I trained directly with Dr. Gabor Mate in Compassionate Inquiry. This is relational, exploratory psychotherapy that helps you understand the unconscious patterns shaping your life. Available in Oslo and across Scandinavia.
Compassionate Inquiry is different from many therapeutic approaches because it doesn't start with the assumption that something is wrong with you. Instead, it begins with curiosity about why you respond the way you do.
I trained directly with Dr. Gabor Mate, and what drew me to this work is its gentleness and depth. We're not trying to manage symptoms or apply techniques. We're exploring the unconscious beliefs and patterns you developed, often very early in life, that continue to shape your experience as an adult.
Those patterns were adaptive once. They helped you survive emotionally in whatever environment you grew up in. But they may no longer serve you. Compassionate Inquiry helps you see them clearly, without judgment, so you can begin to make conscious choices rather than automatic responses.
Compassionate Inquiry isn't a set of techniques I apply to you. It's a relational practice. That means the work happens in the quality of attention and presence I bring to the session, and in the questions I ask.
I'm listening not just for what you're saying, but for what might be underneath it. What belief is driving that response? What early experience taught you to feel that way? What part of yourself did you have to suppress in order to be loved or accepted?
These aren't questions I'm asking out loud in every session. They're what I'm holding in my awareness as we talk. And when the moment feels right, I might gently bring one of those questions into the room. Not to confront you, but to invite you to look with me.
The pace is yours. Some people move quickly into deeper territory. Others need time to build trust before they're ready to explore certain areas. I follow your lead, not a protocol.
Compassionate Inquiry is particularly effective when you feel stuck in patterns you don't fully understand. That might be anxiety that seems out of proportion to your current circumstances. It might be repeating the same relationship dynamics even though you consciously want something different. It might be difficulty accessing your own feelings, or a sense that you're living someone else's life.
A lot of people come to this work after they've done other therapy and found it helpful up to a point, but something still feels unresolved. They've learned coping strategies, they've reframed unhelpful thoughts, but the underlying pattern hasn't shifted.
Compassionate Inquiry doesn't dismiss that earlier work. It goes underneath it. We're not looking for what's wrong with your thinking. We're looking at what happened that caused you to think that way in the first place.
This approach also works well for people dealing with the long-term effects of growing up in environments where they had to suppress parts of themselves to be safe or loved. You might not have experienced overt trauma, but you learned early on that certain emotions weren't acceptable, or that your needs didn't matter as much as other people's.
Sessions are 50 minutes. We start wherever you need to start. Sometimes that's a specific issue you're dealing with right now. Sometimes it's a broader sense of something not feeling right in your life.
I'll ask questions, but not in a mechanical way. The questions arise from what I'm noticing in the moment, from the subtle shifts in your body language or tone, from the words you choose or the emotions that flicker across your face.
You might notice me paying attention to something you said almost in passing, or drawing your awareness to a physical sensation you hadn't consciously registered. That's because a lot of what we're working with exists below the level of conscious thought.
This isn't about me telling you what your patterns are. It's about creating the conditions where you can see them for yourself. That recognition, when it happens, often brings a sense of relief. Not because the pattern disappears immediately, but because it makes sense. You understand why it's there.
Common questions about this approach, how it works, and whether it might be right for you.
Compassionate Inquiry was developed by Dr. Gabor Mate, a physician and trauma specialist who has spent decades working with addiction, mental health, and the long-term effects of early adversity. The approach emerged from his clinical work and his recognition that many of the issues people struggle with as adults have roots in unconscious patterns formed in childhood. It's not about blaming parents or dwelling in the past. It's about understanding how early experiences shaped your nervous system and your beliefs about yourself and the world.
CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns. It's structured, evidence-based, and often very effective for managing symptoms. Compassionate Inquiry doesn't dismiss that work, but it asks a different question. Instead of "how can we change this thought?", we're asking "why did this thought develop in the first place?" Traditional talk therapy often explores your history and emotions, but Compassionate Inquiry goes deeper into the unconscious beliefs and survival strategies that shape those emotions. It's less about telling your story and more about understanding the meaning you made from your story.
It's not as intense or confrontational as some people expect. There's a gentleness to the process. I'm not pushing you to go anywhere you're not ready to go. A lot of the time, it might just feel like we're having a conversation. But the questions I ask, and the things I pay attention to, are designed to help you notice patterns you might not have been aware of. Some sessions feel quite emotional. Others are more reflective and quiet. It varies depending on what's alive for you on that particular day.
