Therapy

Individual Therapy

Depression

Depression can become so paralyzing that it is difficult to get out of the bed in the morning. Depression can make it almost impossible to engage in activities which used to bring about joy. Depression can interfere with the enjoyment of social activities that used to bring real meaning to life. Experientially oriented cognitive-behavioral therapy is effective in successfully challenging depression. Cornerstones of this therapeutic approach include:

• Open communication about the effects of depression on the quality of your life
• Goal setting and formulation of how you would like things to be different
• Behavioral and social activation in order to concretely and decisively move towards greater life satisfaction
• Orient towards joy, happiness, and life fulfillment

Anxiety

Anxiety can hold us back from creating the lives we want for ourselves. Anxiety tends to bring about fear and self-doubt, and frequently results in avoidance behaviors which tend to make things even worse.

In therapy we move towards the anxiety (the opposite of avoidance) by talking about it, understanding it, questioning its validity, and step by step creating more and more behavioral activation in the areas that previously had been cause for anxiety.

Boys & Men

Working with boys and men in therapy is very rich and rewarding. In therapy we together create a safe and comfortable place to explore what you need and want to be different in your life and how to bring that about one step at a time. Key elements for this therapy include:

• Openness and curiosity
• Safety
• Non-judgmental attitude
• Freedom for genuine self-expression
• Exploration

Family Therapy

Family therapy is a very dynamic, exciting and hopeful process for bringing about healthy and positive change in a family. In family therapy all family members view points will be heard and honored. Some central components of family therapy include:

• Strengthening of communication skills (including listening skills)
• Openness to each other’s view points
• New willingness and ability to do things differently
• Development of a new appreciation for each other’s strengths and for what each family member brings to the family
• Re-ignite joyful family activities

Therapy Services FAQs

Still not sure whether or not therapy is right for you? Learning a little more about how it works will help you decide. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions people ask about therapy.

What is psychotherapy?

Often just called therapy, psychotherapy is a method of helping people manage behavioral problems, mental illnesses, and emotional challenges. It involves using a wide variety of psychological methods. These teach patients how to deal with their unique challenges. Most forms of therapy simply take the form of extended conversations or discussions. During these talks, you can learn new coping skills, healthier habits, and more.

When do I need therapy?

You do not need to have a mental illness to get therapy. Just about anyone with a mental or emotional problem can benefit. Some signs you might benefit from therapy include:

• You struggle with work, school, relationships, or other daily responsibilities.
• You feel overwhelmed and stressed out almost all the time.
• You experience abnormal levels of rage, sadness, frustration, or irritability.
• You are often nervous and anxious.
• Negative thoughts or emotions are keeping you from living the life you want.
• You use alcohol, food, drugs, or other substances to change your mood and cope with issues.
• You have lost interest in things you used to love.
• You can’t stop focusing on a past trauma or grief.

How does therapy work?

The answer to this question is a little different for every psychologist and patient. However, all therapy will rely on communication. A therapist improves your life by providing professional, unbiased input. Therapists encourage clients to talk about their life. Then they help you explore your feelings. Your therapist may also explain techniques and skills that help you better manage your emotions and behaviors.

How can therapy help with anxiety?

Therapy helps patients deal with anxiety by uncovering the root causes of anxiety. They also suggest healthier ways of handling worry. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a common technique. Many therapists use it because it is clinically proven to be one of the most effective ways of managing anxiety. This type of therapy works by encouraging you to identify problematic thought patterns and behaviors. Then your therapist guides you to reject these negative factors and find more positive ways of thinking and behaving.

How can therapy help with depression?

In addition to cognitive behavioral therapy, one of the most common other types of therapy for depression is interpersonal therapy. This teaches patients how to better express their emotions and build social support. In general, all therapy types help ease depression symptoms. Therapy for depression provides a lot of benefits, including:

• Provide coping skills for depressive episodes
• Suggest healthy and realistic goals for a patient’s future
• Identify behaviors that can worsen depression
• Help patients come to term with trauma that may be causing depression
• Teach patients how to improve their relationships with others

Does therapy work differently for children?

Therapy for children still focuses on discussing a patient’s life and helping the patient change thoughts and behaviors. However, therapists may use different techniques since younger patients experience things differently. Therapy for children frequently includes parents or siblings. Family therapy works because family has such a big impact on a child’s development. For much younger children, therapists may use games, toys, or other play materials. These help children better verbalize their emotions.

What is a typical therapy session like?

You can expect the usual therapy session to feel like a problem-solving session. They typically last around an hour. Most patients like to start by updating their therapist on any changes. Then they go on to describe more about their current problems and challenges. The patient will do almost all of the talking, but the therapist will guide them with questions and comments. The therapist may end the session by recommending “homework” that the patient can do outside of therapy to help them manage things better.

Is ‘psychotherapy’ the same as ‘counseling?’

These two terms often get mixed up. However, they are technically different things. First of all, psychotherapists have a doctorate and years of training. Counsellors only need their master’s degree in most cases. Psychotherapy is a long-term treatment that focuses on a broad range of issues, including mental illnesses. Meanwhile, counseling has a shorter length of treatment and typically focuses on helping a patient with a single problem.