I'm a Scottish psychotherapist working in Oslo. I trained directly with Dr. Gabor Mate in Compassionate Inquiry, a psychotherapeutic approach that helps you uncover the unconscious beliefs you formed in childhood that are still shaping your life today. Sessions are available in-person at my practice near Aker Brygge, or via Zoom.
Compassionate Inquiry is a therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Gabor Mate. It's based on the understanding that many of the patterns we struggle with in adulthood, whether anxiety, relationship difficulties, addiction, or a chronic sense of not being good enough, have their roots in how we learned to survive our early lives.
This isn't about blaming your parents or dredging up the past for the sake of it. It's about recognising that as children, we all formed unconscious beliefs about ourselves and the world in order to stay safe, be loved, or simply survive emotionally. Those beliefs made sense at the time. But as adults, they often create suffering.
Compassionate Inquiry uses a gentle but direct form of questioning to help you recognise those old patterns, understand where they came from, and begin to release them. The process is collaborative. I'm not diagnosing or interpreting. I'm helping you see what's already there, just beneath the surface.
I trained directly with Dr. Gabor Mate and have been practising Compassionate Inquiry for several years. I'm a native English speaker from Scotland, and I've lived in Oslo for over ten years. That matters because so much of this work is cultural and linguistic. If you're an expat, you already know how hard it is to find therapy in your own language. But it's not just about fluency. It's about shared cultural reference points, nuance, humour, and being able to talk without translating yourself.
My practice is at Ruseløkkveien 59, two minutes from Aker Brygge. It's a quiet, private space where you won't be interrupted. If you're not in Oslo, or if you prefer the flexibility of online sessions, I also work via Zoom. The process is the same. The depth of the work doesn't change.
I see a lot of expats who are high-functioning on the outside but quietly struggling on the inside. People who moved here for a job, a relationship, or an adventure, and found themselves dealing with loneliness, burnout, or a creeping sense that something fundamental is missing. Compassionate Inquiry is particularly effective for that kind of work, because it doesn't just address symptoms. It goes to the root.
Sessions are 50 minutes. We work face-to-face, either in my Oslo practice or via Zoom. The first session is exploratory. I'll ask you what brought you to therapy, what you're struggling with, and what you're hoping to change. From there, we begin the process of inquiry.
This might look like me asking a question that seems simple on the surface, but opens something deeper. For example, if you say you feel anxious all the time, I might ask when you first remember feeling that way, or what you believe will happen if you're not anxious. The questions aren't designed to fix anything. They're designed to reveal the unconscious belief underneath the feeling.
Over time, this process allows you to see patterns you've been living with for years, often without realising they were there. Once you see them clearly, they lose their grip. That's when real change becomes possible.
We'll talk for 20 minutes on the phone or via Zoom. You'll tell me what you're dealing with, and I'll explain how Compassionate Inquiry works. No pressure, no sales pitch.
50 minutes, either in-person at my Oslo practice or via Zoom. We'll explore what brought you to therapy and begin the process of inquiry.
Some people work with me for a few months. Others stay for longer. There's no minimum commitment. We go at whatever pace feels right for you.
I'm originally from Scotland. I moved to Oslo over ten years ago, and I've been working as a psychotherapist here ever since. I trained in integrative psychotherapy, which means I draw on a range of approaches depending on what each client needs. But the foundation of my work now is Compassionate Inquiry.
I trained directly with Dr. Gabor Mate, and it fundamentally changed how I practise. It gave me a framework for helping people see the unconscious patterns they've been living with, and a way of working that's both gentle and genuinely transformative.
I work almost exclusively with English-speaking expats. That's partly because I understand the specific challenges of living abroad, loneliness, cultural disorientation, the pressure to make it work. But it's also because I'm a native English speaker myself. Language matters in this work. If you're translating yourself, even slightly, you can't go as deep.
Compassionate Inquiry is particularly effective for people dealing with anxiety, burnout, relationship difficulties, and the unique challenges of expat life.
Persistent worry, overthinking, the feeling that something bad is always about to happen.
Exhaustion that doesn't go away with rest. Feeling disconnected from work, life, or your own sense of purpose.
Low mood, numbness, loss of interest in things that used to matter. Feeling stuck or disconnected.
Loneliness, identity confusion, the sense of living between cultures without fully belonging to either.
