What does therapy entail?

Therapy can help you get a deeper insight into the different situations that occur in your life and explore new ways to solve problems. Of course, you can talk to friends and family, but there are many benefits in meeting a professional – someone that isn’t involved in your previous experiences and isn’t in a personal relationship with you.

You should feel safe and comfortable in your therapy sessions knowing you are speaking to a professional with a four-year education in counseling, using skills to listen, support and meet your needs in an empathetic manner. Therapy will help you prioritize and choose new paths so that you can feel more satisfied and content with your life.

Together we will decide what you can expect from therapy depending on how much time and money you are willing to invest.

Therapy forms: 

Psychodynamic therapy

Is originally based on psychoanalysis but has developed since then through other forms of psychology. All theories and methods are evidence based and the focus is to solve and diminish the patient’s inner conflicts. The idea is to go back to childhood memories and experiences to see if there is a correlation between the problems that exist in the patient’s life today. In couple and relational therapy, the psychodynamic approach explores each individual’s feelings, needs, motives and other relations in order to get a better understanding of their life history and the couple’s/relationship’s history together.

Psychosynthesis

A transpersonal form of psychology which includes the mind, emotions, body and soul. The goal is to create a balance and harmony between the conflicting forces within us. Psychosynthesis was founded nearly 100 years ago by Roberto Assagioli, a psychiatrist and student of Freud, who broke away from psychoanalysis and included inspirations from religion, philosophy and modern medicine in his work. It is a holistic approach and the belief is that every problem or shortcomings includes a seed for personal growth. The focus is on the will, roles, attitudes, beliefs and goals. Psychodynamic methods are used to explore childhood memories and experiences which can influence the problems we face today.

CBT

CBT is a psychotherapy method where the focus is to change dysfunctional thoughts – feelings – behaviour patterns that cause psychological problems and suffering. CBT is structured, active and promotes knowledge and insight. Focus is on the present and future, rather than on the past. We will together investigate and chart the thought-feeling-behavior patterns in different situations and try to understand how these cause us to feel bad. From there we try and formulate alternative thoughts/behaviors. Psychoeducation is learning more about one´s symptoms and find ways of dealing with them in a more adequate way. Homework is an important tool in CBT and functions as a link between sessions as well as giving a good opportunity to practice new things in line with what one would like to change. ACT, CFT, Mindfulness based are some examples of “Third wave CBT therapies”. These have a non-judgmental, kind, accepting approach in common, as well as a focus on the present moment.

Schema therapy

Schema therapy is an evidence-based, innovative and integrative therapy form, developed by psychologist and researcher Dr. Jeffrey Young, PhD. in the United States created for the treatment of more elaborate and complex problems where traditional CBT has not proved effective.
Schema therapy is a well-researched type of psychotherapy influenced by CBT, Emotion Focused Therapy, attachment theory, gestalt therapy and psychodynamic therapy. Unlike traditional CBT, schema therapy has a greater focus on long-held patterns of negative feelings, thoughts and behaviors which may have originated during childhood and adolescence. It is especially effective for long-term depression and dissatisfaction, dysfunctional coping skills and personality disorders. Ideal for clients who want a deep exploration of various difficulties that they have in life.

ACT

Acceptance Commitment Therapy is stemmed from CBT. The technique helps you to live in the present moment through the use of mindfulness and other experiential exercises. This form of therapy is evidence based and allows you to become aware of the different parts of the self including thoughts, emotions, senses, and body. The main focus is to learn how to accept both pain and pleasure instead of avoidance while moving in the direction to a more meaningful life

Emotionally Focused Therapy – couples

EFT is usually a short-term (8-20 sessions), structured approach to couples therapy formulated in the early 80’s by Drs. Sue Johnson and Les Greenberg. Research studies find that 70-75% of couples move from distress to recovery and approximately 90% show significant improvements. In EFT the focus lies around promoting a safe and secure connection between the partners and not around who is right and who is wrong. With the therapist’s help the couple gets new insights into what causes the conflicts on a more emotional level in aid of finding new ways out of destructive patterns. The work promotes better communication as well as finding more supportive and positive ways of relating for long-term strengthening of the couple’s bond.

Systemic therapy

Systemic therapy is a form of therapy that sees psychological problems as emerging within a context of past and present relationships with others. A systemic therapist will encourage openness to and understanding of each person’s way of seeing the problem. He or she will also explore in detail how each individual feels about the situation and their reactions. This method will aim to challenge and shift the destructive pattern and encourage change, in order to promote more positive ways of relating between the individuals within a couple, relationship or family.