THERAPY PROCESS
How psychotherapy can help?
WHAT IS THE AIM?
Knowing ourselves
Psychotherapy is about knowing ourselves more deeply so that we can live our lives with greater freedom and flexibility, instead of being ruled by past experiences and in ways we don't fully understand. Meaningful psychotherapy has a purpose. It’s aim is enduring relief of your pain.
PSYCHOTHERAPY PROCESS
"As with most interventions, there is a cost. Not simply in time, money and attention, but also in expriencing the inevitable loss of 'a way of coping', the pull of which while familiar and reliable has nonetheless become painful and disruptive."
Assessment - During the first few sessions I will be asking some direct questions. Mainly concerning your present circumstances and about your history. I will be attempting to build a picture of your life which together we can work with.
Initially, I will take some notes and develop an evaluation of the problems you'd like to work on.
Agreement - At the same time we will begin to establish some goals and consider how long we think working on these goals might take us?
It may be that we choose to work on a specific concern and agree a contract term. Or if the issue is more deep rooted, we might agree to see what develops over an undefined number of sessions (open-ended).
Building a rapport - Over this initial period we will hopefully develop a rapport (or what therpaists calll, a working allaince) . Gradually we should begin to form an understanding of how we work together as individuals and as a pair.
During this period I might remark on what you choose to talk about and how you understand me, in this conxtext. That is to say, I might notice what you bring to me specifically and make suggestions as to what this "way of being" with me, might be about?
The work begins - As we move together through the process - week by week - and as any initial anxieties about the therapy settle, we can begin to consider how (without the presenting issue) life could be different and how this process of change might occur.
PSYCHODYNAMIC COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY
The Psychodynamic model
Psychodynamic psychotherapy is about exploring those aspects of self that are not fully known, especially as they are revealed and potentially influenced in the psychotherapy relationship. New definition. Jonathan Shelder (2025)
Academic papers demonstrating the effectiveness of Psychodynamic Theory
David J. Roseborough. (2005).
Jessica Yakeley & Peter Hobson. (2018)
Falk Leichsenring, et al. (2017).
Peter Fonagy (2015).
Jonathan Shedler (2010).
Christiane Steinert, et al. (2010).
Stephen Briggs, et al. (2017).
Falk Leichsenring, et al. (2013).
