What is talking therapy?
We all sometimes wonder why we are the way we are. Why do we end up following certain patterns in life and relationships that leave us feeling dissatisfied, unhappy, or constantly striving and hoping for something that never seems to materialise?
Talking therapies, such as counselling and psychotherapy, can help bring to awareness our unconscious motivations, feelings, thoughts and behaviours that cause us to repeat this old stuff. We can then choose to do things differently in the here-and-now. We can be our authentic selves in the world - with less stress, strife, and struggle.
Counselling and psychotherapy work by combining active listening, empathetic attunement, and curiosity-led enquiry to help clients understand and express their thoughts, feelings and behaviour in a safe and supportive space.
Counselling is usually a short-term process (normally 8-24 sessions) that focuses on a specific issue you're facing in the here-and-now (e.g. stress, grief, a significant life event). The aim is to give you sufficient insight and practical tools to cope with the issue at hand, perhaps through a new outlook or perspective on an old problem.
Psychotherapy is a deeper and longer-term endeavour. It aims to facilitate sustained psychological transformation through a careful exploration of your thoughts, feelings, behaviours and experiences. The length of this process could be anything from 6 months to 2+ years, and will depend on what you want from the therapy, the issue(s) you bring, and the depth and speed you want to take it.
How does it help?
Counselling and psychotherapy are proven to be highly effective in treating a spectrum of mild to severe mental health problems, such as: poor self-esteem, stress, grief, loneliness, relationship problems, phobias, panic attacks, PTSD, addiction, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and mood, eating, personality or dissociative disorders.
But talking therapy isn't just for people in crisis or struggling with their mental health. Some people use therapy to learn more about themselves, and find this a deeply enriching and enlivening experience. Many clients see this as crucial for maintaining good mental health and facilitating their ongoing psychological growth.
Finding out about yourself can be a difficult process. It is sometimes extremely painful and draining; but it's also transformational. It can give you deeper knowledge of yourself and your potency, a better understanding of how your experiences have shaped you, and a stronger sense of who you are in relation to the communities and environment you belong to.