Most people have an idea in their mind of what counselling or psychotherapy is, and they usually get this idea from what they’ve seen on television or on the movies. Often they imagine lying on a couch whilst a bearded Austrian man sits behind them taking notes! Here's some information about what to expect when have psychotherapy with me.
Getting comfortable
Whilst this sort of treatment is still practised – and it’s generally known as psychoanalysis – it’s a lot different to how you will experience psychotherapy with me.
With me (and many other psychotherapists), we sit more or less facing our clients on comfortable chairs. The more comfortable it is, the better it is. This is the sort of psychotherapy I practice.
Working towards the same thing
I'm human too. Even though we have different roles – you have come looking for help and I'm the one attempting to provide it – you and I have a goal in common: we are both trying to pool our resources to work through your problem. It's this that marks the difference between contemporary psychotherapy and older forms of mental health provision.
Taking the time to understand
In contemporary psychotherapy, you can expect that I'll take great pains to understand the difficulties that you are going through and what you are experiencing. To increase my understanding, I may ask questions from time to time; you can respond in any way you want. Many people find that experiencing this understanding is the first step towards getting some relief.