Some questions considered ...
What is Integrative Therapy? Will it help? Do I need it? How long will it take? These are just some of the many questions that may be going through your mind, especially if this is the first time you have considered talking to a psychotherapist or counsellor. You're not alone and in this next section I will try and help with some of your questions.
First of all - what is Integrative Psychotherapy?
The way I practice Integrative Psychotherapy is that I look to help my clients find a more satisfactory way of being in their world than they are currently experiencing. We do this by looking at various aspects of your life; history, relationships, feelings, thoughts, behaviours; and work together to find a way of getting them to function and integrate in a way that is more healthy for you. The work we do together is very individual so there isn't a particular type of therapy that we use. Instead I tend to encourage clients explore the different parts of themselves and try to find out what is going on in their "system" and find ways to help that system work in a more harmonious way. This way of working tends to mean I work with Transactional Analysis, Internal Family Systems, Gestalt Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to inform our work.
Will It Help?
My experience tells me that yes it will, however finding the right therapist and starting therapy at the right time for you is key to success. Research shows that the two factors most important in producing successful experiences from therapy are your motivation and our relationship. So, shop around and really consider if you are in the right place to start your journey.
Do I Need It?
Talking therapies are relatively new, perhaps only more readily available in the mainstream from around the 1970's or so. Attitudes to therapy are changing however to some extent are still stigmatised as only for people with mental health disorders or illnesses. This is not my view. I think of psychotherapy and counselling as appropriate responses to emotional difficulty however it is manifesting itself. For me, just like exercise and/or physical therapy is the healthy response (often) to a physical injury or distress, a talking therapy is an appropriate response to emotional injury and distress. It might be labelled anxiety, depression, stress or simply an awareness that things do not feel right. If I am not feeling emotionally well, it makes sense to me to do something that will help me become emotionally more healthy.
How Long Will It Take?
This really is the "how long is a piece of string question". Some clients come for 6 sessions, some for 60 +, it really is down to the individual. I can work on a 6 session basis however my advice is to allow for a minimum of 12 sessions if you can and then we will review. The type of therapy I practice generally requires that you have time to reflect and work through issues and to allow for a trusting relationship to develop between us. My experience is that a longer period of therapy allows this process more chance to be effective.
More questions ?
Please feel free to contact me to discuss any questions you have - I am happy to talk things through with you.
First of all - what is Integrative Psychotherapy?
The way I practice Integrative Psychotherapy is that I look to help my clients find a more satisfactory way of being in their world than they are currently experiencing. We do this by looking at various aspects of your life; history, relationships, feelings, thoughts, behaviours; and work together to find a way of getting them to function and integrate in a way that is more healthy for you. The work we do together is very individual so there isn't a particular type of therapy that we use. Instead I tend to encourage clients explore the different parts of themselves and try to find out what is going on in their "system" and find ways to help that system work in a more harmonious way. This way of working tends to mean I work with Transactional Analysis, Internal Family Systems, Gestalt Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to inform our work.
Will It Help?
My experience tells me that yes it will, however finding the right therapist and starting therapy at the right time for you is key to success. Research shows that the two factors most important in producing successful experiences from therapy are your motivation and our relationship. So, shop around and really consider if you are in the right place to start your journey.
Do I Need It?
Talking therapies are relatively new, perhaps only more readily available in the mainstream from around the 1970's or so. Attitudes to therapy are changing however to some extent are still stigmatised as only for people with mental health disorders or illnesses. This is not my view. I think of psychotherapy and counselling as appropriate responses to emotional difficulty however it is manifesting itself. For me, just like exercise and/or physical therapy is the healthy response (often) to a physical injury or distress, a talking therapy is an appropriate response to emotional injury and distress. It might be labelled anxiety, depression, stress or simply an awareness that things do not feel right. If I am not feeling emotionally well, it makes sense to me to do something that will help me become emotionally more healthy.
How Long Will It Take?
This really is the "how long is a piece of string question". Some clients come for 6 sessions, some for 60 +, it really is down to the individual. I can work on a 6 session basis however my advice is to allow for a minimum of 12 sessions if you can and then we will review. The type of therapy I practice generally requires that you have time to reflect and work through issues and to allow for a trusting relationship to develop between us. My experience is that a longer period of therapy allows this process more chance to be effective.
More questions ?
Please feel free to contact me to discuss any questions you have - I am happy to talk things through with you.