About how I work
Therapy can be many things — a place to talk, a place to think, or sometimes simply a place to be understood in ways that haven’t been possible elsewhere.
Who Am I?
I’m Kane Solly, a psychologist, psychodynamic psychotherapist, and group psychotherapist. I have a master’s in clinical psychology from Queensland University of Technology, and I am completed a Group Analysis Trainee program through the Australian Association of Group Psychotherapists.
Who do I work with?
I work with adults who are experiencing emotional distress, trauma, identity struggles, relationship difficulties, self-esteem concerns, or who feel stuck in patterns they can’t quite explain.
I work closely with trans-folk, as well as historically minoritized and racially-oppressed peoples. with the bulk of my experience and expertise is in multicultural, migrant, refugee, and asylum seeker backgrounds, or those have lived through experiences of displacement, and violence. Others may not have experienced these things directly, but feel the impact of systems like family, cultural, workplace, or social systems that shape how they see themselves and what feels possible in their lives.
How do we do it?
In our work together, we don’t just focus on your symptoms, we focus on the whole of you. We try to understand:
- how your experiences have shaped you
- how you have learned to cope or survive
- what meaning you have made in order to keep going
- and what might now be getting in the way
How do we do it?
My approach is grounded in psychoanalytic, psychodynamic, and group therapy (Read more about that here and in my blog posts). This means we are interested not only in what is happening right now, but in:
- recurring emotional patterns
- relationship dynamics
- unconscious expectations
- and the impact of past experiences that may still be shaping the present
What do we do?
In our work together, we don’t just focus on symptoms. We try to understand:
- how your experiences have shaped you
- how you’ve learned to cope or survive
- what meanings you’ve had to make in order to keep going
- and what might now be getting in the way
“What about my context?”
I also work with a strong cultural and social awareness. This means recognising that distress doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Distress can be shaped by:
- migration
- racism
- poverty
- family expectations
- political upheavals
- gendered or religious norms
- or systems that make people feel unsafe, excluded, or unheard
Understanding this context can help us avoid placing all of the “problem” inside you.
What will a session look like?
Every session will look different, the therapy moves at the pace that feels manageable for you. Some sessions may involve talking through day-to-day stresses, some may feel like nothing happens, while others may explore deeper emotional experiences or memories and feel exciting or overwhelming. These all form a part of understanding what is going on for you.
The first session will be loosely structured around you sharing about yourself, about what has brought you to therapy, and any questions you may have about me. I also strongly encourage you to bring any thoughts or feelings you have had in the lead up to therapy – some say by reading this and emailing me, the therapy has already begun.
Six major parts of my process
Empathy
More than just sympathetic kindness, empathy is a way towards a felt understanding of your experience, one that goes beyond surface descriptions.
Regularity
Through providing regular and consistent support, we can begin to experience a uniqueness in our understanding of your problems and ways to overcome them.
Curiosity and diversity
Leaning on my diverse readings, movies, activities, experiences, and interests I seek to find news ways to explain old problems that click with you. I also work with a strong socio-cultural and justice lens, considering cultural differences as key to working together,
Systemically-oriented
Understanding that you are part of a broader social system that you are both impacted by, and impact, helps to tease apart responsibility of different agents in your life.
Self-esteem
I work to support a development of a coherent and supportive self-esteem that expresses your core values and supports your ideals and goals.
Holistic
I aim to support your to develop and discover current and new strengths and achievements, whilst acknowledging, working with, and managing those things that hold you back.
Interested to work together? Contact me today.
Kane Solly Psychology 