Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy Edinburgh

What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a talking therapy which helps you to explore problems and find solutions.

Whereas counselling is often used to help you cope with recent events such as stress, anger or bereavement, psychotherapy tends to be more  in-depth work for issues such as anxiety, depression, addictions or compulsive behaviour. Psychotherapy explores deeper psychological processes. Psychotherapy is about understanding your inner world and how it affects your life. Knowledge  provides you with an opportunity to choose to do things differently and to become autonomous. Successful psychotherapy results in your symptoms fading, your perspective becoming clearer, feeling more positive, more energetic and more resourceful.

When can psychotherapy help?

You might come to psychotherapy because you feel panicked, tense, exhausted or scared. Or you may feel generally sad, dissatisfied, lost or stuck. Sometimes it’s hard to explain. People may say you look great, but on the inside you feel a mess.

” I came to see Annie a few years ago, to work on some relationship issues. Although therapy can be incredibly hard work, Annie is with you every step of the way. She has a very kind, sincere manner and is not judgemental at all, which was vital in building up my confidence. 

My relationship with my partner has never been better and I’m experiencing much better interpersonal relationships in general. Annie taught me to be assertive, while still remaining kind and loving to others. 

Annie is also on the cutting edge of therapy, and has a broad knowledge. I came back to see Annie last year when I started to suffer from Depersonalisation Disorder, this is where the brain dissociates when you are exposed to long periods of uncertainty and stress, as is the case for me running my own business for the past 12 years. 

I have later come to discover that this disorder is very often misdiagnosed, many therapists put it down as depression or anxiety. I am grateful to have met Annie, it was a terrifying experience and had it not been for her understanding of the disorder, I don’t know how I would have conquered it. I am eternally grateful.”  

Counselling and Psychotherapy Edinburgh

You might come to psychotherapy to explore issues such as:

 Other issues might include life stressors such as chronic illness, difficult work situations and life transitions such as children moving away from home, redundancy or retirement.

Creative block:  Many creative people including writers, actors, musicians, dancers and artists come for therapy to help them to progress or to unblock a creative block or impasse.

Sometimes people report that psychotherapy is like a window where the light gets in.

Relationship difficulties:
Psychotherapy helps to develop a deeper understanding of interpersonal dynamics. When we understand how we behave in relationships, the quality of our relationships can improve. During the course of a day, we interact with many people in many types of relationship. Some relationships can be difficult and cause us distress. People may want to work on problems such as jealousy or problem drinking. Sometimes they have stopped talking meaningfully, or they fear their relationship is failing.

Often the same relationship patterns are repeated with different partners. When we examine our past experiences and patterns in relationships, we increase self awareness to the extent that we can break those patterns. Family relationships can be immensely stressful for people. In therapy we investigate family dynamics and look at ways to change your role within that system. 

Friendships can be an enormous source of support , love and fun, but when, often for no apparent reason, things go badly wrong, we suffer pain, loss and self-doubt.
Work relationships are also cause of stress and anxiety for people. We encounter work-place bullying, intimidation and shunning. In therapy we explore what’s going on and reflect on how you interact with other people so you can understand your relationships better and decide what changes you would like to make.

What happens in therapy?

There will be an initial exploratory session where I find out why you are looking for help at this time. Then we spend a few sessions getting to know each other, getting to understand your life history and the issues we are dealing with. We will generally meet once a week in my office, which is private and comfortable, and we will talk about issues as they arise. I may give direction if we agree that is required. I use my knowledge and training in psychological theory to work out what the problem is and how best to treat it. We will identify your desired changes. Treatment progresses according to your own comfort level. You can usually expect some change within around six to eight sessions depending on the issues you bring and the depth of the problem.

Psychotherapy helps to make old patterns redundant.

In therapy you work out  how you might be stopping yourself from living a happier life. As you gain gain insight, you become aware of your stuck or defended feelings and needs. Instead of being controlled by them, increased awareness helps you to take control and old patterns become redundant.

It’s only words

What you feel can be hard to express. Sometimes it’s hard to find the words to explain what is going on inside. Sometimes it’s easier to express how we feel through images.

When you start to explore your inner self, it becomes clear that you make decisions very early on in life about how best to be you and live your life.You decide how to be with other people. It’s as if  at first you write the script, then you live it out.

You begin to see how you have a broad view with good intentions about how to be, but somehow negative thinking comes in to sabotage you. It’s as if you feed into self-destructive or depressive patterns. As you become aware of these patterns, you will see that it is possible to change them. In psychotherapy you work through patterns and past experiences. You can get rid of negative feelings, such as guilt, powerlessness or shame.

If you would like to learn more about psychotherapy or feel you might benefit from this service, please call Annie on 0777 914 9583  or fill in the contact form.

People who have used Counselling and Psychotherapy Edinburgh have reported an increase in self-esteem or confidence, living more fulfilling lives and being in control of their lives.

Counselling and Psychotherapy Edinburgh