What is therapy and what can I achieve from it?
Therapy is a process that aims to help people understand their emotions better, to get to know themselves on a deeper level, to face challenging situations, to bring about desirable change in one´s life, among others.
Using various therapeutic methods, the therapist and the client(s) work together, exploring different areas of the client´s life. Some examples include relationships, dealing with difficult emotions, learning to set boundaries, understanding how previous experiences impact us in the present, etc.
Therapy is helpful if you are struggling with certain situations in life, but also to simply get to know yourself better, make beneficial changes in your life, and accept yourself as well as the things you cannot change.
Who should receive therapy?
Everyone. I could not repeat this enough. Therapy is beneficial to everyone, and in my opinion, everyone should go through a therapeutic process at least once in their life. Just like we have regular medical checks, which make sure our physical health is intact and functional, we should also have mental checks.
Psychotherapists are trained professionals who help you see your life from a wider lense. Unfortunately, we are not taught to do this at school. We do not learn enough about emotions and how to deal with them, or how our upbringing can shape us in a certain way that may not agree with us later on. This lack of education can lead to feelings of shame, guilt, rage, fear or other unpleasant emotions.
Psychotherapy helps you understand why you may have developed such feelings and explore how you can change them in order to live a more satisfying life.
How is psychotherapy done?
There are numerous types of therapy that go about situations in different ways. Depending on the professional´s training, you can know what their focus is.
There are methods that put more attention on emotions, others that are very solution-focused, some useful strategies to tackle situations going on in the present moment, and some go back to your family of origin and the way you grew up to understand the root of the problem before deciding what the best intervention is.
Psychotherapy can involve talk therapy, but also other methods of non-verbal communication, such as exercises involving drawing, writing, moving your body, etc.
How long does a therapy session last?
Sessions last between 50 to 60 minutes. The duration of the therapy process is a very subjective matter.
It depends on how deeply embedded a certain situation is in an individual, how long they have been living with this difficulty or with this frame of mind, and how willing the client is to make the effort to promote a change in their life.
Whatever the case, therapy is not a magical quick-fix solution. For it to be done well and to have long-lasting effects, it requires time. Humans need time to make solid life changes.
Having said that, I do not agree with having life-long ongoing therapy. The way I work is that I give all the time the client needs to reach the objectives we set or a place they feel comfortable and confident in, with the intention of closing therapy so they can continue their life independently with the lessons they learned.
My door is always open, should they need to come back at any point, because sometimes we fall back into old patterns, or new experiences may arise that we may need guidance with.
How often do I have to do the therapy?
Once again, this depends on what each client wishes to work on. If they are in a lot of distress or have been in a difficult situation for a long time, I would suggest starting with weekly sessions and, when they are ready, slowly starting having them every two weeks or once a month. If the need is not as high, we could begin with biweekly sessions and later on have them more dispersed.
After having completed therapy, there´s also the option of having some check-in sessions every few months. Together we decide what is best for you.
How and where can I have therapy sessions in Barcelona?
My office is located in the center of Barcelona, at Calle Ausias Marc 4, 1-1, a few meters from the Urquinaona metro stop, but I also do online psychological therapy.
No matter where you are located, we can advance in our process and notice progress through virtual sessions.
As a first step, we carry out a diagnostic session where we will define the frequency of the sessions, according to your time availability and specific needs.
English Speaking Therapy - Barcelona
I speak fluent English, Spanish, Catalan, and Greek, so we can do the session in the language you feel more comfortable with.
You can contact me today to schedule an appointment!
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