What is psychoanalytic psychotherapy?
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is a form of therapy that seeks to help people understand how, despite their best intentions, they may be working against themselves in various ways. This is usually due to unconscious psychological blocks that have their roots in early life experiences. Identifying these blocks helps us to give up patterns of behaviour that increase our suffering unnecessarily. Because these blocks are usually deeply engrained and so familiar to us that we barely notice them, this form of therapy usually takes time (at least six months to a year) but its effects tend to be long-lasting.
How confidential is therapy?
Whatever we discuss in a session remains confidential. There are some circumstances in which I may need to talk to another professional, for example if I believe the client is at serious risk of harming themselves or another person. I would always try to discuss this with the client first.
How effective is it?
This page from the UK Council for Psychotherapy website summarises the findings of recent research into the effectiveness of therapy. It shows that there is a large body of evidence showing that psychotherapy works and that research indicates therapy is at least as effective as medication in treating mental health issues.
Do you give advice?
As a therapist I do not offer advice to my clients. I believe that each individual is the expert when it comes to his or her own life. Often, however, we adopt patterns of behaviour or ways of seeing the world that may have served us at one point in time, but have since outlived their usefulness. Talking to a therapist can help you to understand yourself better and make choices that work for you, rather than against you. It can also help you to accept yourself as you are and to live your life more freely.
For people affected by traumatic experiences such as bereavement or childhood sexual abuse, simply talking to someone impartial and having them witness the pain that these experiences caused can be very powerful and help to restore hope for a better life.
How long does therapy last?
A therapy session lasts 50 minutes. The duration of therapy varies from client to client and depending on the issues at stake, but I usually work with patients on a long-term basis (e.g. at least one year).
What happens in a first session?
Because of the way I work, it is important for me to get a good understanding of a person’s life history, including significant early experiences, and of how the difficulty that brought them to therapy first arose. So, in a first session it is likely that I would ask you a lot of questions about yourself and your past. I also need to do this to establish the nature of the difficulty that you are facing and whether I think I am a good fit for your needs. You are always welcome to say if there are any questions you would rather not answer. I charge for all sessions, including introductory ones.
Of course, a first session would also be an opportunity for you to ask me any questions about how I work or any other aspects of the therapy about which you may be unsure. In this session we would also agree on the parameters of our work together.
Mike McDonough Therapy 