Adult Individual Therapy

One of primary motivations that cause a person to seek therapy is psychological discomfort caused by internal or external stressors. The initial phase of therapy will focus on building a relationship. The first few sessions are used for an assessment and to slowly get to know more about the individual presenting for therapy. This is also a chance for the client to get a sense of the therapist and how he or she works. Once the assessment is done the client and therapist will try to decide on some goals and a treatment plan. The process of therapy often requires weekly meetings where important concerns or goals can be discussed. The therapy space should allow for the expression of any doubts, emotions and questions. I am always open to listen to feedback about my behaviour as a therapist.

I am influenced by the psycho-dynamic way of working. It is helpful as it focuses on the causes of problems and not just the symptoms. One of the fundamental assumptions held by the psycho dynamic theories is the existence of an unconscious mind. The unconscious process is always at work making sense of experiences and can also have an influence on the way we see our selves and our perceptions of others. Through weekly therapy sessions it is possible to gain insight into the unconscious motivations for our behaviour. With a greater knowledge of ones self we can discover different ways of thinking and being in our lives.

The process of self growth or healing is unique for every individual. Consequently the way that I work evolves differently with every client. The client is invited to share thoughts and feelings that come to mind each session. This technique of free associating in the therapy room allows for a window into the unconscious mind. The process and content of sessions can than be used to illuminate different parts of the mind. With each level of self awareness there are important emotions and memories that emerge. The pursuit of self knowledge can be the first step on the road to creating change in a person’s life. It is seldom a straight forward process though. Valuable destinations in life often take courage and determination to reach.

The length of the therapy process

Each person has different needs and financial concerns that can affect the length of therapy. The end of therapy is often prompted by a reduction in symptoms and hopefully greater comfort throughout every day life. A short course may be 3 months while longer treatments could take a year or several years. The final date for therapy will often be decided in advance as it important that the client can have time to say goodbye to the therapist and think about the meaning of the work that has been done.