will have a focus, with room for what matters on the day. We’ll connect what we talk about with manageable steps to try between sessions, and review what you’re discovering for yourself as we go.
Compassion
Struggling doesn’t mean you’ve failed, and being hard on yourself can add to what you’re carrying. We’ll make room for a kinder understanding of your experiences, alongside the practical work of trying something different.
Respect
Your background, identity and circumstances matter. I won’t assume we share the same experiences or priorities. We’ll talk openly about what matters to you, respect your choices and make space for differences.
Hope and lightness
Therapy can include difficult conversations, but it needn’t be serious every moment. When it feels right, there’s room for humour, enjoyment and noticing small changes, without pressure to feel positive before you’re ready.
Steadiness
You won’t be expected to arrive with clear answers or make progress every week. I aim to offer a calm, consistent way of working, with space to pause, revisit and make sense of things as they unfold.
Flexibility
People don’t fit neatly into a single explanation. No one size fits all. We’ll consider what suits your needs and circumstances, adapting the pace or focus when life changes, or an approach that isn’t proving helpful.
Feedback & Reflections
The reflections below are excerpts from feedback shared by people I have previously worked with in therapy. In their own words, they offer a glimpse of their experiences and what they valued in our work together.
“I felt like she really listened to me and that I have achieved what I’ve set out to achieve when accessing talking therapies”
“She was attentive, kind, and understanding”
“Lou quickly learned things about me in order to deliver appropriate resources”
“Sessions were clear, effective”
“Lou has very much been a constant support for the last 10 to 12 weeks that I’ve been having CBT”
“Every session I came away with practical tools I use daily and already feel more positive”
“It was nice to have someone encourage me to be independent about my mental health”
“Everything Lou has taught me gives me so many hopes that I can build my life to become a much more confident person”
“I can and have used the techniques that we have discovered together on this journey now going forward. I know I can help myself now”