Psychodynamic psychotherapy enables understanding of the unconscious drives, defences and conflicts by bringing them into awareness. This can lead to more aliveness, self- awareness, taking ownership, self-avowal, self-acceptance, self-integration, better and healthier relationships with yourself and others, and of course, more authenticity and freedom.
Psychotherapy is not giving advice, coaching or ‘fixing’. It revolves around being curious about you, recognising and understanding you and your experiences deeply; picking up on your patterns, unconscious internal conflicts and your internal relational models. It is about asking questions, thinking , understanding and challenging together. It’s a process that is very much alive, evolving and collaborative.
There is no right or wrong way of being the patient/client. From my experience, the more honest you can be and the more you allow yourself to bring all your parts, the richer the experience will be. My aim is to offer you a safe and containing relationship, a therapeutic alliance that is focused on helping you. I work in an open ended way. Some people stay for a few weeks, some for years. It’s always up to you. Recovery from trauma, PTSD, relational trauma, CPTSD can take a while and longer treatment is recommended. This is usually assessed and discussed during the initial consultation/assessment.Psychotherapy is most effective when attended on a regular basis, at least once a week. I am sometimes able to offer fortnightly sessions, depending on individual circumstances.
Some patients choose to sit in a chair and some lie on a couch. Lying on the couch allows for deeper analytical work.Having no direct eye contact while free associating on the couch can lessen the feelings of shame and enable deeper and more honest ( unfiltered) you to emerge. Again, this is entirely your choice, whatever feels safe and comfortable.
