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What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a method based on a set of ethics; on a theory that explains how the psyche functions; and on a practice that seeks to intervene in the psyche’s functioning when one is suffering from psychological distress. Psychotherapy is not magic, but a process that takes course over time. Throughout this process, a safe, supportive and judgment-free environment is offered so that the patient can authentically express themself and work through their own dilemmas. A course implies covering a distance in a given period of time – this describes the therapeutical process: a trajectory that allows the patient to shift from the subjective position in which they arrived at therapy and which makes them suffer. Through the patient’s speech, the psychotherapist will listen to more than the content of what is said, and through attention to form and style, will listen to text, context and subtext; to that which is explicit and that which lies between the lines. Through reflective questioning and interventions, the psychotherapist enables the patient to listen to themselves and become reacquainted with oneself in order to create new possibilities moving forward.

Life at times is like a maze. Dead ends. Obstacles. Monsters. Treading on,
just to find that
you’re stuck in
the same place.

In the myth of Ariadne, Minos, king of Crete and Ariadne’s father, demands that the hero Theseus must enter the labyrinth, face the Minotaur that inhabits it and find his way out in order to marry his daughter. Ariadne gifts her beloved with a thread capable of guiding him back to the outside world. Armed with his sword and the thread, Theseus faces the monster, traverses the labyrinth and finds his way out. Therapy is to traverse. To get out on the other side, one must go through. Spinning theory and technique together, a thread is woven in the patient-therapist relationship that, like Ariadne’s, allows the patient to understand where they came from and forge a path forward. As the poet Fernando Pessoa said, “it is time to traverse: and if we do not dare to do so, we will have remained, forever, on the sidelines of ourselves”.

When is it time to seek psychotherapy?

Sadness, fear, anger, tiredness… these are all emotions that make up the human experience. They are, from an evolutionary standpoint, important resources, as they communicate something to the person who feels them, who can then act on that information. For example, fear of something can indicate danger and lead to risk assessment and prudence.

When, then, do our emotions stop being a resource and become a problem? When is it time to seek help? A few points are worth considering:

  • The relationship between the emotion or reaction to the stimulus that caused it is disproportionate. Of course, we all have bad days, but when this happens frequently it can be indicative that there is more behind what apparently aroused the emotional response.

  • Sometimes we get stuck in the past, ruminating on situations and emotions that don’t allow us to be present or project ourselves into a desired future. Other times, we are so worried and anxious that we fast-track into an imaginary future and forget our story and how to be present. This can feel like having a hard time finding one’s way.

  • The emotion aroused by a situation persists long after the situation that caused it has ended. Sometimes a mood or emotion lasts for so long that it is difficult to trace back what caused it. Also, the weight of something is closely related to how long you carry it. Take a backpack, for instance. Carrying the same backpack for five minutes or five days is an entirely different experience. Persistence may indicate that there is something that needs to be unpacked and worked through.

  • We often find ourselves repeating patterns without knowing how to proceed differently. Feeling offended and choosing confrontation can be important when someone yells at you, but if that yell is to alert you that the house is on fire, it may not be the best reaction. Consistently reacting in the same way can indicate a trigger to be understood. Acting and reacting are not the same thing.

  • Certain emotions may be so painful to experience that defense mechanisms (largely unconscious) are used to cope with or avoid them. Often, these strategies, which may have been useful at a certain point in time, end up causing more suffering in the long run.

  • Having emotions is part of the human experience. And not only “positive” emotions are important. However, sometimes emotions cause a level of suffering beyond what one is capable of processing.

If you identify one or more of these signs, it may be time to start a psychotherapeutic process. This process will allow you to develop a greater understanding of what determines you beyond that which you are conscious of. Together with the therapist, in a safe and supportive environment, through reflective questioning and interventions, it is possible to reframe what happened to you and what happens to you so as to create new possibilities moving forward.

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Rafaella,

Bachelor in Psychology, masters
in human rights, licenses psychotherapist and
Perpetual psychoanalysis student.

My involvement in public health policies for the homeless and mental health public policies, combined with my experience as a psychotherapist, led me to a critical approach of psychological distress and an ethically committed provision of care.

 

Living as an expatriate for more than six years – during my early childhood in Edinburgh, where I was alphabetized in English, and in Oxford during my teens -,  as well as studying at an international and multicultural school, combined with carrying out psychotherapy with patients of different nationalities, of different backgrounds, and from different places around the globe, allowed me to develop the capacity to listen with a sensitivity to the cultural nuances and differences that mark each person’s story.

 

Constant involvement in scientific events, in research and in the production and formalization of knowledge, has inspired a creative and bespoke practice, tailored according to the needs of each and every patient who seeks out psychotherapy.

Trajectory

Method

The methodological approach used is psychoanalysis, in particular, the theoretical-clinical teachings of Freud and Lacan. This approach is based on the premise that there is something beyond that which we are conscious of that determines us: the unconscious – as reflected in Freud’s famous quote, “the ego is not the master in its own house”. What we see and hear are effects. Psychoanalysis is a therapeutical process of exploration and investigation of the unconscious processes. It aims to create a space in which the patient, through reflective questioning and interventions, may learn more about themselves and the identifications that form them, as well as unlearn learned dynamics, patterns, and mechanisms so as to become reacquainted with oneself and forge new possibilities moving forward.

Modalities
On-site

In this modality, the therapist offers a safe and supportive physical environment where the sessions will take place.

Online

This modality makes it possible to eliminate the limits imposed by geographical distance and offers great practicality, especially when travel may be difficult or unfeasible. All you need is a good internet connection, a video camera, and an environment that offers privacy and in which you feel comfortable to carry out your sessions.

 

*psychologist duly registered and authorized to hold online sessions by the Federal Council of Psychology

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