What is Psychotherapy?
Generally speaking, psychotherapy aims to alleviate psychological difficulties and distress by talking; it can be helpful in enhancing your understanding what you face frequently, exploring your motivations for your behaviour and bolstering or finding ways to cope with worry.
How? By exploring feelings, beliefs, thoughts and events both in your present and in your past, working with you, the psychotherapist is trained to draw attention to links and spot patterns that might be causing you concern and making you question your experiences – what they mean, why they turned out a particular way or how comes you feel as you do about them.
This is done in a safe and defined environment, at a pace that is suitable for you, namely the pace you choose.
Generally speaking, psychotherapy aims to alleviate psychological difficulties and distress by talking; it can be helpful in enhancing your understanding what you face frequently, exploring your motivations for your behaviour and bolstering or finding ways to cope with worry.
How? By exploring feelings, beliefs, thoughts and events both in your present and in your past, working with you, the psychotherapist is trained to draw attention to links and spot patterns that might be causing you concern and making you question your experiences – what they mean, why they turned out a particular way or how comes you feel as you do about them.
This is done in a safe and defined environment, at a pace that is suitable for you, namely the pace you choose.
What is the psychodynamic approach?
The psychodynamic approach has at its heart the idea that present difficulties and conflicts may have their roots in the past, that our early experiences and relationships may have a bearing on the way in which we experience the world and form our relationships in our present life.
Without even being aware of it we form patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that could be helpful to us as we go along of our lives, however at times these patterns can become rigid and hinder the personal growth and the way we relate to people and to ourselves. Part of the work will be directed on recognising these patterns and finding the ways to make them more flexible and less rigid again. The psychodynamic therapist will not give you an advice or tell you how to resolve your issuers. Instead she will enable you to take your own decisions and make your own choices that are unique only to you. The opportunity in doing so is to attain or regain a sense of purpose, meaning and grip of your emotional life that may have been challenging.
The psychodynamic approach has at its heart the idea that present difficulties and conflicts may have their roots in the past, that our early experiences and relationships may have a bearing on the way in which we experience the world and form our relationships in our present life.
Without even being aware of it we form patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that could be helpful to us as we go along of our lives, however at times these patterns can become rigid and hinder the personal growth and the way we relate to people and to ourselves. Part of the work will be directed on recognising these patterns and finding the ways to make them more flexible and less rigid again. The psychodynamic therapist will not give you an advice or tell you how to resolve your issuers. Instead she will enable you to take your own decisions and make your own choices that are unique only to you. The opportunity in doing so is to attain or regain a sense of purpose, meaning and grip of your emotional life that may have been challenging.
What is the difference between psychotherapy and counselling?
Well there are different ways to answer this question, as often both terms are used in interchangeable manner, although it is commonly accepted though that when we talk about psychotherapy we talk about work that is more in depth that is looking at problems that have built up over number of years and usually have roots in the past.
Counselling is usually shorter in length and more focused on exploring one or two issues that are underlined by a client as being problematic. It is generally for people who have a good sense of well-being but are currently face difficulties and need some support.
Nonetheless, it is a possibility for the work that originally started as counselling to progress into psychotherapy. For example, you may realise that the issuer that you came to talk about is not your main concern and you may want to explore in more depth some other issues that became more apparent after the start of your counselling.
Well there are different ways to answer this question, as often both terms are used in interchangeable manner, although it is commonly accepted though that when we talk about psychotherapy we talk about work that is more in depth that is looking at problems that have built up over number of years and usually have roots in the past.
Counselling is usually shorter in length and more focused on exploring one or two issues that are underlined by a client as being problematic. It is generally for people who have a good sense of well-being but are currently face difficulties and need some support.
Nonetheless, it is a possibility for the work that originally started as counselling to progress into psychotherapy. For example, you may realise that the issuer that you came to talk about is not your main concern and you may want to explore in more depth some other issues that became more apparent after the start of your counselling.
Does psychodynamic therapy work?
What is widely accepted by professionals in the area of therapy is for it to be effective, it requires the therapeutic ‘fit’ between client and therapist.
This ‘fit’ includes the trust and empathy that is needed in order to work together, plus the awareness that it starts and ends with you; it might be difficult to talk, but it is in doing so that the work begins and you ask the questions of the situations you need to or perhaps acknowledge them by speaking them aloud in the first place.
Psychodynamic therapy aims for a deeper understanding of underlying patterns and conflicts, rather than focusing solely on the relief of symptoms. With this in mind, and an ongoing commitment to regular weekly sessions, there is the possibility for lasting change.
What is widely accepted by professionals in the area of therapy is for it to be effective, it requires the therapeutic ‘fit’ between client and therapist.
This ‘fit’ includes the trust and empathy that is needed in order to work together, plus the awareness that it starts and ends with you; it might be difficult to talk, but it is in doing so that the work begins and you ask the questions of the situations you need to or perhaps acknowledge them by speaking them aloud in the first place.
