Psychotherapy is a process of exploration undertaken by the therapist and patient together. The patient is encouraged to reflect on matters uppermost in his/her mind during regular 60 minute sessions. Feelings, thoughts, wishes, memories and dreams can be explored within the relationship between therapist and patient, and individuals can be helped to understand unconscious processes which affect their everyday thought and behaviour. In this way, Psychotherapy may gradually bring about a greater degree of self understanding and enable the individual to find more appropriate ways of being, and of coping with difficulties.

What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is the provision by qualified practitioners of a formal and professional relationship within which patients/clients can profitably explore difficult, and often painful emotions and experiences. These may include feelings of anxiety, depression, trauma or perhaps the loss of meaning of ones life. It is a process which seeks to help the person gain an increased capacity for choice, through which the individual becomes more autonomous and self determined. Psychotherapy may be provided for adults or children, couples, families and groups.

What is the difference between psychotherapy, psychology and psychiatry?

A Psychotherapist works with people who have emotional, behavioural, psychological or mental difficulties. The work is mainly to encourage the client to talk and explore their feelings, beliefs and thoughts, and often, their childhood. As a result the work is often long term, sometimes more than once a week. Psychotherapists are not trained to diagnose disorders but will often have been trained but will often have been trained to assess if someone is suitable for psychotherapy. Psychotherapeutic approaches may be based on scientific, humanist, psychoanalytical or philosophical thought and many others.