Coming to Therapy
We may use different words to describe what's going on for us when we are looking for therapy: unsure, fed up, low, empty, frustrated, anxious, panicky, over-thinking, unable to sleep, too sensitive, or like can't carry on... Perhaps feeling not in control, not belonging, lost, invisible, wanting to escape, or disappear... It can be overwhelming, taking too much from us. So starting therapy may be the right thing to do.
The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.
Albert Einstein
How Therapy Works
We will address what's bothering you, what you want to be different or what you are looking for. Therapy is where you are to feel understood, free and safe to think out loud, and welcome no matter what you are feeling or what mood you're in. We will talk and I will support you in
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making the changes you want at your own pace,
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understanding yourself and others and what isn't working in your relationships,
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gaining clarity in your current situation and interactions as well as your story, and
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finding better ways to recognise and express your thoughts and feelings so that you feel good or more positive about yourself and others.
Things will start making more sense and you'll start doing or viewing things differently.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is psychotherapy?It's a self-help tool like no other. Psychotherapy helps you to find some answers, deal with fears, try different thinking, experiment with alternative and more helpful conversations and behaviours, filter through what's truly yours and what's acquired etc. It is different from reading self-help books or talking with your friends, family or people you trust. In therapy, you don't need to think or worry that you might be too much, about my opinion of you, my moods, vulnerabilities, my story or character, or that I might have second thoughts, judge, reject or abandon you. I'd like you to regard me as your mirror with an ability to angle and gauge so that you get a clearer view of yourself - what you are, what you can, have and want from yourself and others. My job is to give the clearest reflection possible.
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How counselling is different from psychotherapy?Many view counselling as a more structured format of talk therapy - a set number of sessions with a clearly defined goal. Psychotherapy is to provide a more thorough and therefore longer, therapy work and benefits, as we work through your concerns by understanding and fully engaging all of you.
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How many sessions will I need?It depends on what you can and want. The number can range from a few weekly sessions to many sessions over a few years. To agree on a number of sessions or a length of time might be helpful if you are seeking counselling, which we can talk about at the initial consultation.
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Why I believe that CBT is not enough?Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) focuses on and encourages practicing the thinking that you may want in order to change your unwanted behaviour. This type of therapy offers a lot of helpful tools which we can integrate in psychotherapy. On its own, CBT is beneficial when dealing with issues which are clearly defined, specific, not longstanding or pervasive. In my practice, however, this is rarely the case. We often find that some longstanding beliefs or fears are driving the behaviours that seem to negatively affect a few areas of your life where each presents with different challenges, and thus, calling for more than one approach to deal with through therapy.