Raising children in a foreign culture. Isolation from family support. Identity loss beyond being a parent.
Using alcohol, cannabis, or other substances to cope with stress, loneliness, or emotional pain.
Compassionate Inquiry is a psychotherapeutic approach developed by Dr. Gabor Mate, a Canadian physician and bestselling author. It's based on the idea that much of our adult suffering, whether anxiety, addiction, depression, or chronic relationship problems, has its roots in unconscious beliefs we formed in childhood. These beliefs were adaptive at the time. They helped us survive emotionally. But as adults, they often create pain. Compassionate Inquiry uses a specific form of questioning to help you recognise those beliefs, understand where they came from, and begin to release them. The process is collaborative, non-judgmental, and remarkably effective.
CBT focuses on changing thought patterns and behaviours in the present. It's practical and goal-oriented, which can be very helpful for specific issues like phobias or immediate anxiety. Compassionate Inquiry goes deeper. It's less about changing your thoughts and more about uncovering the unconscious beliefs that create those thoughts in the first place. Talk therapy can be helpful for processing emotions and gaining insight, but it can also stay at a surface level. Compassionate Inquiry uses direct, targeted questions to get to the root of the issue quickly. It's not about talking around the problem. It's about seeing it clearly, often for the first time.
Sessions are calm, focused, and often surprisingly emotional. I'll ask you questions that might seem simple on the surface, but they're designed to reveal what's underneath. For example, if you say you feel anxious all the time, I might ask when you first remember feeling that way, or what you believe will happen if you're not anxious. The questions aren't meant to fix anything. They're meant to help you see patterns you've been living with for years, often without realising they were there. Some people find this process relieving. Others find it confronting. Most find it both. The tone is always compassionate, never harsh.
Yes. Compassionate Inquiry is particularly effective for anxiety because it helps you see the unconscious belief that's driving the anxiety, rather than just managing the symptoms. For trauma, it's also highly effective, but it requires a careful, paced approach. I don't push. We go at whatever speed feels safe. The process itself is designed to be non-retraumatising. We're not reliving the past. We're understanding how the past is shaping the present, and gently releasing it.
Dr. Mate's core thesis is that many of the patterns we struggle with as adults, whether anxiety, addiction, chronic illness, or relationship difficulties, are rooted in early attachment experiences. As children, we learn to suppress certain emotions or aspects of ourselves in order to maintain connection with our caregivers. This is an adaptive response. But as adults, those suppressed parts often create suffering. Compassionate Inquiry helps you recognise what you had to suppress, understand why, and begin to reclaim those parts of yourself. It's not about blaming your parents. It's about understanding the process and freeing yourself from it.
Compassionate Inquiry is a good fit if you're dealing with patterns that feel stuck. If you've tried other approaches and haven't found lasting relief. If you have a sense that your current struggles are connected to something deeper, something you can't quite see. It's particularly effective for people who are self-aware and willing to look honestly at themselves, even when it's uncomfortable. If you're looking for quick fixes or practical advice, this might not be the right approach. But if you're ready to do deeper work, Compassionate Inquiry can be genuinely transformative.
Yes. I trained in integrative psychotherapy, which means I draw on a range of approaches depending on what each client needs. Compassionate Inquiry is the foundation of my work now, but I also use elements of somatic work, attachment-focused therapy, and relational psychotherapy. The goal isn't to stick rigidly to one method. It's to use whatever approach helps you make sense of your experience and find a way forward.
I'd been in regular talk therapy for years before I found Andi. Nothing against my previous therapist, but we stayed on the surface. Compassionate Inquiry with Andi got to the core of why I was anxious in about three sessions. It wasn't comfortable, but it was exactly what I needed. I finally feel like I understand myself.
Andi's questions are deceptively simple. She'll ask something that sounds almost casual, and then you realise it's hit straight at the thing you've been avoiding for years. I moved to Oslo for work and ended up completely burnt out. Working with her helped me see that the burnout wasn't just about work. It was about how I'd learned to push myself since childhood. That shift changed everything.
I was sceptical about therapy in general, but a friend recommended Andi and I'm so glad I went. The Compassionate Inquiry approach is different. It's not just talking about your feelings. It's actually understanding where they come from and why you keep repeating the same patterns. I've been seeing her for about six months now and it's been genuinely transformative.
