Psychotherapy is a general term used to describe any of a range of psychological services provided by a trained professional that often uses talking or other forms of communication and interaction to treat dysfunctional or unwanted thoughts, feelings, and patterns of behaviour. It is a bit inaccurate to identify psychotherapy as one thing. Different types of therapy can involve different types of specific interventions. As well, the same type of therapy can be experienced differently across various people.
However, at its core, effective psychotherapy tends to be characterized by:
- mutual collaboration between therapist and client
- a safe clinical setting where the client does not feel judged
- a capacity for the therapist to express genuine caring about and emotional attunement to the client's situation
- establishing a clear, understandable framework for why a person experiences distress in the situation in which they find themselves
- some capacity to recognize change that occurs within that framework
But how all of this and many other factors that comprise psychotherapy may help you depends on your specific situation. A free 15-minute telephone call with me can begin to identify some of those specifics and provide a more informed understanding of how psychotherapy might be helpful.
Book a free 15-minute telephone consultation with Dr. Webne