What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy uses communication and relationship factors to develop an understanding of our selves and our difficulties. This process can help people to deal with their emotional or psychological problems and live more satisfying and fulfilling lives.

How Does Psychotherapy Differ From a Chat With a Friend?

Psychotherapy is much more than chatting about your problems. It is a professional relationship based on therapeutic theory, principle and technique. It differs from other relationships in several ways:

• When a psychotherapist asks how you are doing, she really wants to know.
• Psychotherapists are trained to understand what you say, how you say it and what you're not saying. They pay attention to your body language and voice tone in order to truly understand you.
• Psychotherapists are trained to understand a wide range of emotional and psychological problems.
• A psychotherapist can help you to identify and understand disruptive and repetitive patterns in your behaviour and how these might link to your relationships.
• Psychotherapists often pose questions you may not have considered before.
• You can talk to your psychotherapist in complete confidence without worrying that the information might affect your job, family or relationships.
• The psychotherapy relationship exists only and solely for the purpose of helping the client. Psychotherapists reveal little about themselves to clients in order that the focus stays on the client.

What is the Difference Between Psychotherapy and Counselling?

Counselling and Psychotherapy are terms that are often used interchangeably. While there are many similarities between the two, the difference is frequently debated in the profession. One view is that counselling tends to be shorter term work with the focus more on resolving specific issues whereas psychotherapy tends to be longer term work focusing on more deep rooted issues, with the aim of facilitating more fundamental changes within the whole of the person.