Psychotherapy

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is a form of talking therapy for emotional, relationship and mental health problems. It can provide effective help for problems such as anxiety, depression, psychosomatic complaints and relationship difficulties.

In psychoanalytic psychotherapy these problems are seen as the expression of underlying factors and the therapy is aimed at bringing about lasting and deep-seated change. This makes this form of therapy different from many others, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and the use of medication, which focus almost entirely upon current symptoms. By helping an individual to become more self-aware, psychoanalytic psychotherapy also provides a path for personal development.

The relationship with the therapist becomes very important in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, as it is in that relationship that old patterns can be explored and changed. These old patterns may bring about strongly positive and negative feelings towards the therapist. This is a natural part of the work and helps the patient to explore their recurring patterns. Psychoanalytic psychotherapists tend not to share their own personal details as this would limit their patient’s scope for that exploration.

Because it aims to help in-depth, psychoanalytic psychotherapy can last longer than some other therapies and may involve more than one session a week. These arrangements are negotiated with the therapist in the initial meeting. Some FiP therapists do offer brief therapy. We also have therapists who are experienced in working with couples.

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy can help people from all backgrounds and walks of life. To find out if it may help you, please arrange an initial consultation with one of our trained therapists.