INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY
Individual psychotherapy for the parts of life that aren’t resolving on their own.
Most people arrive with something concrete such as a relationship that is getting worse, work they cannot stop thinking about, a decision that has stayed open for months, or the sense that ordinary life is taking much more effort than it used to. You do not need a psychological explanation before starting.
What brings people in
We usually start with what changed.
- A partner raised separation seriously.
- You were passed over for a role and reacted more strongly than you expected.
- You keep telling yourself the job is temporary but have been saying that for two years.
- You have started snapping at people you care about.
What happens in sessions
I am fairly active in sessions.
We stay close to detail and sequence: what happened, what you made of it, what you did next and what happened after that.
Analytical clients are often very good at explaining themselves. The explanation can be accurate and the behaviour can still remain unchanged.
Earlier experiences, family, relationships and the body enter the conversation when they help us understand something active now. Present-day difficulties are not automatically turned into childhood stories.
Functioning at work
Functioning at work is a poor test of how the rest of your life is going.
People remain productive while sleeping badly, withdrawing from a partner or losing interest in almost everything outside work.
Competence makes this easy to miss. Nobody at work is likely to intervene while the output still looks good.
Work in psychotherapy
Work belongs in the room when it matters. Salary, a difficult manager, a company in trouble, redundancy or simply realising that you dislike your role are legitimate parts of the situation.
My previous career was in product and growth, so the professional context is familiar.
That context can be discussed without turning psychotherapy into coaching.
Relationships
Individual psychotherapy
Individual therapy can focus heavily on a relationship. We might be looking at conflict, withdrawal, resentment, sex, separation, fear of commitment or uncertainty about whether you want to stay.
Couples therapy
If both partners want the relationship itself to be the focus, that is what Couples Therapy is for.
Practicalities
- Format
- Online
- Sessions
- 50–60 minutes
- Frequency
- Usually weekly at first
I normally work weekly for at least the first few months. We can review frequency later.
You can stop therapy whenever you choose. I ask people to start with a realistic level of commitment because psychotherapy is difficult to develop through occasional sessions booked only when something has blown up.
Before ongoing work begins, I confirm that I can work with you based on your location and circumstances.
Common questions
Do I need a diagnosis?
No. A diagnosis is not a prerequisite for psychotherapy.
Will you give me advice?
Sometimes. I will also point out patterns or reasoning that look incomplete. The important decisions remain yours.
What if I am already seeing another therapist?
Tell me before we start. Parallel work needs to make sense clinically and practically.
Contact
If you want to talk about whether individual psychotherapy fits, book a consultation.