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Psychotherapy is a journey of exploring how oneself relates to their world, in the form of values, beliefs, judgements, attitudes and affects. This refers to all aspects of the world as one experiences it in life: relations with the physical environment, one’s home, one’s body, one’s possessions; relations with others, including family, friend, romantic relations; one’s internal world, view of the self, personality and identity and finally one’s spiritual world, sources of meaning and purpose in life.
The psychotherapist assumes a role similar to a companion and accompanies the person along this journey, in a mutual, real relationship, where the ultimate focus is unquestionably on the client. The psychotherapist, with an open, accepting and curious attitude facilitates the exploration so that the current world of the person can be revealed, reevaluated, and possibilities of choice are reconsidered.
The psychotherapist does not try to seek ways to impose a directive change but assists the decision-making process by helping the person evaluate their options in the context of their values and personal meaning.
My therapy approach can be defined as existential-integrative where I combine the existential approach with other types of therapies such as systemic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and interpersonal therapy depending on your needs.
Existential therapy views psychological distress as associated with how one copes with the fundamental conflicts of being a human. These conflicts refer to the following:
- We are obliged to live with uncertainty, facing conditions beyond our control.
- We know that life will end one day but do not know when and how
- We continuously search for meaning in life, while this meaning might eventually fade out.
- We have the freedom to choose among alternatives in every situation, and we are responsible for our choices.
- We need and desire to be in relation with others, however we know that we are ultimately separate and on our own.
- We want to be clear on who we are but we can never be certain.
At the core of the existential therapy is the idea that we all have the capabilities and personal responsibility for creating our own meaning and path in life, through our choices.
When to seek psychotherapy is completely a personal choice as it is about what you believe you need for your wellbeing. It doesn't mean that you're "weak", "desperate" or that you are "incapable" of handling your issues. Although there's no specific list of issues or symptoms that apply to everyone, if you're facing challenges in different aspects of your life and finding it hard to cope, you might consider psychotherapy. Below are some situations where psychotherapy might help you:
Moreover, it is important to remember that psychotherapy isn't only for addressing one's problems in life; psychotherapy offers an opportunity for self-exploration and personal development. If you're interested in understanding yourself better or exploring personal growth, psychotherapy can contribute significantly.
It's essential to recognize that psychotherapy is a collaborative process. While some may experience noticeable improvements early on, others may need more time. The key factors influencing the pace of therapy are: the nature and complexity of your issues, your expectations from therapy, your commitment to the therapy process in terms of your attendance and your active engagement, and most importantly the quality of the collaborative relationship between you and your therapist. This collaborative relationship is called therapeutic alliance and its founding blocks are openness and trust.
Ο ρυθμός της ψυχοθεραπείας σου θα είναι εξατομικευμένος, βάσει των αναγκών και των προσδοκιών σου. The pace of your psychotherapy will be individualised based on your needs and expectations. In general, sessions are held on a weekly basis and each session lasts 50 minutes. It is important that you agree to meet with your therapist on a day and time that you will be able to commit to attend on a regular basis. In general, during the first 3-4 sessions, the focus is on understanding your issues, their background and your expectations from therapy. It is important to be open with your therapist and share any questions and concerns you might have concerning your therapy process. Γενικά, οι πρώτες 3-4 συνεδρίες εστιάζουν στην κατανόηση των θεμάτων σου, το παρελθόν τους και το τι περιμένεις από τη θεραπεία. Είναι σημαντικό να είσαι ειλικρινείς και να μοιραστείς οποιαδήποτε ερώτηση ή ανησυχία έχεις σχετικά με τη θεραπευτική διαδικασία.
It is always good to have friends to talk to, get advice and support from them when we are in need. However, engaging in conversation with a psychotherapist is different from chatting with a friend in some key ways which enhances its potential of helping you:
Expertise: Some friends are great listeners and give advice that may be of great help, however psychotherapists are professionals who have received specialized training and are experienced in comprehending psychological issues.
Objectivity and Neutrality: Therapists do not have a preconceived notion of you and they look at your issues from an outside lens. Observation without bias and neutrality are important skills for a therapist. They refrain from taking sides in case of your relationship struggles. On the other hand, friends are unable to be objective and neutral, due to their personal relationship with you. They may be concerned about hurting your feelings or in contrast they may be overly critical of you.
Focus on Benefiting You and Only You: While friendships involve mutual support, psychotherapy prioritizes your welfare exclusively. It primarily aims to address your issues and enhance your well-being.
Commitment: In contrast to the mutuality and informality that are usually the characteristics of a friendly conversation, psychotherapy involves a formal commitment to meet regularly at a designated time, to talk just about your concerns, and to continue meeting as long as doing so serves your best interests.
Privacy and Confidentiality: Therapists follow ethical guidelines that make certain that professional boundaries are maintained to ensure your emotional safety and confidentiality. You don’t have to worry about what you share getting back to your partner, your parents, your sister, or your boss. When talking with friends or family, you can’t always guarantee confidentiality.
Psychotherapists consider maintaining your privacy extremely important. They have a fundamental duty to uphold the confidentiality of information acquired in the therapy room. It is a part of their professional code of ethics. They may share information with others (like family members, and physicians) only upon your demand, with your consent. Exceptions to this refer to unusual circumstances where the information shared creates a reasonable doubt that you might be of danger to yourself or someone else. There might also be legal limits of confidentiality that your therapist will be informing you about.
Στη Mentha Counseling, δεσμεύομαι να ακολουθώ τους ηθικούς κώδικες της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης Ψυχοθεραπείας, της Εθνικής Εταιρείας Ψυχοθεραπείας Ελλάδος και της Ελληνικής Εταιρείας Συμβουλευτικής.
I take confidentiality so seriously that I may not acknowledge that I know you on purpose, if I bump into you at the supermarket or anywhere else. And it’s absolutely fine for you to not greet me either. It is not about being impolite, ignoring the other or making the other feel bad. This is completely understandable as we are trying to protect your privacy.
At Mentha Counseling, we offer individual counseling and psychotherapy sessions for adults, psychoeducational and experiential seminars and workshops for adult groups, as well as counseling services to workplaces on mental well-being initiatives at work.
Sessions can take place in person and online, in the languages Greek, English, and Turkish.
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