Psychotherapy is a process, at which the psychotherapist assists the client to overcome problematic experience and aspects of life. The therapist leads the client on the way to achieving changes which the client wishes for. Psychotherapy is a curative treatment via psychological means, which brings required modifications in experiencing and behaviour of the person, as well as in their functioning in life, and thus in their personality too. Psychotherapy can be of supportive, therapeutic, or developing character. Psychotherapy as remedial activity is traditionally performed by psychotherapists, mainly physicians and psychologists, who are trained and certified on a long-term basis.
Positives of Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy can be of help at dealing with psychological issues or at confronting difficult life situations, or at coping with painful and oppressive experience. It can be a supportive means at personality transformations and augment comprehension of one´s self. Psychotherapy may also contribute to modification of symptoms and to inner relaxation, as well as to improvement of the person´s attitude both to themselves and the others. It can generally direct the person to a better-quality and more meaningful functioning.
Negatives of Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy often focuses on problematic periods or areas of the client´s life. Sometimes, the client can perceive it as “digging” in unpleasant matters, which might be difficult to get on with for some clients.
Contract
The agreed time of cooperation at psychotherapy is flexible and results from an agreement between the client and the psychotherapist, which takes into consideration the client´s needs and the therapist´s assessment as to whether the form of assistance offered by them can continue helping the client or whether the joint effort is at the end in regard to achievement of the set goals. In case the client does not consider the meetings beneficial, it is good to talk about it. The client can finish the therapy. If they are thinking about it, we prefer they let us know in advance, so that we could terminate our cooperation. In case it is impossible for the client to come to the agreed appointment, we recommend a 24-hour notice.
The contract can take form of a written agreement specifying the number of sittings, price for one sitting, cautionary instruction about the possibility of supervision, terms of an early withdrawal from the therapy.
Our Clinic provides the following services: individual psychotherapy and pair psychotherapy.
The pair therapy focuses on clarification of partner relationship issues and finding mutually satisfying solutions with respect to both participating parties.
Curative Methods
Individual Psychotherapy
Fifty-minutes-long individual sessions concentrate on client’s needs. The sitting is confidential; the client may preserve their anonymity if they desire so. If the client wishes to invite a family member or their partner, they are welcome to join the session.
Pair Psychotherapy
A pair session can be organized according to individual request of the client and their partner. It lasts at least 90 minutes and is directed mainly on solving partnership or family issues.
EMDR
EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a special approach, which is employed within therapeutic treatment of oppressive or traumatic experience. EMDR helps their healthy processing. It is a standardized process based on bilateral stimulation (visual, audio, or contact impulses which alternately agitate the left and right hemisphere).
This psychotherapeutic procedure aids in releasing stress and coping with uncomfortable emotions accompanying traumas and painful experience from the past which settled in the mind and body. The method was evolved by American therapist Francine Shapiro in 1988 and has been trained to more than 14,000 certified psychotherapists all over the world. Some people said that EMDR helped them in one sitting more than any other therapies in many years. EMDR is utilized with diverse types of issues, including rape, problems connected with fighting in Vietnam, traumas caused by natural catastrophes, sexual harassment, and physical abuse. EMDR can also relieve uneasy memories related to criticism, embarrassment, or shame, as well as assist to move on from certain emotionally stressful problems.
By the method of moving eyes from one side to the other and simultaneously concentrating on inner physical condition, the old suppressed and displaced emotions start to surface again and the person comes to realize the temporary character of negative emotions. The process of observing how the sentiment changes teaches the client to take on the Zen distanced approach to strong feelings. The individual describes what they sense, e.g. tension in shoulders or pins and needles in legs, while remembering the experience. Whatever emerges, the therapist only gently reminds: “Just observe it. Just stay with it”, or “Learn from it.” After some time, the emotions which were before sensed as uncomfortable begin to shift, grow or diminish, disappear or manifest in some other part of the body. During the processing, space for peace is created, which can enable positive messages to come forward from the unconscious mind. After an EMDR sitting people often say that what worried and disturbed them does not seem a problem anymore.
This neurologically-founded technique of eye movement stimulates connection between the right and the left brain hemisphere, thus creating conditions for us to be capable of seeing the trauma or the problematic situation differently. Processing of the situation and suppressed emotions in light alpha state results in altered comprehension of the negative experience. EMDR therapy teaches us to cope with negative emotions, stress, and physical pains.
EMDR has not been fully documented by research studies yet. Its efficiency is, so far, scientifically proved at post-traumatic stress disorders. However, clinical psychologists all over the world say that it is one of the most important techniques of the past decades for reduction of traumas. Because effective application of EMDR requires clinical education and practise, workshops are reserved for professionals from the field of mental health care, who have a licence for performing therapies. Team of therapists trained in EMDR worked in numerous war-affected areas, such as Bosna and South America, as well as in territories affected by natural catastrophes, such as Haiti, where they taught the local therapists the technique for releasing traumas caused by war, conflicts, and natural disasters.
Based on the article from The Awareness Journal: Dreaming Wolf.
Diagnostic Methods in Psychotherapy
Diagnostic methods in psychotherapy always respect individual needs of the client, as well as their preferences concerning the psychotherapist. In any case, they presume an intimate relationship between the patient and the therapist. The crucial tools is listening and dialogue, although there are also other standard diagnostic and psychotherapeutic procedures used according to needs.
