My name's Sal, and I'm an integrative transpersonal therapist.'Integrative' means we might work differently depending on what you need, drawing from humanistic, psychodynamic, and trauma-informed nervous system approaches among others. This means we might reflect on our relationship in the present, consider the influence of the past and your early relationships, and work with unprocessed trauma held in the body and nervous system.A transpersonal perspective takes the view that we are more than just what's happened to us, and sees our wounds not as damage, but as portals to empowerment, wisdom and meaning. As Jung says, ‘everything belongs’. Even our shadow sides, parts of ourselves we don’t like or find painful, are part of our wholeness. As well as a qualified therapist, I’m a queer person with a long history in the LGBTQI community. Sometimes this is relevant for clients, sometimes not. You may be seeking therapy to explore issues related to your sexuality, gender or relationships, but equally, you may just be looking for a therapist who understands and affirms these fundamental aspects of your life while you explore other themes. I endeavour to offer an inclusive and affirmative space, and take an intersectional, systemic perspective on how power and privilege can shape identity and experience - who we are and how we feel.I’m also a long-time meditator with experience of Buddhist communities, and am aware of both their light and shadow sides. Spiritual practices can offer both wisdom and compassion but also ways of bypassing the pain and necessary healing of unaddressed psychological and emotional wounds. Instead, I take a soulful perspective, looking for meaning in the descent into our wounding and bringing together the expansiveness of a spiritual perspective with the blood, sweat and tears of ordinary life.