PSYCHOTHERAPY

The way I practice psychotherapy involves:

  • a longer contract than counselling, (over 20 sessions), or…
  • an open-ended contract, (where the client terminates when they feel the need).

Psychotherapy, compared to counselling, involves a deeper focus on self-exploration, self-understanding and working through of long-standing issues rather than temporary life problems.

Where some issues may be resolved within a few months often clients commit to work lasting several years. 

One area psychotherapy is beneficial in is:

  • In exploring and resolving enduring and problematic patterns and themes in the client’s life. Often these patterns are related to early developmental relationships or various strong/traumatic experiences in one’s past which have not been processed or resolved.

These enduring patterns and themes could be at the heart of experiences of:

  • Anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.
  • Difficulties forming and maintaining healthy relationships.
  • Legacies of trauma and abuse.
  • Unresolved grief and loss.
  • Difficulties with addictive behaviours.
  • Unexplained somatic/psycho-physiological complaints.
  • Issues of sexuality and gender.

Working with the above issues in psychotherapy often involves creating a trusting and safe relationship which may take some time to cultivate between client and therapist.

A second area psychotherapy can be beneficial in is:

  • As a space to explore the possibilities for a deeper connection to life, to exploring continuous growth and to living more creatively.

In my psychotherapy practice I also work with clients on more growth and self-actualization concerns such as:

  • Exploration of life-purpose and meaning in life.
  • Deepening exploration of self-understanding.
  • Accessing creativity.
  • Supporting optimal health and life-style changes.
  • Exploring the mind-body relationship and how to live a more embodied life with greater vitality, intention and presence.
  • The integration of day to day and spiritual/transpersonal concerns.

HERE is a link to a brief article I wrote about the difference between counselling and psychotherapy.

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