«Individual psychotherapy is a process of understanding personal experience, through the exploration of the emotions, relationships and meanings that shape the way a person perceives themselves and the world.»
Luigi Boscolo & Paolo Bertrando
Individual psychotherapy is a personal process of exploration, through which a person has the opportunity to understand more deeply themselves, their emotional experiences and the patterns that shape their thinking, behaviour and relationships.
Often the need for psychotherapy emerges in periods of intense psychological strain, anxiety, sadness or major life changes. At other times it is linked to the wish to better understand the way we relate to others, our choices, our inner conflicts and the things we find hard to express.
Within the therapeutic relationship a safe and confidential space is created, where thoughts and feelings can acquire meaning, be explored and gradually be seen from new perspectives.
What can be explored in psychotherapy?
The therapeutic process can focus on a wide range of emotional, psychological and behavioural difficulties. It often concerns anxiety and emotional strain: managing anxiety and chronic stress, panic attacks and panic disorder, generalised worry and persistent thoughts, emotional exhaustion and depressive mood.
At other times the focus is on fears and difficulties with emotional regulation: managing phobias and intense fears, managing anger and difficulty controlling emotional reactions, or more generally the struggle to cope with strong emotions.
Therapy may also address sleep and eating behaviour — sleep difficulties and sleep disorders, a troubled relationship with food, eating disorders and the emotional connection with eating.
Finally, many requests relate to self-image and interpersonal relationships: difficulties with self-esteem, self-image and personal identity, fear of abandonment and insecurity, repeated patterns of behaviour and relationships, difficulty managing personal boundaries, losses, transitions and major life changes, as well as inner conflicts and difficulty making decisions.
The therapeutic approach
Psychotherapeutic work is shaped by each person’s particular needs, personal history and goals.
The approach combines Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Systemic Psychotherapy, taking into account both the person’s inner world and the wider relational and social context in which they live and develop.
The therapeutic process is not only about relief from present difficulties, but also about understanding the deeper meanings and experiences that influence how we perceive ourselves and the world.
The therapeutic relationship
Psychotherapy is a collaborative process that develops gradually, respecting each person’s own pace and needs.
It is based on confidentiality, acceptance and the creation of a meaningful therapeutic relationship, within which one can approach even the most vulnerable parts of oneself.
The aim is to strengthen self-awareness, develop new ways of dealing with difficulties and make possible a more conscious and meaningful relationship with oneself and others.