Reflections Psychotherapy : What is Psychotherapy

therapy

Psychotherapy is a longer term therapy which seeks to assist clients to grow, develop and realise their potential by increasing self-awareness, self-observation, understanding and reflection on experience, leading to freedom of choice in behaviour.  The psychotherapeutic process offers emotional support and assists individuals in changing unconscious patterns of behaviour that may have developed in childhood in order to cope with the stresses and strains of everyday life. These behavioural patterns enabled survival, but as adults we can learn to adapt such patterns to fit more adult situations, so that we may respond in a different way and avoid repeating old childhood patterns. Since these patterns were developed in our childhood and we have relied on them into adulthood, they have become so habitual that we often think that the behavioural pattern is actually our “personality” that this is who I am.

 

Psychotherapy involves learning to identify the defences we are holding onto from our childhood and then helps us to dismantle them through processing the emotional hurt from which they were protecting us. Over time we are then enabled to put in their place more flexible spontaneous defences appropriate to adulthood. The psychotherapeutic process therefore requires a longer time frame than counselling in order for new behaviours to be established and become effective in our lives.

What Psychotherapy can help with…

Grief

Losing someone or something you love or care deeply about is very painful. You may experience all kinds of difficult emotions and it may feel like the pain and sadness you’re experiencing will never let up. These are normal reactions to a significant loss. But while there is no right or wrong way to grieve, there are healthy ways to cope with the pain that, in time, can renew you and permit you to move on.

Depression

Depression — a sad or discontented mood—can leave a person feeling lethargic, unmotivated, or hopeless, and in some cases, depression can lead to suicidal ideation.

A person experiencing depression is likely to encounter difficulty coping with daily stressors and may feel helpless and alone. In fact, sometimes the most mundane of activities—getting out of bed, bathing, and dressing—can feel like an impossible feat. These challenges can leave a person more susceptible to a decline in positive mood, resulting in a negativity bias that informs all experiences.

Anger Management

Managed correctly, and kept in check, anger is an important ally for a healthy adult. But anger has great risks, perhaps more than any other emotion. Anger can alienate us from people; it can lead us to do things we regret. Anger may arise not due to the present situation, but because the present situation reminds us unconsciously of a past experience. Anger may be a habitual defense against feeling sadness or fear.

Relationship Issues

There are times in all relationships (with partner, family and friends) when things don’t run smoothly. Often, this is because people have conflicting expectations, are distracted with other issues, or have difficulty expressing what is on their minds in ways that other people can really hear and understand what is being said. Sometimes they just don’t know what to do to make a good relationship. Psychotherapy can assist clients in enhancing their relationships and working with common relationship problems.

Self-esteem Issues

People with low self-esteem often think of themselves in very critical ways, such as “I’m not good enough,” “I’m a failure,” or “I’ll never amount to anything.” And with these thoughts come painful feelings, such as sadness, anger, anxiety, fear, and worthlessness. People with low self-esteem may find it harder to make decisions, because they doubt that they’ll be successful. They also find it harder to make friends, because they’re shy or they don’t think other people will like them. In addition, people with low self-esteem frequently stay away from situations in which they might be judged, so they avoid taking chances or trying new things, especially when other people are around.

My Psychotherapy Approach:

Change can sometimes be difficult and painful, it may take time and we may require help to implement the changes that we want.  Using a  humanistic-integrative approach, the aim is to work with clients to increase their awareness and support them in making the changes that they desire.  The focus is on the person, not the problem and the goal is for the person to become the person he/she wants to be.

Read about Counselling

Psychotherapy is a longer term therapy which seeks to assist clients to grow, develop and realise their potential by increasing self-awareness, self-observation, understanding and reflection on experience, leading to freedom of choice in behaviour.
Counselling is short term focused therapy with clear goals. It can be very helpful dealing with personal crisis.

Read about Counselling
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