Modes of Therapy

Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy is a form of clinical practice that is based on psychoanalytic theory and principles. It focusses on increasing self understanding and may bring relief from anxiety, improve relationships, and facilitate the expression of thoughts and feelings in less troubling ways.  The person is asked to speak as freely as they can in sessions, about whatever is on their mind.  The psychotherapist engages with the patient about whatever comes up, while also trying to understand any unconscious communications that may enhance understanding of what may be underlying anxieties and concerns.  The retelling of dreams for example, can be helpful in better understanding what might otherwise remain unconscious.  Understanding aspects of the relationship between psychotherapist and patient may also help bring into focus unconscious thoughts and feelings that may relate to underlying emotional conflicts, and provide a better understanding of current and past relationships. 

Some people find it helpful to lie on the couch with the therapist sitting in a chair behind them, while others prefer to sit facing opposite the therapist.  Psychotherapy may also be online via video conferencing or may be on the telephone. The frequency of sessions is usually once or twice a week, but some find it helpful to attend more frequently.  Psychotherapy may be short term or long term depending on needs and circumstances.  Long term psychotherapy may extend over a number of years. 

The work is informed by the writings and practices of notable psychoanalysts of the past including Sigmund Freud, Melanie Klein, Wilfred Bion and Donald Winnicott, as well being informed by many contemporary psychoanalysts and psychotherapists. 

Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy is a therapeutic intervention that aims to look beneath the surface when there are intense emotions, problem behaviours and difficulties in relationships.  It aims to help children, adolescents and their families better understand themselves and their difficulties. Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists are trained to understand unconscious communications that may be expressed verbally or non verbally through play and behaviour. Sessions may involve predominately play or talking depending on what works best for the young person. As Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists come to better understand what might be being communicated unconsciously, they can put this into words for the young person which often brings relief and often helps them to express themselves in less troubling ways. It can help with reducing anxiety and increasing capacity to make and maintain healthier relationships.  Therapy can be short term or long term.  It may involve meeting with parents and child together, but mostly it involves meeting with the young person individually on a regular basis over several months or years.  The frequency of sessions is usually once or twice each week. Parents are often seen at regular intervals throughout the period of psychotherapy with the young person. 

Parent‐infant psychotherapy is a clinical intervention that involves meeting with parent/s and infant together and aims to address concerns and anxieties, improve parent‐infant relationships, strengthen bonding and attachment, and promote infant development. It may be a short term intervention involving just a few sessions, or it may involve regular scheduled sessions over many months. It often involves the therapist and/or parent(s) playing and engaging with the infant or toddler in the clinical sessions.  This often means playing together on the floor.

Parenting therapy is a way of working clinically with parents to help them address difficulties in the parenting of their child.  The frequency of sessions will depend on needs and circumstances. This type of therapy helps parents to better understand why difficulties emerge when they do and helps them to address and manage those difficulties.   A parent’s own experience of being parented can have a major influence on how they parent and relate to their own children.  Exploration of this and other influences can assist parents to better understand their child and their child’s behaviour, which in turn can help parents to discover and consider more helpful ways to manage concerning behaviours.