Psychotherapy

Broadly speaking, Psychotherapy refers to any type of talk therapy which aims to identify and work through painful and difficult patterns or experiences that you find yourself stuck in and unable to shift alone. Certain difficulties may be amenable to short term treatment though research suggests that change tends to be deeper and more long lasting when the work is longer term and when therapist and client meet at least weekly for a period of time. You will work in close collaboration with your psychotherapist to identify your needs and goals and develop a treatment plan specific to your unique situation and context.

Psychotherapists treat all types of people and tend to focus on the specifics of your experience, rather than working with symptoms or diagnosis. With that said psychotherapy can be beneficial for a wide range of difficulties including Depression, Generalised Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Personality Disorders, Trauma and Grief and Loss.

There are over 500 different models of psychotherapy, each with its own theories of change and techniques to address various challenges of living. Research suggests that only about 15% of the change in therapy is attributed to the specific treatment approach. The remaining factors include the therapeutic relationship, common factors shared across all models, and extra-therapeutic factors like hope and client expectations. This research has lead to a push for integration in the field and a synthesis of common factors across all model.

“Psychology may be a science, but psychotherapy is an art”

-Nancy Mcwilliams

The Integrative Approach…

Integrative Psychotherapy takes into consideration various dimensions of human life, including biology, culture, emotions, cognition, behaviour, and spirituality, and recognizes that different therapies target and work with different areas of the human experience.

Integrative Psychotherapy differs from other approaches in the sense that individual experience is valued over any one specific treatment approach. We draw upon a range of therapeutic models and approaches depending on your situation, goals, and history. The foundational assumptions of integrative psychotherapy are that;

  • Each individual is unique and thus no therapeutic modality can adequately explain your experience

  • We are all engaged in a process of development throughout our lives that shapes our personality, values, and identity

  • The environment, in particular the social environment plays a crucial role in this development

  • The past influences the way that we experience the present

  • Secure relationships form the building blocks of a sense of self

Therapy is a space in which you will engage in an open conversation which includes but is not limited to your history, your story, and emotional world in the context of a supportive and non-judgemental relationship, which values and fosters your agency, emotional development and sense of self. Ideally, the process of psychotherapy enriches your life and relationships, restores a sense of meaning and hope and gives you the resources to cope with life’s ongoing challenges once therapy is finished.

Throughout the process of therapy, your therapist will pay close attention to your personal and interpersonal experiences, you will work together to identify the ways in which your relationships with your self and others restrict you from living in more open and liberated ways. Often times these themes will repeat themselves between the therapist and client, in which case the therapeutic relationship will be used as a ‘live playground’ to identify patterns and problem solve new ways of relating.

Psychotherapists undergo rigorous academic and professional training and are often required to undertake their own therapy as a part of training. They engage with ongoing clinical supervision and professional development as a part of their registration.