Experience Therapy for Better Living
in Hamilton, New Zealand, by
Dr Wilme Steenekamp
MD, Psychologist, SEP, Speaker
Life can be tricky right?
Life can be filled with unexpected challenges, leaving us feeling stuck and unsure of how to move forward. If you’re facing difficulties and seeking a way to live a more fulfilling life, I’m here to help you break free from these obstacles. Together, we can work towards a brighter, more empowered future.
Welcome to Sweet As Therapy
I specialise in helping individual adults and couples break free from trauma through integrative Attachment, Trauma, and EMDR therapy approaches. I use an integrative approach applying different therapeutic modalities.
While my current focus is on working with individuals and couples, we are passionate about expanding access to our transformative services. That’s why I’m in the process of developing group programs to make Sweet As Therapy more accessible to a wider audience.
If you’re ready to break the chains of trauma and embark on a journey towards healing and growth, I’m here to support you every step of the way.
What Psychological therapy is about
Psychotherapy creates an emotionally safe space in which we connect. I am there for you and intensely attuned to your emotional and behavioural processes – as individual and in relationships. You teach me what is going on for you. We become a team and I facilitate how you learn about why you are feeling and doing what you do.
Then we work on your healing, literally re-wiring your brain. These insights make it so much safer for you to re-connect with others. Over time, you feel the relief of this happening within yourself and within your relationships.
Wired For Connection
Humans are wired for connection. Relating is extremely important to our wellbeing and success in life and work.
In my work I focus on helping people achieve quality relationships, regardless of their past or current traumas. [refer to a section early on in the business plan] At Sweet As we work to increase emotional awareness, understand more about yourself, and your partner, train you on tools to help you with self-regulation and improved communications/ relating.
Attachment Trauma
Attachment refers to how we learned to be safe as infants. How to regulate emotions and to effectively make important others aware of our needs. There are different styles of attachment which significantly impact how we relate to others and the environment.
Attachment traumas happen when the caregivers do not respond accurately to the infants needs for feeling safe, nurturing, play and feeling important. In this case the trauma revolves around what the child lacks rather than a specific traumatic act.
Consequently coping mechanisms developed and are often subconsciously triggered even in adult years, presenting as sub-optimal and unhelpful reactive behaviour.
Neuroplasticity
It is possible to re-wire the brain! This is called neuroplasticity.
At Sweet As we include a lot of somatic therapy using techniques such as EMDR, Attachment infomed EMDR, Internal Family Systems etc. This kind of therapy helps people to feel co-regulated, safe and predictably held. This creates a safe and supportive environment for individuals to have corrective experiences, which in-turn rewires the brain, also called healing. The advantages of these kinds of therapies are faster results and they also create a stronger platform to improve dealing with future challenges in life.
Latest blog articles
Relationships and Sex
Relationships and Sex Some Sweet As information and resources on the subjects of Relationships and Sex. Relationships can be successful, and sex is an important aspect of many relationships. It's perfectly okay to talk about these topics. Support is available, and...
Making sense of Attachment theory
Making sense of Attachment theory – feeling safe enough to be confident to connect deeply as well as explore confidently I like to explain Attachment theory as way of understanding human behaviour – starting from way, way, way back. Long ago Freud said that human...
Why see a Psychologist?
In this video I give some context of why it is helpful te see a psychologist. The way we live as humans have become extremely complex and this often causes people to get stuck or struggle. With some new perspectives, a Psychologist can help you understand yourself...
Speaker
I enjoy sharing information!
One way of doing this is to address groups in the form of seminars and interactive workshops.
I have lots of experience in developing and presenting to a big variety of audiences and enjoy the challenge of engaging with every audience!
Current focuses are on the following:
- Vicarious Trauma in Healthcare Professionals and First Responders
- Understanding Attachment Theory and Attachment Informed Therapy
- Interpersonal Neurobiology – why it’s important to understand what’s going on in the brain and body