Psychodynamic therapy aims for a deeper understanding of underlying patterns and conflicts, rather than focusing solely on the relief of symptoms. With this in mind, and an ongoing commitment to regular weekly sessions, there is the possibility for lasting change.
Is it Confidential?
Counselling/Therapy is confidential. This means I will not share information about you with a third party unless you consent to that disclosure. So I will not tell anyone that you attend counselling/therapy, or what you say in our sessions, without your permission to do so.
Exceptions to confidentiality
There are circumstances when I might have no choice but to share information about you, even if you do not agree to this happening. These are:
Online counselling
During video call sessions, I will be in a room where you can not be overheard or seen on my screen by anyone else. (For your own safety and privacy, I recommend you do the same.) I do not record the sessions.
While video call platforms offer degrees of security and encryption, it is not possible to guarantee how the companies providing these services will handle data relating to the call. Also, with some platforms, it might mean both the call and your number is logged on my device. I do not store your name in my digital address book but, with a service such as Facetime, the operating system might recognise your number and link it to emails or texts we have exchanged.
Supervision
As a Registered Member of BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) I am a subject to a regular professional supervision to discuss my work with my supervisor. In the counselling and psychotherapy professions this is a form of confidential consultative support, not line management. If I discuss your sessions with my supervisor, then I will not use your name or otherwise knowingly identify you.
What happens to the personal information/data?
I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO number: ZA714988) and any information that I keep is subject to the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 18) and United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation. See Information Commissioner’s Office: https://ico.org.uk
To begin working together, I will record your name and preferred contact details (for example, telephone number, email address). I use this information only for essential administrative tasks: contacting you and arranging appointments. I do not share it with others without your consent unless I am legally or ethically required to do so, as in the confidentiality statement above.
During our work, you might verbally share a range of sensitive personal information, but I do not routinely record it. I might sometimes make brief notes about our sessions but these are kept separately from your contact details and are anonymised, so they do not identify you.
Storing and deleting your information
I will delete your contact details when counselling ends and once all fees are paid. If any other personal data is recorded or contained in documents given to me by you or third parties in the course of our work, it will be stored securely in a locked filing cabinet and kept for a maximum of 6 years, then deleted.
In the event of my death or serious illness, a colleague will have access to a list of my current clients and their contact details, so that they can be informed.
If you have any questions about privacy or confidentiality, then please contact me and I will attempt to resolve your query as soon as possible. Any data protection complains will be acknowledged within 30 days of receipt and responded fully without undue delay in accordance with the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
Counselling/Therapy is confidential. This means I will not share information about you with a third party unless you consent to that disclosure. So I will not tell anyone that you attend counselling/therapy, or what you say in our sessions, without your permission to do so.
Exceptions to confidentiality
There are circumstances when I might have no choice but to share information about you, even if you do not agree to this happening. These are:
- 1) if there is a serious concern for your or someone else’s safety, particularly if a child is at risk of serious harm;
- 2) if there is a legal obligation relating to your involvement in, or knowledge of, a serious crime;
- 3) if there is a court order requesting information about you;
- 4) if it is essential to prevent a serious and imminent threat to either public health or national security.
Online counselling
During video call sessions, I will be in a room where you can not be overheard or seen on my screen by anyone else. (For your own safety and privacy, I recommend you do the same.) I do not record the sessions.
While video call platforms offer degrees of security and encryption, it is not possible to guarantee how the companies providing these services will handle data relating to the call. Also, with some platforms, it might mean both the call and your number is logged on my device. I do not store your name in my digital address book but, with a service such as Facetime, the operating system might recognise your number and link it to emails or texts we have exchanged.
Supervision
As a Registered Member of BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) I am a subject to a regular professional supervision to discuss my work with my supervisor. In the counselling and psychotherapy professions this is a form of confidential consultative support, not line management. If I discuss your sessions with my supervisor, then I will not use your name or otherwise knowingly identify you.
What happens to the personal information/data?
I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO number: ZA714988) and any information that I keep is subject to the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 18) and United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation. See Information Commissioner’s Office: https://ico.org.uk
To begin working together, I will record your name and preferred contact details (for example, telephone number, email address). I use this information only for essential administrative tasks: contacting you and arranging appointments. I do not share it with others without your consent unless I am legally or ethically required to do so, as in the confidentiality statement above.
During our work, you might verbally share a range of sensitive personal information, but I do not routinely record it. I might sometimes make brief notes about our sessions but these are kept separately from your contact details and are anonymised, so they do not identify you.
Storing and deleting your information
I will delete your contact details when counselling ends and once all fees are paid. If any other personal data is recorded or contained in documents given to me by you or third parties in the course of our work, it will be stored securely in a locked filing cabinet and kept for a maximum of 6 years, then deleted.
In the event of my death or serious illness, a colleague will have access to a list of my current clients and their contact details, so that they can be informed.
If you have any questions about privacy or confidentiality, then please contact me and I will attempt to resolve your query as soon as possible. Any data protection complains will be acknowledged within 30 days of receipt and responded fully without undue delay in accordance with the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.