Psychotherapy

What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling are talking therapies. Our members provide safe, expert talking therapy which helps people with emotional, social or mental health problems.

In this section, you can find out more about how psychotherapy can help, and the ethical principles our members adhere to. Or you may be interested to find out how to become a psychotherapist.

How can psychotherapy benefit me?

Sessions with a trained psychotherapist offer an environment in which you can express your feelings and gain a deeper insight into your difficulties. Psychotherapy sessions are confidential, so you can talk about things you might not feel comfortable discussing with anyone else. The aim is to help you find better ways to cope, or to bring about changes in the way you think and behave that will improve your mental and emotional well-being.

The term ‘psychotherapy’ covers a range of approaches and methods. These range from one-to-one talking sessions to therapies that use techniques such as role-play or dance to help explore people’s emotions. Some therapists work with couples, families or groups whose members share similar problems. Psychotherapy can be provided for adolescents and children as well as adults.

How many sessions will I have?

Psychotherapy can be short or long term. The number of sessions will depend on you, your therapist, the type of therapy and the depth and complexity of the issues you want to resolve. It is unusual for therapy to last for less than six sessions, and some types of therapy may last for two years or more.

Psychotherapeutic counselling

As its name suggests, psychotherapeutic counselling is a type of counselling that draws from theories and approaches used in psychotherapy. Its emphasis on the therapeutic relationship between the counsellor and the client differentiates it from most other types of counselling.