Therapy is a place where you can explore your feelings, thoughts and behaviours as well as relationships. Together with your therapist you can identify and work on what is causing you distress — either to resolve it, or find a way of accepting it and living with it.
With your therapist you can explore your world and any personal issues that you may feel are getting in the way of your wellbeing. Your therapist will guide and support you while you approach potentially difficult material, painful memories and powerful emotions, and help you get through it. Your therapist will be present with you all the time.
Under the right conditions — where you feel safety, trust and acceptance, and experience your therapist as genuine, real and empathetic towards you — you will be able to experience change and grow.
Naturally, all this will require your commitment to regular meetings. For therapy to work well, consistency is very important. Usually once-a-week meetings are arranged. You may also want to set a specific number of sessions or leave it open-ended.
Therapeutic orientations
Psychodynamic
Based on the theories of Freud. Key aspects include: the conscious, subconscious and unconscious; id, ego and super-ego; transference and countertransference — the latter enter the therapeutic relationship and are used as an integral part of the therapy.
Person-centred
Carl Rogers created this approach. He set out the "core conditions" which a therapist has to hold in order to create the right conditions for the client to "self-actualise". These are: empathy, congruence, genuineness and unconditional positive regard.
Psychosynthesis
Founded by Assagioli (and based on Jungian concepts), this is a more spiritual approach. The most significant elements are the "higher self" and the "collective unconscious". A holistic concept of ourselves, where our physical, emotional and spiritual parts are all considered equal parts of the whole.