Sue Gray

> View Sue's HGI therapist profile

What inspired you to become a therapist?

My motivation to be a therapist was when I found out that it is possible to inspire and enlighten people that they can, with empowering support and specific information relevant to them and their situation, become even more of what they want and need - to be well and happier. Doing it for themselves but not by themselves.

Why did you choose the human givens approach?

HG Therapy offers a simple clear framework for wellbeing into which each person can fit their own very individual and unique way of 'doing life' - there are a wide variety of tools and interventions the HG Therapist can offer each client depending on their individual needs and wished for outcomes.

Had you done any previous training?

Yes I have an MSc in Psychotherapy which I completed 30 years ago - it was a good foundation and taught me many things - and Human Givens has honed this knowledge and skills adding to it the very latest in evidence-based therapy and very practical tools and interventions.

What do you like about being a therapist?

Listening carefully then offering people ideas and tools to try out and be curious about - and then, when they are ready, watching them change and move where they want to go using what I have offered and other things they discover along the way.

What sort of people do you usually see?

People who realise they need some help, to share what is happening for them at the time they come - so they can 'fix it', 'sort it' 'cope with it better', 'survive it'. They are a wide variety of ages and come from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Do you provide online therapy sessions?

Yes either via ZOOM, or on the telephone. Ideally I like to see clients face to face, but online working has proved to be very successful, and has some obvious advantages.

What do you wish people knew about therapy?

Therapy will offer you a safe confidential place to talk about what is bothering you - your therapist will listen hard and offer you things that they feel will be useful to you specifically, and you always have a choice what you choose to use and take on board or not. They may encourage you gently sometimes to try something new or unexpected - that is one advantage of inviting someone else into your 'world' a bit to help you along the way....

Do you use the human givens approach in another employment role?

I use the Human Givens Approach in all the types of wellbeing work I do - I work as a Workplace Wellbeing trainer for a mental health charity - delivering workshops to organisations on applying the HG organising ideas to improve wellbeing both in individual lives and also the organisation as a whole. HG offers a systemic way to look at how systems and process work to assist human beings to get their needs met well enough and in balance, so they are well and have a life that works well.

What do you do for your own self care?

In my own life day to day I apply the HG principles of getting my needs met well enough and in balance - and use many of the tools I pass on to clients to manage the ups and downs in my own life. As we are told on the airlines - put your own oxygen mask on first before you assist someone else.

What did you learn about yourself during your HG training?

I learned some things for the first time and several at a deeper more informed level. One was the huge power of my imagination as a life resource - how I can use it for 'good' as well as 'ill'. Worrying is usually a huge misuse of my imagination, and conversely imagining in my head walking along my favourite beach calms me and my body as much as really being there. The first use of my imagination fills my body with cortisol the stress hormone, which is very damaging to my system both physically and psychologically - while the second fills me with the happy hormone endorphins. Then I feel wonderful and my body is supported and healed. So I learnt to really understand and use the power and flexibility of my mind to create my wellbeing - and how to pass that skill on to others.

Final thoughts

Being a Human Givens Therapist is a joy and a privilege - it is a very rewarding way to earn a living and give back to the world something of value. In my view of the world, mental wellbeing and enabling emotional literacy is essential to a successful life, and I believe the information and support I can offer as an HGT means that more people can access that and use it in their own lives.

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