Silk House Psychotherapy Practice

This depends on our history, life experiences as well as our reasons for starting psychotherapy.  Whilst I mostly work with people in longer term, depth psychotherapy, I offer both short and long term work.  Short term is between 3 - 6 months.    Deeper, more  long lasting and transformational therapy takes considerably longer.

Short term therapeutic work - this is usually where a person is at a crossroads, impacted by an immediate crisis or challenge and is seeking more support to explore a current situation.  The work tends to be more structured and goal oriented with a focus on practical decision-making and handling obstacles and challenges.  Sometimes clients start with a short-term contract and as the process progresses and deepens they may decide to enter into a longer term process.

Longer term therapeutic work explores deep seated. partially conscious as well as unconscious, habits, beliefs and assumptions about self, others and life generally.   It is a process where the client is supported to deepen into themselves and get in touch with the hidden and under-developed parts of themselves that impact on their life right now.  It is a process that takes time and requires a trusted and secure therapeutic relationship where the client feels comfortable and safe to explore - this takes time.

A useful analogy to show the difference between short and long term therapeutic work can be to think about the difference between redecorating your home versus restructuring or renovating your home.  Decorating is more about the surface such as painting the walls, fitting a new kitchen or moving the furniture.  In contrast structural work involves opening up the internal layout and going into the attic and cellar to create a different space, one which we feel more fully at home in.

If we are happy in our home there may still be times of crisis when we want to bring in some outside support.    Alternatively, if we do not feel safe or happy in our home  we may need to bring in professional support to help us secure the foundations and explore how we can restructure the space so we can be comfortable and at ease living there.