Psychotherapy is a specialist talking treatment which helps people to explore their lives in order to understand and work through emotional and psychological problems.
Many such problems are the result of underlying conflicts and fears for which there seems to be no rational explanation. The role of the psychotherapist is to help people discover the nature of such fears and to find ways of resolving them.
For psychotherapy to be effective, it is helpful if the individual has some ability to consider the ways in which their own actions and behaviours may be contributing to the difficulties they find themselves in.
What is psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a talking treatment in which you will be encouraged to find words for your thoughts and feelings. It means being honest with yourself and taking responsibility for change.
This is a demanding form of treatment since it requires a commitment and willingness to get in touch with what may be painful feelings.
You need to be able to make a commitment to attend sessions regularly.
What is offered are weekly sessions:
- A 50 minutes individual therapy session for up to one year
- 90 minutes group therapy session for up to two years.
Why have I been referred to psychotherapy
You could seek psychotherapy for many different reasons:
- You may be aware of feelings or aspects of your behaviour which interfere with your capacity to live a satisfying life.
- You may have long standing symptoms of anxiety and/or low mood and behaviours that have a negative impact on functioning and enjoyment of life
Whatever the source of your unhappiness, psychotherapy implies a wish to think about and understand painful feelings in order for you to achieve a more satisfying resolution.
How can psychotherapy help me
Psychotherapy can help you gain a deeper understanding of your problems and the experiences that gave rise to them.
The aim is for new and better resolution of understanding problems, leading to a greater capacity for satisfaction in relationships, work and social life.
Difficult experiences throughout life, especially during childhood, can have lasting effects on how we think and feel and the way we relate to other people around us. Some of these links between past and present may be easy to understand, but there may be others of which we are less well aware. We can sometimes find ourselves feeling and behaving in ways that we don’t like and don’t understand which we feel we cannot change. Some of these difficulties are likely to emerge in the therapy sessions with your therapist
Psychotherapy may not be suitable for everyone. It can be anxiety provoking and challenging and can give rise to intense feelings. It is helpful to have the support of family and friends.
What can I expect
When you are referred to our Psychotherapy Service, you will be sent a questionnaire to complete and return. This will greatly help the therapist in assessing your needs.
On receipt of this questionnaire, you will be sent an initial assessment appointment to meet one of the psychotherapy staff in the department.
At your assessment, you will have the opportunity to discuss treatment options. Our service offers individual or group therapy, depending on what would be best suited to your needs.
The first meeting will not be primarily a question-and-answer session, but an opportunity for you to start thinking about the difficulties you are having in a different light, and make connections with experiences you may have been unaware of. This meeting will help you and your therapist decide whether this type of therapy is right for you.
If Psychotherapy is recommended there will be a wait before you start regular weekly sessions.
Who will provide my therapy
Our staff include psychotherapists from various professional backgrounds with a high level of specialist training. Normally, your therapy will be provided by one of these trained therapists.
Is psychotherapy confidential
You will meet your therapist in confidential surroundings. Your sessions are confidential and your privacy will be respected as far as possible. However, we do have ethical and statutory obligations to protect the safety of children, other people and yourself. This may mean sharing information with other health professionals involved in your care.
We communicate at regular intervals with your GP and any other professionals involved in your care about your treatment plan and its progress.
We will discuss confidentiality with you in the first session. If you have any other questions or concerns about confidentiality, please ask your therapist.
What happens if I cannot attend a session
We will offer you a regular appointment time. The regularity of the sessions is an important part of the psychotherapy process.
If you are unable to attend your appointment, it is important to let us know in advance.
How can I get an appointment
Referrals are made through your GP, mental health professionals and other statutory and voluntary agencies.
Contact us
Unither House, Curfew Bell Road, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 9FG
Tel: 01932 587075
18 Mole Business Park, Randalls Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 7AD
Tel: 01372 203456
Gatton Place, St Matthew's Road, Redhill, Surrey RH1 1TA
Tel: 01737 288970
Sandalwood House, Farnham Road Hospital, Farnham Road, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7LX
Tel: 01483 443683