Psychotherapy
“The purpose of psychotherapy is to set people free”
There are a myriad of ways in which a person can facilitate their personal growth and self development; key factors that help in this process could be the people we choose to surround ourselves with and the quality of our interpersonal relationships, through seeking out learning and education, challenging ourselves or undertaking experiences outside of our comfort zone and much more. Though, the most fundamental element in catalysing our growth journey is to have awareness of the parts of ourselves that are interfering with our capacity to reach the highest levels of happiness, reward, fulfilment and ultimately our optimal way of being.
Psychotherapy is the practice of engaging in conversation or “talk therapy” with a trained professional with the aim of improving our core beliefs, emotional regulation, feelings, thought processes and patterns of behaviour which will in turn have a positive impact on our relationship with ourselves, others in our life and ultimately how we live in the world and navigate our experiences. This process utilises evidence-based psychological methods and theories to inform the practice as well as a variety of different approaches that are integrated into the practice based on the unique needs of the client in order to improve their wellbeing.
This practice at it’s essence is the exploration of our internal state with the goal of facilitating greater levels of acceptance, connection, self-worth and understanding of all parts of ourselves which will in turn lay the foundation for us to heal emotional wounds, grow as people and reach our true potential. Within the practice there can be an unraveling, an unlearning of long held attitudes, beliefs and ideas about ourselves, others and the world. Psychotherapy helps us improve upon these elements, though this takes courage as it involves a deep look inwards, stepping into the unknown and ultimately trust in the therapist and the process.
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”
Trust in the Process
There is a common misconception around therapeutic practice that the client comes in, the therapist gives them answers/tells them what to do, the client leaves with this new information and their life improves from there on……this is not how the process works. Think of the role of the therapist as a guide and a curious one at that, through this curiosity and posing the right questions, the therapist receives information from the client and offers their own interpretations back to them in a way that promotes awareness while gradually shifting their beliefs in a healthier direction and facilitates the ability of the client to find the answers for themselves.
At the very core of the therapeutic process is the therapeutic relationship or “alliance” as it is the foundation and bedrock of which psychotherapy and subsequent personal growth and self development is built. Trust and feelings of safety and security are paramount to the process and as a psychotherapist I understand that such feelings are not always immediate as of the first session. Thus, a key component of the process is building trust in the therapeutic relationship through the co-creation of a space of safety that the client feels comfortable in as they share more of their story, explore deeper and connect with themselves as time passes.
The therapeutic process speaks to the ever evolving series of relational interactions between therapist and client throughout the course of psychotherapy. This process begins at the first hello and ends at the final goodbye, throughout that time a part of my role is to truly listen to you, to empathise, to not pass judgement and to truly seek understanding of who you are so that you can more deeply listen and empathise with yourself, be less judgemental toward yourself and to truly understand and connect with yourself. Thus, while academic training and a strong theoretical understanding is crucial, the therapeutic relationship is just as important.
Throughout my career I have had clients describe a “shift” that takes place within their mind and body that builds gradually as our work together progresses and they integrate their growing awareness into their relationship with themselves, others and the world. This process has further been described as an experience that has come about surprisingly yet has facilitated feelings of immense hope and potential for their lives that they didn’t know were possible. This speaks to the power of psychotherapy and springs to mind the words of Irvin Yalom; “How much of life is missed, they wondered, simply by failing to look? Or by looking and not seeing?
“In my early professional years I was asking the question:
How can I treat, or cure, or change this person?
Now I would phrase the question in this way:
How can I provide a relationship which this person may use for his or her own personal growth?”
Psychotherapy vs. Counselling
Essentially, the key differences between these two practices is that psychotherapy embodies depth, a far deeper look into a person’s beliefs, feelings and thoughts throughout time as well as their childhood, developmental experiences and patterns of behaviour with the goal of facilitating personal growth and self development.
Therefore, this practice is typically a mid to long-term process.
Counselling, meanwhile is more focused on addressing and finding solutions to general challenges in life and/or current issues a person is facing. Examples of these could be; relationship or family problems, dealing with grief or loss, concerns around an important decision or stress relating to one’s social life, work and education. Therefore, this practice is typically a short-term process.
These two practices can also be intertwined, for example a person can come with the intention of seeking counselling for a specific concern, this can then evolve into psychotherapy if it is identified that there perhaps lies a deeper reason for the concern. The initial concern will be resolved as awareness is brought to the client as to the “why” it occurred, the client then becomes better prepared to face such challenges the future.
Vice versa, I can be seeing a client for psychotherapy and a concern arises in their lives that they want to discuss and there then becomes a focus on resolving this concern while simultaneously linking this short-term work into the deeper long-term work. Meeting the client in the “here and now” and addressing the concern that is most present for them in that moment always takes precedence based on the client’s needs.
Essentially, the therapeutic space is yours and whatever you want and need it to be, with any direction taken being based on your own therapeutic goals and purpose. Whether you are looking for deeper long-term psychotherapy focused on facilitating personal growth and self development or short-term counselling to address more present concerns in your life, there is a space of safety for you to explore everything.