What is Psychotherapy?
- Simply, psychotherapy offers you a confidential environment in which you can express your feelings and gain a deeper insight into your difficulties. As a result you can talk about things you might not feel comfortable discussing with anyone else. The aim is to help you find better ways to cope, or to bring about changes in the way you think and behave that will improve your mental and emotional wellbeing.
- If you are hurting inside, or your life just doesn’t seem to be working, talking with friends or family members can sometimes help you feel a little better for a while. However, even the most well-intentioned friend can’t provide you with psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is a treatment process that uses specialised techniques of caring, listening and providing support, insight and/or guidance. The process of therapy has been designed to offer effective, long-lasting help for people suffering from a wide range of difficulties, such as emotional distress, anxiety, relationship strife, fears, a significant loss, or a clinical disorder. Therapy can also help fulfil aspirations for personal growth or self-improvement.
- Psychotherapy has often been called the “talking cure,” since the exchange of words between the client and psychotherapist can appear to be the most obvious form of communication that is going on. In reality, psychotherapy offers a much richer experience than the simple exchange of words and advice. Together with the thoughts and feelings you share and the professional techniques the psychotherapist uses, you will build a relationship that will become an essential part of your therapeutic experience.
- Because the relationship with the psychotherapist is so essential to the effectiveness of the process, it is very important that you find someone with whom you feel a comfortable connection, a therapist who makes you feel understood. As therapy progresses and your trust in the therapist’s non-judgmental acceptance of your thoughts and feelings is established, you will actually use the relationship as an opportunity to reshape significant emotional experiences and work through problems in your life.
- You may be anxious about what psychotherapy entails or what you need to do in the sessions. This is entirely natural; after all, we don’t usually discuss our innermost thoughts and feelings with a stranger. At its most fundamental, a psychotherapy session is an intimate conversation or dialogue in a safe, private, confidential space, with someone who is trained to listen, reflect on what you say without judgment or expectation and to offer insight where appropriate.
What is Supervision?
- I offer supervision of professional work to registered psychologists who wish to develop and grow in their work.
- Supervision is a safe space in which to review your work with clients, to assist you in deepening your theoretical understanding and to enrich your psychotherapeutic work. It is a space in which you can grow, professionally and personally.
- I offer supervision on an ad hoc basis or by regular arrangement.
- Individual or group supervision is available.
What is my approach to psychotherapy?
- My core approach to working with patients is psychoanalytic/psychodynamic in nature. A psychodynamic approach to psychotherapy prioritises the importance of the unconscious and its effect on our everyday lives in understanding an individual and the difficulties they want help with.
- This understanding is rooted in the idea that whatever struggles we have in our daily lives is related to unconscious aspects that we cannot know without a concerted effort, both by us and the therapist. These unconscious aspects are repressed wishes, thoughts, experiences and memories which we are not aware of and which effect the way we think, feel and behave. By coming to know more of our unconscious we gain more control over our choices and thereby live a more fulfilled and uninhibited life. For more information on psychodynamic psychotherapy please click here.
- While my approach is largely psychodynamic in nature, I will also make use of techniques and understandings from other modalities, including Cognitive Behavioural, Systemic, Person-Centered and Existential. These are used to enhance the work we are already doing.
Is psychotherapy confidential?
- One of the core characteristics of psychotherapy is that is offers patients a confidential space in which they can discuss anything they wish to.
- However, and importantly so, there are some limitations to the boundaries of confidentiality. This is mandated by the ethical codes and practices of the Health and Care Professions Council and the British Psychological Society, as well as a requirement of the relevant laws of the United Kingdom.
- The limits to confidentiality relate to information concerning the risk of personal safety of the patient or someone they refer to. In other words, if the patient reveals an intention to harm themselves or someone else (or harm that is or has already taken place), then there is an ethical responsibility for me to ensure the future safety of the patient or the individual they have referred to. This may have to involve the notification of relevant authorities or bodies who can ensure the safety of the relevant parties. In all cases only the most necessary parties will be involved.
- Before any breach of confidentiality occurs, I will explain the reasons for this to you and how I will go about informing the relevant bodies or individuals. In all cases where confidentiality is breached only the most essential information will be supplied.
- I can provide feedback to any referring party on your request and with your explicit permission. If you do not give me permission then I will not provide any information to any third-party. If you do provide me with permission I will provide you with copies of all information sent to third parties.
How long will psychotherapy take?
- For me the goal of psychotherapy is to allow you to live your life in a manner that is less inhibited or constrained, thus allowing yourself to experience pleasure and joy from whatever you take part in.
- This process will be different for each individual, and in some cases may take some time to achieve, but ultimately it should be seen as an investment in yourself and your future.
- Depending on the nature of your difficulties, psychotherapy can last anywhere from 6 months to several years.
Gareth Mitchell 