To go or not to go? Do I need a support? Or maybe I will manage on my own? If I decide to go, does it mean that I am not good enough? What other people start thinking about me?
Above questions (or many others) might appear when you are thinking of starting therapy. If you have so many doubts how to make a decision? Below I will show you my point of view, which I hope help you in realizing what you want to do.
For whom is psychotherapy?
According to me, psychotherapy can be used in many situations. Let me outline a few of them:
– you have lost someone very close to you (it can be death or just end of important relationship) and you don’t have anyone who could listen to you about your loss;
– your relationship with your partner, husbent, wife, friend, boss o rany other person is not satisfying and you want to change it;
– you feel overwhelmed by excess of duties and don’t have idea how to stop or change it;
– despite having a lot of friends you feel lonely;
– you don’t have friends and you want to do something with it;
– you want to change your life, but ………;
– it seems that everything is ok, but ………………;
– you don’t know what is important to you;
– you want to know yourself better – what are your strenghts and weeknesses, what is your passion, what you like or what you don’t like.
As you see, there are various situations and those are only examples. What I want to tell, is that you can come whenever you experience difficulties and also when everything goes well and you want to know yourself better.
Another thing which I would like you to remember is that claiming „ I am not coping well, I need support” is very healthy approach and paradoxically is a way of dealing with difficulties. Sometimes we just need a support, someone who will be next you when you will be in going through tough situations.
Does Gestalt psychotherapy can be used by person with mental disorders or for addicted?
Yes. However toghether with psychotherapy, psychiatric treatment is needed. Therapy can be support and help you how to deal with a disease. In case of addictions, Gestalt therapy focus more on what makes you that you reach for something in excess and how it influence your life rather than on symptom, meaning addiction.
How long last therapy?
Psychotherapy can be short and long-term. It depends what is your aim. If it is specific, it will be rather short-term (about half year). When your aim is more general – to look at your life and uncover schemes, which influence your behaviours then it can be long-term therapy.
It might occure, that after solving a problem, you will decide to continue with another goal and therapy may become long-term. And vice versa, during long-term therapy you you can realize that you know enough and you want to finish.
If you decide to finish, it is advisable to have one or two sessions more to make a summary of all the process and to close all open topics.
Aim or psychotherapy
Everyone of you has your own aim. In Gestalt therapy you can additionally know yourself better (who I am, what I like, what are my strenghts, weeknesses, why I behave in such way and do I want to continue like this, etc.) and improve your ability to be in close and honest relationships with other people and being yourself at the same time. Another outcome is taking responsibility for your own decisions and behaviours, what makes you feel that you can have influence on your life.
What is psychotherapy for me?
I will say in few words. It is a meeting, talk, it is you and me, it is me and you, it is being with the other person, it is support, journey, knowing and learing about yourself, it is pursueing your aim in your own pace, it is personal development.