Bonnie Grotjahn

A bit about me...

I'm originally from the US (probably the 'therapy capitol' of the world!) and have always loved getting to know and understand other people and cultures. I got my BA degree from Yale University in Russian and East European Studies, then ended up living and working in Russia for 7 years in the 1990s. I've been interested in what makes people tick and personal development since my student days, but it wasn't until I came to the UK in 1999 that I started training as a humanistic psychotherapist.

At uni I had my own first experiences of being on the receiving end of counselling, as I struggled with procrastination and binge eating. Although the counselling was definitely helpful, the counsellor's style was not to say very much, and I found this cold and intimidating. This is no doubt why I ended up training at Spectrum in North London, where the emphasis was on building good working relationships and it was a more experiential rather than academic training. No doubt too this is what has led me to be approachable and friendly with clients, especially those who haven't had therapy before and may feel daunted at the prospect. Working on ourselves can definitely be a tough and painful ride! So it's important to be a safe pair of hands for those clients I work with.

Why 'Twinkle in the Eye Therapist?' This phrase first came to me when I was thinking about how I encourage and challenge clients to try out new ways of looking after themselves, being in the world or communicating. I sometimes give my clients 'homework' - something to try out or do in between sessions. When I know that what I'm inviting them to do will probably feel challenging, that's when I do it with a smile and a twinkle, because so often a bit of humour and lightness helps make something serious or tough feel more possible. A twinkle in the eye may also refer to that sparkle you have when you are enjoying life, even with all of its challenges and dark days: a sign of real resilience. I can hope that each client I work with will rediscover that twinkle for themselves by the time our work finishes.

In addition to therapy I also run Action Learning sets, which are peer coaching groups for self-employed people. To all my work I bring warmth, humour and wisdom from life experience as well as extensive training.

Particular areas of interest: bereavement/loss and grief, midlife transitions, chronic illness journeys, communication issues

Real networking
for women in business

Women Mean Biz

pro Member - Stroud

Bonnie Grotjahn Psychotherapy & Counselling

Connect with me

A bit about me...