If you are looking for a therapist you may have already come across a wide variety of titles and it may feel like a minefield recognising what the differences may be!
While there are no set titles or standardised expectations of each title (although it is something currently being looked at by various governing bodies), the following may give you an idea of where I am best suited to help.
What is a Psychotherapeutic Counsellor?
A psychotherapeutic counsellor is able to offer Psychotherapy and Counselling.
According to the UKCP, “what distinguishes psychotherapeutic counselling from traditional counselling is the emphasis it places on the in-depth therapeutic relationship jointly created by the therapist and the client. This relationship is a central factor.”
The Therapeutic Relationship
Over the years research has consistently shown that the most important indicator of a successful outcome in psychotherapy is the strength of the therapeutic relationship a client and therapist can build together.
To achieve a collaborative relationship there are many aspects to work on and agree together. Within our early sessions we will be exploring potential therapeutic goals and establishing what it is you would like to get from therapy. You may want to explore feelings of anxiety, work through a traumatic experience or develop new coping strategies for certain situations. You may want to do all of those things. You may have a feeling of unease and discomfort but not yet be able to put your finger on what it may be. All of these possibilities are ok! Bearing in mind the importance of the relationship, if together we can build an alliance and have a baseline for working together we will have the fundamentals already in place.
Beyond this we will collaborate on treatment tasks and explore how to progress your journey from working together to the time when we have finished working together.
Developing Our Alliance
So how does this all happen?
Initially, I will be interested in getting to know you. I will listen carefully to your story with a view to understanding the reasons you have chosen to begin therapy at this point in your life. In our first few weeks together we will begin to outline what it is you would like to be different in your life. We will establish how you would like to be once therapy has ended. If you are already aware of specific issues in your life we will formulate strategies and work on increasing awareness and understanding about how these issues are impacting on you. These may be our shorter term goals to help you gain clarity around what it is you can do about those issues.
Following this stage I will look to have a broader view of how you live your life. I will be curious about your general motivations, ideals and desires in life. I will explore how you think, how you feel and how you behave. I will be interested in why you do certain things you do and why you don’t do other things. I will be noticing how you are in the room with me and how you live your life outside the therapy room. I will be looking to see if there are any patterns to identify.
How Will I Know What I Need?
When we meet we will have the chance to explore what’s going on for you in more depth and we will discuss options for therapy together. There will be no expectation on you to know what it is you are looking for or even to have clear goals, together we can put puzzle pieces together to formulate a journey going forward.
Want to find out more?
If you’re curious to explore more about how therapy can help you, get in touch. There’s a quick contact form or you can email me direct on alana@sdpsy.co.uk. You can also call on 07842 338 135. Quite often the phone will be off if I am with people but do feel free to leave a message with a good time to get back to you and we can talk further.
