Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a treatment modality that is designed to help alleviate psychological suffering or symptoms. It takes place within the context of a trusting relationship with a mental health professional. Psychotherapy is designed to help individuals, couples, and families who present with emotional, relational, cognitive or behavioral problems.
Initial Interviews
The initial interview, or sometimes several interviews, serve to make an overall impression of the client’s situation and to figure out a therapy plan. The plan depends on external conditions, such as time and social factors, as well as the internal conditions, such as the symptoms, the client’s motivation and personal possibilities.
Psychoanalytic-oriented-Psychotherapy
An empirically validated treatment that seeks to help people by helping them to understand themselves and their experiences. It is based on the notion that, as well as our conscious ideas and feelings, we are motivated by ideas and feelings of which we are not consciously aware. Client and therapist investigate if these ideas and feelings could be contributing to the client’s problems. These problems could be physical symptoms, difficulties in work or intimate relationships, or simply problems with how we feel about the world and ourselves. In order to understand these unconscious factors, client and therapist explore the client’s present life experiences, as well as early childhood experiences, where present-day difficulties may have their origins. Together, the client and therapist seek to understand ways in which the past may be repeating itself in present-day experiences and relationships. This form of treatment seeks to provide a deeper, emotional understanding of the client’s current problems. It has a focus on hidden meanings, past experiences and the relationship between the patient and the therapist. Those who practice this method attempts to its capacity to change people’s lives in profound and lasting ways.
More information at Vienna Psychoanalytic Academy
What will therapy involve?
It usually takes place twice a week, 45-50 minutes per session, in a sitting vis-a-vis position. The client attempts to say whatever comes into his or her mind, as freely and as openly as possible, while the therapist listens carefully. Together they try to understand the inner life of the client.