Psychotherapy is a way of working through psychological or emotional difficulties. People seek psychotherapy for many different reasons, including grief, substance abuse, relationship challenges, as well as a wide variety of mental health disorders. There are many different schools of psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioural, rational-emotive, and person-centred. All are based on the same overall concept—that a therapist and a client working together can overcome even the most immense challenges.

Why use a professional therapist?

Many people wonder why they should engage a stranger to help them work through their difficulties rather than simply talking to a friend or relative. In reality, the fact that your therapist is a stranger provides a layer of objectivity and professional distance that your loved ones cannot provide. It is the same principle that prevents medical doctors from treating those with whom they have existing relationships.

In addition, a therapist is specifically trained in techniques that will help you make your own examinations of the situations in your life and draw your own conclusions. Rather than pushing you in a specific direction or trying to make you accept a particular point of view, your therapist will guide you toward asking and answering your own difficult questions. You are encouraged to explore as many aspects of your life as you desire, including the therapy process itself. The therapeutic relationship is unlike any other, as it is fully transparent and supportive, but ultimately one-sided. Unlike your loved ones, you have no personal responsibility to your therapist beyond basic respect, trust, and honesty.

Types of therapy

There are innumerable types of therapy, from long-term Freudian psychoanalysis to short-term cognitive behavioural therapy. Each is rooted in a particular school of psychological thought and grounded in a specific set of beliefs about the human condition. While some therapists work entirely or primarily in one specific form of therapy, it is much more common today to find an eclectic approach that draws from many different types of therapy.

Misconceptions about Psychotherapy

Although there are many common misconceptions, modern psychotherapy is a partnership. You and your therapist will form a therapeutic relationship based on trust. In a safe and non-judgemental environment, you will work together to identify the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that are holding you back, and to replace them with healthier alternatives.

Your Approach to Therapy

The appropriate approach for you is the one that best suits your difficulties, concerns, and therapeutic goals, as well as your current life situation. For example, a married couple might each undergo person-centered therapy to work their way through their individual challenges, while also undertaking couples therapy to improve the communication in their relationship.

Psychotherapy Treatments in London

Your treatment plan is uniquely tailored to your needs. For example, you might be assigned homework, in which you practice new behaviours that were identified in therapy, or asked to write in a journal in between sessions. In addition, while psychotherapy is most often performed in a one-on-one setting, if your situation calls for it, your partner, children, or other loved ones might be asked to join for one or more sessions.

Are you are seeking compassionate, understanding psychotherapy from a highly trained and qualified therapist in London?Contact me today on 020 7096 8854 for a free, no-obligation 20 minute consultation. I tailor each therapy specifically to you, through my flexible approach to therapy.  Let’s take the first step toward your emotional health and well-being together.