No pressure, no obligation. We'll talk about what you're dealing with and whether Compassionate Inquiry is the right fit. Fill in the form below and I'll get back to you within 24 hours.
Compassionate Inquiry is a therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Gabor Mate. It focuses on uncovering the unconscious beliefs you formed in childhood that are still shaping your life as an adult. Regular talk therapy often focuses on processing emotions or discussing current problems. Compassionate Inquiry goes deeper. It uses a specific form of questioning to help you see patterns you've been living with for years, often without realising they were there. The process is direct, focused, and designed to get to the root of the issue rather than just managing symptoms. It's particularly effective for anxiety, burnout, relationship difficulties, and the kinds of struggles that feel stuck despite other approaches.
Yes, I'm certified in Compassionate Inquiry. I trained directly with Dr. Gabor Mate through his official training programme. The training is intensive and ongoing, it's not a weekend course. I've also been practising psychotherapy for over ten years, so Compassionate Inquiry sits within a broader framework of integrative psychotherapy, attachment theory, and somatic work. I'm not just applying a technique. I'm using it as part of a deeper therapeutic process that's tailored to each person I work with. My approach is informed by lived experience as well. I'm an expat myself, I've lived in Oslo for over ten years, so I understand the specific challenges of being foreign here.
Compassionate Inquiry is particularly effective for people dealing with anxiety, chronic stress, burnout, relationship difficulties, and patterns that feel stuck despite trying other approaches. It's also very effective for people dealing with substance use, whether that's alcohol, cannabis, or other substances, because it addresses the underlying emotional pain rather than just the behaviour. I see a lot of expats who are high-functioning on the outside but struggling on the inside. People who moved here for work or a relationship and found themselves dealing with loneliness, identity confusion, or a creeping sense that something fundamental is missing. Compassionate Inquiry is particularly effective for that kind of work because it goes to the root rather than just addressing symptoms.
There's no fixed timeline. Some people work with me for a few months and feel they've got what they need. Others stay for a year or longer. It depends on what you're working on and how deep you want to go. Compassionate Inquiry can produce quite rapid shifts, particularly around anxiety or specific relationship patterns, because it gets to the unconscious belief driving the issue rather than just processing emotions. But deeper, more complex work naturally takes longer. I don't push for a minimum number of sessions and there's no pressure to commit long-term. We work at whatever pace feels right for you, and you can stop whenever you feel ready.
Yes, absolutely. Compassionate Inquiry works very effectively via Zoom. The depth of the work doesn't change. I see clients in-person at my Oslo practice and online via Zoom, and the process is the same. The only difference is the physical setting. Some people prefer the structure of coming to a therapy room. Others prefer the convenience of being able to do sessions from home, particularly if they're not based in Oslo or if they travel frequently for work. The choice is entirely yours, and you can switch between in-person and Zoom sessions if your circumstances change.
Yes, very much so. In fact, a lot of the people I work with have already done some form of therapy, whether CBT, talk therapy, or counselling. They come to Compassionate Inquiry because they feel like they've reached a plateau with other approaches, or because they have a sense that there's something deeper they haven't been able to access. Compassionate Inquiry doesn't invalidate the work you've done before. It builds on it. If you've gained insight through other therapy, that's helpful. But if you've found that insight alone hasn't been enough to create lasting change, Compassionate Inquiry can help you move from understanding the problem to actually releasing it.
Sessions are 50 minutes. I can discuss fees during the free consultation, as they vary depending on whether you're working in-person or via Zoom, and whether you're paying privately or through insurance. I don't work with the Norwegian public health system, this is private practice. I do offer a limited number of reduced-fee slots for people who genuinely can't afford the full rate, but those fill up quickly. The best thing to do is book a free consultation and we can talk through the practicalities then.
Start with a free 20-minute consultation. You can book that using the form on this page, or by calling me directly on +47 906 02 994. We'll talk about what you're dealing with, how Compassionate Inquiry works, and whether it's the right fit. There's no obligation and no pressure. If we both feel it makes sense to work together, we'll schedule a first session from there. Sessions are available in-person at my Oslo practice on Ruseløkkveien 59, two minutes from Aker Brygge, or via Zoom if you're based elsewhere or prefer online sessions.
Book a free 20-minute consultation. We'll talk about what you're dealing with and whether Compassionate Inquiry is the right fit. No obligation.
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