Mr Martinus Claasen, MA

My approach is primarily rooted in existential psychotherapy. Meaning that the challenges people bring to therapy, such as anxiety, depression, conflict, or a sense of being stuck, all involve the larger questions of how we are living, what we believe is important, and what we are afraid of. While my orientation is existential, I draw on other approaches where they are useful: psychodynamic understanding for making sense of patterns laid down earlier in life, mindfulness and somatic awareness for inhabiting the present, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy tools when a specific difficulty calls for them. The therapeutic relationship matters a great deal to me. I try to bring a steady, curious, non-judgmental presence to the room, and I take seriously the trust that goes into this kind of work. Some clients see me for a few months around a specific concern; others stay for longer, deeper work. Both are valid, and what shape the work takes is something we work out together. It is an enormous privilege to be welcomed into the inner worlds of the people I work with. And the courage and creativity I encounter there reminds me, again and again, of why I do this work.