“When I let go of myself, I become what I might be” – Tao Te Ching
You can access talking therapy locally in Putney SW15 at Well4ever’s London clinic. Counselling, therapy and psychotherapy are all terms that refer to the process of talking about personal emotional or mental health problems, with a professional, in a safe, non-judgmental and confidential environment. The aim of this kind of therapy is to better understand your feelings, behaviour and thought patterns with a view to changing the way you think and/or behave, if desired. In one sense therapy has been practised for centuries as people have always sought counsel and support from elders or other individuals within their community.
According to the Mental Health Foundation mental health problems affect a quarter of the population living in Britain, with anxiety and depression amongst the most commonly experienced mental disorders.
Counselling can help you cope with:
- Bereavement and loss
- Redundancy
- Stress
- Relationship breakdown
- Depression
- Sadness
- Anxiety
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Eating disorders
- Substance abuse
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Questions over sexual identity
- Anger
- Low self-esteem
- Decision-making
This list is in no way exhaustive and talking therapy can benefit anyone at any given point in life; you do not need to have a specific issue to start therapy.
Types of Therapy
There are a large number of talking therapies available and the suitability of each will depend on who is seeking therapy and what their personal expectations are. Behavioural Therapy focuses on cognition and behaviour, explores ‘unlearning’ unwanted behaviour and what triggers cause it. A well-known example of this kind of therapy is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapies are based on the Freudian model where the unconscious is examined as the root cause of thought patterns, feelings and behaviour. On the other hand, Humanistic Therapies bring prioritise the ‘here and now’ and work on personal growth, development and strength. Many counsellors combine techniques to best meet each client’s unique needs.
Existential Therapy
Existential phenomenological therapy is a philosophy-based therapy. It dwells on and attempts to find answers in our fundamental questions of “being”, such as why we became the way we are, we act, we feel and we behave in a certain way…
It is based on the concept that we are only experiencing the world in our own unique pair of lenses called “perception”. Each one of us is always attempting to construe our experience and reconstructing the lenses. Existential phenomenological therapy offers reflective process by exploring the experience from past or present, personal values, beliefs, attitude, we are getting closer understanding about how we interpret ourselves and relate ourselves to the world.
Self-knowing and awareness is powerful experience. It is painfully about facing the truth in life yet also building new and stronger relationship with our own selves. The therapy encourages the person to grow sensibilities and compassion to themselves so that the person can become more confident and sense of equanimity in ourselves.
What to Expect
The effectiveness of therapy is closely linked to how one connects with their therapist; it is therefore essential to find the right person for you. You can meet Well4ever’s counsellors practising in South West London here. The aim of therapy is not to give advice, but to enable you to answer your questions and solve your solve your problems, explore your feelings, reactions and behaviour and make positive changes in your life. Typically, counselling will take place once a week over an agreed period of time (which can also be open-ended), with each session lasting between 50 and 60 minutes. Initially counselling can be challenging as you begin to confront difficult issues and past events, however with the support of your therapist, these feelings gradually give way to an overall sense of improved emotional (and sometimes physical) well-being. A commitment to regular attendance is important to gain the full benefits counselling has to offer.