Approach & Specialisms
Existentialism and Systemic Family Therapy
The Saans Approach
My approach to each session centres on curiosity and openness, encouraging clients to move beyond fixed labels or diagnoses to uncover new perspectives on themselves and their lives. In doing so, I aim to help you cultivate greater self-awareness, agency, and choice in how you respond to life’s challenges, while acknowledging the powerful role of cultural, societal, and familial influences.
I work with a broad spectrum of concerns, including anxiety, depression, anger, eating difficulties, relationship issues, addictions, self-esteem, grief, and loss. I have a particular passion for supporting clients through bereavement and the many forms of loss that touch our lives.
At the heart of my work is the belief that therapy is not about imposing agendas, but about creating space for you to make more intentional decisions about how to live, with creativity, agency, and love – rather than being solely shaped by external forces.
What is Existential Psychotherapy?
Existential psychotherapy is grounded in the idea that our struggles arise from the fundamental questions of being human, such as meaning, freedom, connection, and mortality. Rather than seeing distress as something to be fixed, this approach invites reflection on how we are living, relating, and making sense of our lives.
Existential therapy recognises that our experiences are shaped by many forces including our biology, family, culture, and circumstances. Yet within these, we retain the capacity to choose how we meet life. Through this process, clients often rediscover a deeper sense of freedom, meaning, and vitality, finding ways to live more intentionally, even amidst anxiety or suffering.
What is Systemic Family Therapy?
The systemic family therapeutic approach looks at the individual not in isolation, but as part of a wider network of relationships, including families, partnerships, social circles, and cultural systems. The way we relate to those around us often shapes our emotional world, just as our emotions influence our relationships.
In this approach, therapy focuses on understanding patterns of interaction and communication, exploring how each person’s perspective and experience contribute to the dynamic of the whole. The aim is to build empathy, improve understanding, and create more supportive and balanced ways of relating.
In this space, therapy becomes a conversation about what it means to live with authenticity and choice, even in the face of uncertainty, loss, and limitation. Together we explore how you might meet life’s challenges with greater creativity, responsibility, and self-awareness.
Who I Work With
I work with individuals, couples, families, and young people aged 12 and above, supporting clients through a wide range of experiences; including anxiety, grief, low mood, relationship challenges, life transitions, and questions of identity and purpose.
My practice also includes dyadic work — for example, between a parent and child, siblings, or partners, offering space to strengthen communication, rebuild trust, and deepen connection.
Sometimes therapy begins individually and naturally expands to include others who are important in your life. I’ve seen how meaningful it can be when family members or partners join a session to listen, understand, and heal together.
Whether you come alone or with someone close to you, I aim to offer a safe, reflective space where understanding, compassion, and growth can unfold.