Yes, particularly when anxiety or trauma symptoms are connected to early relational experiences. If your anxiety feels rooted in beliefs about not being safe, not being good enough, or needing to control everything to avoid rejection, Compassionate Inquiry can help you explore where those beliefs came from. For trauma, this approach is effective because it doesn't require you to retell the story repeatedly. We're working with the meaning you made from the experience and how it shaped your nervous system, not just the event itself. That said, if you're in acute crisis or need immediate symptom stabilisation, I'll let you know if a different approach might be more appropriate initially.
Mate's work emphasises that much of what we struggle with as adults, whether that's anxiety, relationship difficulties, addiction, or chronic health issues, can be traced back to adaptations we made as children. These adaptations were necessary at the time. They helped us survive emotionally in whatever family system we grew up in. But they often continue into adulthood even when they no longer serve us. The core idea is that we're not broken or defective. We're responding to patterns we learned when we were young and didn't have other options. Recognising that distinction is deeply liberating for many people.
If you feel like you've been managing symptoms but haven't addressed the root cause, this approach might resonate. If you find yourself repeating patterns despite your best intentions, or if you have a sense that you're not living authentically but can't quite name why, Compassionate Inquiry could be a good fit. It's also suitable if you're someone who values depth and self-understanding over quick fixes. The best way to know is to have a conversation. I offer a free 20-minute consultation where we can talk through what you're looking for and whether this feels right.
Absolutely. I trained in integrative psychotherapy, which means I draw on different modalities depending on what's most useful for you. Compassionate Inquiry forms the core of how I work, but I also incorporate somatic awareness, attachment theory, and elements of other relational approaches. If you've found certain techniques or frameworks helpful in previous therapy, we can integrate those rather than discarding them. The goal is to work in a way that feels coherent and meaningful to you, not to rigidly apply one method.
In-person sessions in Oslo. Zoom sessions available across Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
In-person sessions at my practice on Ruseløkkveien, two minutes from Aker Brygge. Also available via Zoom if you're in Oslo but prefer online sessions.
ZoomZoom sessions for clients in Asker, Bærum, Ski, Lillestrøm, and surrounding areas. Full session quality online.
ZoomCompassionate Inquiry via Zoom for English-speaking expats across Norway. Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim, Tromsø, and beyond.
ZoomOnline sessions for English-speaking clients in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, and across Sweden.
ZoomZoom-based Compassionate Inquiry for expats in Copenhagen, Aarhus, and throughout Denmark.
I'd done CBT before and it helped with managing anxiety day-to-day, but I kept ending up in the same situations. Working with Andi using Compassionate Inquiry showed me why those patterns kept repeating. It wasn't something I could think my way out of because I didn't even know it was there. Now I can see it happening and actually make a different choice. That's been the real shift.
What struck me most was how Andi would notice things I didn't even realise I was doing. Like I'd say I was fine with something, but my voice would change or I'd shift in my chair. She'd gently point that out and suddenly I'd realise I wasn't fine at all. I'd just learned not to acknowledge it. That kind of awareness has changed how I relate to myself. I actually listen to what I'm feeling now instead of overriding it automatically.
I was hesitant at first because I thought exploring childhood stuff would just be blaming my parents or making excuses. But it wasn't like that at all. Andi helped me understand that the way I learned to cope made total sense given what I experienced. That understanding didn't make me a victim. It actually gave me back some control because now I know what I'm working with. I'm not just randomly anxious for no reason. There's a logic to it, and that means I can work with it differently.
I'm a Scottish psychotherapist. I moved to Norway in 2012 and I've been in private practice in Oslo for 10 years. I work primarily with English-speaking expats, which means I understand the specific challenges of living between cultures.
I trained directly with Dr. Gabor Mate in Compassionate Inquiry, and that training fundamentally changed how I practice. I also completed a Masters in Applied Behaviour Sciences and hold a BSc in Psychology. My broader training is in integrative psychotherapy, which means I work relationally and adapt to what each person needs rather than applying a fixed method.
I also offer the Safe and Sound Protocol, a nervous system intervention developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, for clients dealing with anxiety, hypervigilance, or trauma-related dysregulation.
Compassionate Inquiry is a psychotherapeutic approach developed by Dr. Gabor Mate. Where many therapeutic models focus primarily on managing symptoms or reframing thoughts, Compassionate Inquiry works by helping you understand why those patterns exist in the first place. I work with you to explore the beliefs and responses you developed early in life, often without conscious awareness. These patterns usually formed as protective strategies when you were young, but they often no longer serve you as an adult. The process is gentle and curious rather than confrontational. We're not trying to fix or change you. We're trying to understand you. That understanding, in itself, creates the conditions for natural change.
