What is psychotherapy & counselling?

If you have navigated to this section of my website you maybe be wondering what therapy is and how it works. Below I will talk through some of the key areas of the therapeutic relationship and what to expect. It is important to note that whilst a lot of the following information is universally understood within the field of psychotherapy, it also highlights how I practice and the areas I believe are important in achieving positive outcomes.

The Relationship

The therapeutic relationship is perhaps the most important aspect of personal therapy. If you and your therapist do not get along or develop a relational connection then the work can become extremely difficult, and the most common cause for clients to leave therapy early is a breakdown in the therapeutic relationship. The bond between therapist and client is something that requires constant attention through reflective communication and honesty.  

Trust & Safety

Trust is the foundation of a positive relationship and is something developed over time. A trustworthy relationship is essential for clients to feel safe during therapy and supports them to talk about the vulnerable aspects of their life. Trust and safety are established over time through certain behaviours and attitudes which match the individual's working model. My approach is to develop a non-judgemental space where clients feel they can share all the aspects of who they are without worry.

Honesty

Therapy often contains a process which involves learning to be honest, and through this honesty you come to experience a different “truth” as an embodied feeling rather than a cognitive realisation. It means the client and the therapist must learn to be honest with each other and, more importantly, the client must learn to be honest with themselves. This honesty involves learning how to express openly to another person the fullness of your immediate inner experience, by setting aside all your characteristic psychological defences.

What do I talk about?

What you talk about during sessions is whatever is important for you on that day. If you sought therapy for specific reasons then this would more than likely direct the dialogue of the sessions; however it is up to the client to bring this to sessions. Our lives are a rich tapestry of memories, experiences, relationships, feelings, dreams, thoughts and metaphors etc.. Reflecting on all these elements requires the client to willingly bring them to therapy.

Change & Outcome

So far in my experience the questions: "What is change?", "When will I feel better?", "How will I notice it?" regularly come up for clients. The answer to these types of questions are unique for each person and rarely has fixed meaning from one moment to the next. Change can be experience on a multitude of different levels, from insight and/or understanding, to a new experience, or the development of someone's self-esteem etc.. Occasionally change occurs suddenly, in "light-switch" moments or realisations but more often it is a gradual process. Certain patterns of behaviour are hard to change as we have held onto them for so long. It is important to recognise that positive outcome is heavily reliant upon a client's willingness and openness to engage in the change process. It is not the only contributing factor but is probably the biggest.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is an integral part of my code of ethics. My understanding is that for people to feel comfortable talking about private and revealing information, they need a safe place to talk about anything they'd like, without fear of that information leaving the room. I take your privacy very seriously and would only ever disclose personal information in cases of emergency.

For more information I recommend the following website; please note it is an American site but has good detailed information.