| What is Psychotherapy? Psychotherapy is a way of exploring and resolving those things that hold us back from success and happiness. For some, this may mean looking at the way in which we communicate with others. Problems may simply lie in our miscommunication with other people or patterns of misperception of other's intentions.
For other people, problems may be more complicated and may involve examining and resolving long standing patterns of behavior or relationships. Over the course of our lives, experiences and relationships shape the development of our adult "personality". This personality is our connection to the world and as such, should serve us well in all aspects of our lives. Often, however, this developed personality may not represent us well in the world, leading to stress, conflict or serious mental ilnesses such as depression, anxiety or possibly substance abuse. Psychotherapy aims to resolve such conflicts and restore functioning to a more adaptive and beneficial level, enabling relationships which are more rewarding and fulfilling.
There is no "right" or "wrong" way to use psychotherapy, there is no "right" or "wrong" issue to address in our work. The most important thing is that the experience is useful to you. I strongly believe in having you decide your own goals for treatment and your own measures of success.
How will I know if therapy is working well for me? As you begin psychotherapy, we will establish clear goals for our work. Perhaps you want to overcome feelings of hopelessness associated with depression. Or maybe you would like to control a specific fear that disrupts your daily life. Keep in mind that certain tasks require more time to accomplish than others. You may need to adjust your goals depending on how long you plan to be in psychotherapy.
After a few sessions, it's a good sign if you feel the experience truly is a joint effort and that you and I enjoy a good rapport. On the other hand, you should be open with me as we work together - you can feel free to let me know if you find yourself feeling 'stuck' or lacking direction once you've been in psychotherapy for a few sessions.
People often feel a wide range of emotions during psychotherapy. Some qualms about psychotherapy result from the difficulty of discussing painful and troubling experiences. When this happens, it can actually be a positive sign indicating that you are starting to explore your thoughts and behaviors. Once again, my hope is that you will feel free to discuss these concerns as we work together.
What does research show about effectiveness? Research suggests that therapy effectively decreases patients' depression, anxiety and related symptoms -- such as pain, fatigue and nausea. Psychotherapy has also been found to increase survival time for heart surgery and cancer patients, and it can also have a positive effect on the body's immune system. Research increasingly supports the idea that emotional and physical health are very closely linked and that being involved in the process of psychotherapy can improve a person's overall health status.
There is convincing evidence that most people who have at least several sessions of psychotherapy are far better off than untreated individuals with emotional difficulties. One major study (published by the journal "Consumer Reports") showed that 50 percent of patients noticeably improved after eight sessions while 75 percent of individuals in psychotherapy improved by the end of six months. ( A brief list of abstracts of other efficacy studies are available here). Psychotherapy with children is similar in effectiveness to psychotherapy with adults.
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