What Is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a process through which a therapist helps relieve an individual's distress, assists in learning to deal more effectively with day-to-day situations , and guides in exploring the factors that may be interfering with the person's realizing their potential or attaining their goals.

There has been much research on whether therapy is actually helpful and the answer is a definite yes. Studies indicate that people treated with therapy are better off than 80% of those in untreated control groups. For depression and anxiety, specifically, therapy seems to work as well as medication and it's not clear that the two together work better than therapy alone (1). And surveys of former clients suggest that a majority believe that the experience was helpful for them ( Consumer Reports). Interestingly enough, that same survey suggested that, the longer the individual had remained in therapy, the more satisfied he or she was with the outcome(2).

Are There Different Kinds of Psychotherapy?

There are many different theories about psychotherapy and many different ways of working with clients and their problems. But, the research suggests that there is no one way of doing therapy that is "right" or that works best for all problems or for everyone. To quote Freud, who really started all this, "There are many ways and methods of practicing psychotherapy. All that lead to recovery are good." An effective therapist will develop a treatment plan with and for a specific client rather than expecting all clients to fit into a particular model. Nevertheless, therapists tend to have preferences in the types of approach they are most comfortable with and which they find helpful. The most important factors are that:

• the client feels respected and listened to,
• the therapist conveys honesty and genuineness, and
• the interaction allows the client to express even painful thoughts and feelings.

Why Do People Come To Therapy?

The old belief was that only people who are mentally ill or emotionally weak seek therapy; that "normal" people can work out their own problems. But, the reality does not match that belief because people decide to enter therapy for all sorts of reasons. Some believe that their lives are not as full or productive or as happy as they might be. Some are having problems relating to spouses, children, coworkers, or employers. Some see that they are repeating patterns that don't really work very well for them. Others come with spouses or other family members in order to understand and change the things that are causing pain , interfering with closeness or making communication difficult. And some are feeling so much distress that they are having trouble with day-to-day responsibilities. Specific issues that might bring someone to therapy include:

• depression and anxiety
• sexual abuse concerns
• concerns related to family of origin
• sexuality
• life transition (divorce, retirement, etc.)
• parenting, step parenting, and grandparenting
• spiritual or religious concerns
• relationship and family issues
• loss and grief

People of all ages and backgrounds come to therapy and all can benefit. Of course, those who are serious about making changes, who are optimistic about the process, and who are willing to look at themselves and their motivations honestly benefit more.

How Does Therapy Work?

Generally, the initial session provides an opportunity for the client and the therapist to begin to get to know each other and make decisions about whether they can work together - whether the therapist believes that he or she can help that particular client with that particular problem and whether the client feels conformable enough with the therapist. The client and the therapist meet, most typically, once per week.

Some therapists suggest "homework," things the client might do between sessions to help the process. This may involve reading, trying a new behavior, or talking to someone about a concern. These ideas are always optional and many therapists do not make use of such assignments.

What Should I look for in a Therapist?

As mentioned above, the most important issue is whether the client feels safe and comfortable with the therapist; however, there are a number of areas which the client may want to explore with a prospective therapist. For example,

• What is the therapist's training? Is he or she licensed or certified?
• What experience has the therapist had and how much has he or she worked with the specific areas concern?
• How does the therapist handle differences of opinion or perspective?

More information on finding a good therapist is offered here:

http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/choosetherapist

What is Available At Sanctuary?

Psychotherapy is available for individual adults, adolescents and children as well as for families and couples.

For more information, contact Sanctuary.