Auckland Therapy

About Counselling & Psychotherapy

Both counselling and psychotherapy are largely about talking things through - essentially the therapist provides a neutral space and a sympathetic ear so you can discover you own truths and solutions. You are invited to talk about whatever is foremost on your mind. This can be problems, confusions, anxieties, feelings, thoughts, memories, or dreams etc. The therapist listens and tries to help you make sense of whatever is happening.

There is considerable overlap between counselling and psychotherapy however there are some differences.

Counselling

Counselling tends to be focused on support, communication, exploring feelings, and problem solving. The counsellor will focus more on the present and the future and less on the past. It is usually best suited for therapy of short duration. You may have recently taken a knock and want a bit of help to get back on track. The goal is to resolve the present life situation and move forward.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapists are trained to understand deep patterns of thinking and feeling. They appreciate the many ways these may knocked out of kilter by past difficulties and are causing current emotional or relational distress. They endeavour to empathetically make sense such knots and kinks and sensitively reflect these back to you. They then support you let go of these unhelpful patterns and to grow and develop new and more satisfying ways of being.

Tools & Techniques

Therapists are also a creative lot and have their own individual styles. Many incorporate techniques from counselling, psychology and other fields. Some use more tools and techniques and specific exercises. Some will teach particular skills for anger management, anxiety control, alleviation of depression, communication, conflict resolution etc. Some will suggest books and others suggest homework exercises. Some will do formal screening or assessments. Some have particular training or backgrounds in particular approaches such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Gestalt, Hakomi, Mindfullness, Narrative therapy etc.

Likewise people are vary enormously. Some like a lot of structure and are keen for techniques, homework and exercises. Others really just want a space to talk and reflect. You can of course talk to your therapist about any of this at any stage of your therapy.

Traditional Psychodynamic Concepts

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a type of therapy with the longest history that trace back to Freud. Some people find this a bit scary yet contemporary psychotherapy has an relational emphasis and is practised in a warm, friendly, open and affirming way. Some people find it reassuring to learn a little more about psychotherapy so the links below outline some of the central concepts of traditional psychodynamic psychotherapy.

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