Psychotherapy is a collaborative effort between the therapist and the patient to help make sense of a patient’s life. Psychological change and changes in life circumstances become possible and more probable when a person understands how their mind works; how thoughts and feelings influence what happens internally and in relation to others. Therapy can help a person obtain a greater degree of control in managing feeling states and the thoughts related to these. Ultimately, relationships become more meaningful and fulfilling as a patient’s self understanding increases.
The relationship with the therapist will be a very important part of being able to make life changes. Often, the difficulties experienced with one’s self or with other people come to the surface in therapy, and can be worked with in relation to the therapist. The therapist is also trained to listen in a special way. She will give less ‘advice’ than reflection back to you of what she hears, to stimulate your own reflection about what is going on inside of you, and between you and other people.
The usefulness of a psychoanalytic oriented psychotherapy has been confirmed with current research in child development, memory and neurobiology. It is an advanced method for making sense of ourselves and the world around us. Today, psychoanalytic ideas are as strikingly different from Freudian analysis as modern physics is from the work of Newton.
Once you contact me for an appointment, we will meet for an initial evaluation period of one to three sessions. During that time I will ask many questions about your present situation, and if indicated, your life history. I will be attempting to form an opinion as to whether my experience and training would permit me to be of assistance to you. At the same time, you are evaluating me as well. It is important that you feel I am someone with whom you feel comfortable enough talking to, so that we may continue our meetings on a regular basis. At the end of this brief evaluation period we will mutually decide in which direction to continue.
For more, this article by Patrick Casement might be of help. https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-22/edition-5/beyond-words-role-psychoanalysis