My Approach
Welcome to my webpage. I would assume that if you are reading this, either you are or a loved one is considering seeing a psychologist. Reasons might include that you or they are experiencing distressing feelings and thoughts, problems in relationships, or perhaps feeling blocked in self-growth and the desire to live a meaningful life. My website aims to provide you with some general information about psychotherapy and my specific approach to it.
The decision to see a psychologist can be a difficult one to make. A reason for this is that many people do not know what to expect. It might even require a few sessions for you to make an informed decision regarding whether it will be helpful or not.
Generally speaking, psychotherapy is about establishing a unique, professional relationship between you and a therapist through regular sessions over a period of time. It is based on pillars of non-judgment and confidentiality. The relationship requires commitment and responsibility from both patient and therapist.
During sessions, you will have opportunities to talk about and gain a better understanding of yourself, including how you think, feel, and behave. A better understanding of yourself should create insight into what is causing you to feel the way you are feeling and what you can potentially do to change unhelpful self- and relationship-patterns.
There is much research that demonstrates the effectiveness of a committed psychotherapeutic process. However, it is also important to understand that change requires time. Although a person might experience immediate relief, the process is not always easy. Exploring stressful emotions, thoughts and experiences can be uncomfortable at times. The safety of the confidential space can help to lessen distress but honest communication with the therapist is needed in order to work at a ‘pace’ that feels comfortable to you.
My therapy method is informed by existential, psychoanalytic, and cognitive theory. What this means is that we will aim to develop both self-understanding and clarity regarding your life-wants and relationships through exploring your present and past experiences. The therapy sessions can include both interpretations and reflections of session content or whatever you might bring to the therapy process. I see therapy as a collaborative process. Where appropriate, I employ life skills training - specifically critical thinking skills, communication skills, goal setting and life planning.