FAQ
What is Psychotherapy? How does Psychotherapy Work?
Psychotherapy is a form of talk therapy. The purpose of psychotherapy is to help you manage life’s challenges effectively, improve your quality of life, and overcome those barrier that impede you from enjoying your life fully. The experience of talking freely without shame or fear of judgment is healing in itself; psychotherapy has the capacity to open up resources in yourself, that you were not aware of, and to tap your own inner wisdom.
In therapy we will move freely from the present to past, and back to the present. I will want to know what shaped you in the past in order to help you with todays challenges. We also will explore the present: Your emotions, your relationships, and the triggers that brought you to therapy in the first place. The more insight and awareness you gain, the more freedom you will have in your present. You will be able to make better choices for yourself, to jettison behavior patterns that were developed in the past and no longer serve you.
We will work together. In psychotherapy you are not a passive patient as in a medical procedure. It is a joint effort, at times difficult and painful. Your role is to be as honest as you can. My role is to bring my professional knowledge and skills. Psychotherapy requires active participation on your part, including attendance at scheduled appointments, a willingness to discuss personal problems openly and honestly, and compliance with “homework assignments”.
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When should I seek psychotherapy?
If you feel a deep and prolonged sense of sadness, hopelessness and helplessness; if you feel you cannot function in your daily activities; if you have repeated problematic patterns in your relationships; if you engage in harmful activities to yourself or others, or you simply feel you do not live up to your potential – all these are indications that therapy is needed and can be helpful.
What can I gain from psychotherapy?
Talk therapy brings concrete results for many people. Psychotherapy can effectively decrease depression and anxiety, improve your relationships and can have a positive effect on your physical health. Many times therapy brings about unexpected personal growth.
Why see a therapist? Why can’t I just talk to my friends?
Family and friends can be very helpful and supportive, but they can’t always meet your needs. Psychotherapists are trained mental health professionals, skilled in solving problems like yours, whose approach is both informed and unbiased. Therapy is completely confidential, so you can be sure that anything you tell a therapist, stays with him/her.
Why is medication not sufficient?
Medication may be helpful. In some cases, it is necessary. However, studies have shown that the combination of psychotherapy and medication is the most effective treatment. In addition, the benefit of medication only lasts as long as the medication is taken. The benefit of therapy often remains after the termination of therapy, as it is essentially a learning process. In the long run, therapy is a very cost- effective treatment for people who suffer from mild to moderate depression, anxiety, or life challenges.
