About psychotherapy
Psychotherapy can be hard to describe briefly; it may help to read a psychotherapist's evocative description of his own experience as a psychotherapy client.
Psychotherapy (or clinical psychology or counselling) is what people are referring to when they become aware of your stress or confusion and ask, "have you thought about talking to someone?"
If you have been thinking about this and have begun to look online, you may have begun to wonder about the difference among psychotherapists, psychologists, and counsellors. Click on that link for comments about this. The page "Finding a therapist" has suggestions about the process of identifying and connecting with someone who will be helpful to you.
Even if you have been distressed or withdrawn for a long time, psychotherapy can help you experience things differently. By talking with a psychotherapist about what moves you or worries you or gets in your way, new feelings and choices arise in the space created by a shared focus on what matters to you.
Psychotherapy is based on the belief that we have the potential to live in ways that are personally meaningful and rewarding, and that, if we have been wounded or stifled, we can heal and grow. Psychotherapy asks, "what is preventing this, for you?" The answers are usually not straightforward, and lasting change is usually not fostered by just telling yourself to think more positively. But you can develop curiosity about yourself that continues long after therapy ends, enabling the self-awareness that fosters resilience, connection and vitality.
Two of the most frequent reasons that people come to psychotherapy are depression and anxiety. People also seek help when grief becomes destructive, rather than a source of healing. Workplace issues are another common trigger. Those links take you to comments about these sources and symptoms of distress. As time permits, I'll share thoughts about other topics that might be relevant to you, so check back.
Psychotherapy (or clinical psychology or counselling) is what people are referring to when they become aware of your stress or confusion and ask, "have you thought about talking to someone?"
If you have been thinking about this and have begun to look online, you may have begun to wonder about the difference among psychotherapists, psychologists, and counsellors. Click on that link for comments about this. The page "Finding a therapist" has suggestions about the process of identifying and connecting with someone who will be helpful to you.
Even if you have been distressed or withdrawn for a long time, psychotherapy can help you experience things differently. By talking with a psychotherapist about what moves you or worries you or gets in your way, new feelings and choices arise in the space created by a shared focus on what matters to you.
Psychotherapy is based on the belief that we have the potential to live in ways that are personally meaningful and rewarding, and that, if we have been wounded or stifled, we can heal and grow. Psychotherapy asks, "what is preventing this, for you?" The answers are usually not straightforward, and lasting change is usually not fostered by just telling yourself to think more positively. But you can develop curiosity about yourself that continues long after therapy ends, enabling the self-awareness that fosters resilience, connection and vitality.
Two of the most frequent reasons that people come to psychotherapy are depression and anxiety. People also seek help when grief becomes destructive, rather than a source of healing. Workplace issues are another common trigger. Those links take you to comments about these sources and symptoms of distress. As time permits, I'll share thoughts about other topics that might be relevant to you, so check back.