FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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What is psychodynamic psychotherapy?
Psychodynamic therapy is a specific approach to the
understanding of mental functioning, both healthy and less
healthy. What we are conscious of in our minds is only a
part of what goes on in our minds. We have impulses,
feelings, thoughts and perceptions that we are not always
known to us. Very often seemingly meaningless symptoms have
a psychological meaning and seemingly unchangeable
destructive patterns of behaviour and relating originate
from unconscious psychological conflict. The aim of
psychodynamic psychotherapy is to make conscious what is
unconscious in an effort to better understand a person’s
motivations and thus respond to them more thoughtfully and
with greater awareness.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy is different from psychiatry in
that it does not rely on drugs, and different from other
more behavioural and cognitive therapies in that behavioural
techniques and certain types of thought control techniques
to bring about change are not its focus. While symptom
relief and finding solutions where possible to everyday
difficulties are important, psychodynamic therapy is more.
It involves an exploration of the inner world of the patient
and encourages a thoughtfulness and inquisitiveness about
what is going on both in the patient’s lived experience as
well as in his or her internal world, and a thoughtfulness
around how this relates to the his or her struggles as well
as the changes the patient may wish to make.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy does not offer a “quick fix” and
requires a time, financial and personal commitment to the
process of self understanding. Much of the work done in
therapy will be done by you both during and in between
sessions through contemplating the events and interactions
of the sessions. Our work together will start with whatever
it is that brings you to therapy be it a symptom, a sadness,
a struggle or a desire, but after that your motivation and
commitment to engage with the work will be fundamental to
the development and outcome of the therapeutic process. What
psychodynamic psychotherapy offers is an opportunity for you
to explore and question your life, beliefs, behavioural
patterns and expectations, to perhaps express something that
you have not expressed before, and maybe to become aware of
things that previously you were unaware of.
The therapeutic process often leads to fresh ways of
experiencing oneself, others and the world around you; to
more enjoyable experiences, increased creativity, and a
reduction of distress. However, change often occurs in
unpredictable ways and it is impossible to know in advance
what may happen.
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How long does therapy last?
Each session is fifty minutes in duration. How many sessions
are required? At the outset of the therapeutic process it is
important to identify what it is you wish to get from
therapy. This might not always be as easy as it sounds, but
generally it is possible to express, in some way, what the
aim of our therapy together will be. This aim always remains
in the back of our minds as we work together. We may agree
to work together for a set number of sessions and at the end
of those sessions you can decide whether you feel your goals
have been achieved, partially achieved or not achieved at
all and based on this a decision about whether to terminate
therapy or continue can be made. At other times we might
agree to start and continue therapy in an open ended way,
until such time as you feel ready to terminate, whether it
be because you have achieved your goals or because there is
no more work that we can do together on helping you achieve
those goals.
Psychotherapy is not an “everlasting” commitment, but
neither is it a quick fix and you should be prepared to give
yourself a fair chance at enjoying the benefits that it
offers. Never-the -less, the choice to terminate therapy is
always yours, although it would be important for us to talk
through your decision and fully understand its motivations.
It should be borne in mind that therapy is not a “linear
process” with a clear, marked “improvement” after each
session. There are times when it might feel there is no
“improvement” and during such periods in therapy you might
feel tempted to quit, feeling you are wasting your time. It
is important to know that often, during such “slow” periods,
important ground work is being done and necessary
foundations laid and that such periods might well preface
meaningful and helpful breakthroughs and insights.
How often does one attend therapy?
Frequency of sessions varies but is never less than once a
week since otherwise it becomes difficult to build on
previous sessions as time together is then spent “catching
up” rather than working and thinking together about locked
away feelings and unconscious perceptions.
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How much does therapy cost?
My fees are closely aligned with medical aid rates and,
depending on your particular plan, you should be able to
claim the majority of the fee back. Generally it is expected
that you pay at the time of the consultation, or at the end
of the month, whichever arrangement is agreed to. For
current fees please feel free to contact me.
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