Yes. I trained directly with Dr. Gabor Mate and completed the full Compassionate Inquiry certification programme. The training is intensive and experiential, not just theoretical. You don't learn this approach by reading a manual. You learn it by experiencing it yourself, and then by practicing it under close supervision. I continue to engage with the Compassionate Inquiry community and participate in ongoing supervision and reflection. It's not a technique I learned once and now apply. It's a practice I continue to develop, both personally and professionally. I also integrate Compassionate Inquiry with my broader training in integrative psychotherapy, which means I can adapt the approach to suit your needs rather than applying it rigidly.
Compassionate Inquiry works particularly well when you feel stuck in patterns you don't fully understand. That might show up as anxiety that seems disproportionate to the situation, relationship patterns that repeat despite your best intentions, difficulties with self-worth, or a sense that you're not living authentically. It's also effective for people who've done other therapy and found it helpful to a point, but feel there's something deeper that hasn't been addressed. Many people come to this work after years of managing symptoms without understanding their roots. That said, Compassionate Inquiry isn't about blaming your childhood or dwelling in the past. It's about recognising how early experiences shaped your present, so you can make conscious choices moving forward. If you're dealing with acute crisis or need structured symptom management, I'll let you know if a different approach might be more appropriate initially.
There's no fixed timeline. Some people engage with this work for a few months and feel they've reached a natural conclusion. Others continue for longer because they find value in the ongoing exploration. Compassionate Inquiry isn't a treatment protocol with a set number of sessions. It's a relational process. The depth of the work depends partly on what you're addressing, and partly on how ready you are to explore certain areas. I don't believe in keeping people in therapy longer than necessary, but I also don't rush the process. We review regularly to check whether the work still feels meaningful to you. If you're looking for something time-limited and structured, I'll be honest about whether this approach is the right fit. If you're open to a process that unfolds at its own pace, this could work well.
Yes, absolutely. A significant portion of my practice is online, and Compassionate Inquiry translates very well to video sessions. The core of the work is relational presence and careful listening, both of which are possible remotely. What matters is that we can see each other clearly, hear each other without technical issues, and that you have privacy and quiet on your end. Some people actually find it easier to open up when they're in their own space rather than sitting in an office. That said, if you're in Oslo and prefer in-person sessions, that option is also available. I work with clients across Scandinavia via Zoom, and many have found the process just as effective as face-to-face work. If you're unsure, we can start with one or two sessions and see how it feels for you.
Yes, often this is exactly when people find it most valuable. If you've done CBT, mindfulness-based work, or other approaches and found them helpful but incomplete, Compassionate Inquiry can provide a different lens. It's not about dismissing what you've already learned. It's about going deeper into the underlying patterns. Many clients come to me after years of managing symptoms successfully but still feeling something fundamental hasn't shifted. Compassionate Inquiry doesn't conflict with other therapeutic work. It complements it. If you've developed good coping strategies, that's valuable. Now we can explore why those strategies were needed in the first place. I also work integratively, so if there are elements from your previous therapy that were helpful, we can incorporate those rather than starting from scratch.
Sessions are 50 minutes and cost between NOK 1000 and NOK 1400, depending on whether you're booking individual sessions or committing to ongoing work. I offer a free 20-minute consultation first, so we can talk through what you're looking for and whether this approach feels right. Fees are the same whether we meet in person in Oslo or via Zoom. I don't currently work with insurance or public health systems, so this is private pay. If cost is a concern, let's talk about it during the consultation. I occasionally have reduced-fee slots available, and I'd rather have an honest conversation about affordability than have you avoid reaching out.
The best place to start is with a free 20-minute consultation. You can book that directly through the website, or email me at Andikerrlittle@gmail.com if you prefer. During that call, we'll talk about what's bringing you to therapy, I'll explain a bit more about how I work, and you can ask any questions. There's no obligation to continue after the consultation. It's just a conversation to see if we're a good fit. If we decide to work together, we'll schedule your first full session from there. I work with people in Oslo (in person or Zoom) and across Scandinavia via Zoom. If you're not sure whether Compassionate Inquiry is right for you, that's completely normal. The consultation is designed to help you figure that out.
Book a free 20-minute consultation and we'll talk through whether Compassionate Inquiry is the right fit for what you're looking for.
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