Clinical psychologist in North Adelaide

Psychological Therapy

What is “Psychological Therapy”?

Psychological therapy (or “psychotherapy”) is a well- researched process that can address a wide range of psychological concerns and mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress-related concerns.

Most psychological therapy is “talking therapy”, which addresses unhelpful thinking styles, longstanding patterns of thinking, feeling, and doing, by talking through them and applying a range of cognitive (= thinking) and experiential techniques and exercises with a skilled and attuned psychologist. The aim is to change and shift unhelpful patterns by addressing them in a safe space with your psychologist, and for the client to apply these strategies outside of the consulting room. The goal is to achieve symptom reduction, more helpful thinking and behavior, improved relationships and wellbeing, and overall “just feeling better”.

Do I really need therapy?

It’s never too soon or too late to start therapy! You or your loved one might have struggled for a while with worries, feeling low, overwhelmed, or just not yourself. Perhaps your body has been telling you for a while that something is not quite right. People with anxiety and stress symptoms, for example, can experience medically unexplained gastrointestinal issues (e.g., difficulties going to the toilet, nausea, stomach aches and pains), heart racing, or breathing difficulties. You might struggle to eat, have no energy and no interest in doing things you used to enjoy. Difficulties falling or staying asleep are very common and feeling “on edge” all the time. Maybe you have found yourself annoyed and frustrated at little things a lot lately, and you might have stopped seeing friends or going out. You might have worrying thoughts going round and round in your head, making it difficult to focus on anything or getting your work done.

Often people might “self-medicate” by drinking more alcohol or using recreational drugs to “take the edge off”, but that tends to create more problems than help with the underlying issues. You might find yourself arguing more, and perhaps getting tearful for no particular reason. Decision-making can become difficult, and you might doubt or criticise yourself so much that day-to-day life is a real struggle.

A lot of the time we might “push through” and keep going, but there comes a time when this is not working anymore. Seeking support is not shameful or a sign of weakness! On the contrary, I often hear clients say, “I should have done this (therapy) earlier!”.

I take great care in ensuring that my clients feel understood, comfortable, and supported from the moment they reach out. Contact me via phone or email if you would like to know more about what I do and make an appointment.