Toronto Psychotherapists - Psychotherapy, Therapy, Therapists In Toronto

Psychotherapy

Individual psychotherapy can focus on a wide range of issues depending on the difficulty the person is experiencing.

Some people are primarily looking for support and understanding during a stressful or challenging life-situation, e.g., separation, retirement, a death, or being laid off.
Others may be dealing with specific disorders like anxiety or depression. They may need help both with possible underlying causes and the actual symptoms of the disorder. For the latter they may need some medication and cognitive-behavioural therapy.
Still others may want to come to terms with some core issues related to their childhood that have affected their sense of self, e.g., chronic lack of self-esteem or self-confidence, physical or sexual abuse, generalized feelings of guilt or shame.

Underlying Goals of Psychotherapy

Regardless of these differences in focus, all psychotherapy has the same core elements and underlying goal. At the core, psychotherapy is a form of empathizing ("Even though I am not experiencing what you are going through, I can feel and be with you in this experience. You are not alone.") At different moments therapy involves listening to the person's story, or to offer guidance, or provide insight. In all this, therapy is a joint activity in which both the client and counselor are actively involved. It is a process in which the client is respected and in which empathizing, listening, guiding and understanding lead to self-care, self-knowledge, initiative, change and growth. The goal is to help you develop a richer, more rewarding life.

Since psychotherapy deals with perceptions, feelings and emotions, the underlying goal is to help clients to come to know, resolve and integrate their feelings in the whole of their lives. Instead of being a barrier or a block, feelings and emotions can provide the dynamic, the colour and the vibrancy of our daily activities. Therapy can be one way to learn to be sensitively open and respond appropriately to our life situations.

Different Approaches

Different therapists may use somewhat different approaches or methods, which they can explain to you at the beginning of your work together. They may make use of dream interpretation, body-oriented methods, art therapy, psychoanalytic methods, cognitive-behavioural techniques, and other approaches. Their approach may vary depending what you are struggling with and what you are comfortable with. Most important of all, psychotherapists are ordinary human beings that have had some special training in how to be helpful. They have their own unique personality and characteristics. For this reason, it is important that the "fit" between client and therapist is comfortable.

Date last updated: August 12, 2006