JADE RICHARDS | COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST
Beginning Psychotherapy
There are different approaches to therapy, and professional help is influenced by the therapist you choose. It’s a good idea to explore your options and find a fit that feels like a comfortable working alliance for you. You might feel sure after the first meeting, or sometimes giving the process a chance to develop over a few sessions will give you a sense of whether it is the right space for you. Appointments usually take place weekly at a regularly agreed on time and last for 50 minutes.
Long-term therapy can be increasingly useful for working through complex dynamics over time, but short-term work can also be effective in supporting meaningful change. The process that unfolds in therapy should extend beyond the actual time spent in sessions. The aim of the helping relationship is to nurture autonomy, rather than to promote dependency on the therapist.
My Approach
Just like human development happens in the context of relationships, so can the therapeutic relationship act as a catalyst for growth. Therapy is an honest, confidential, and non-judgemental space to explore some of the less comfortable parts of ourselves that we don’t always feel safe to wonder about in our everyday lives. This process can be stimulating and rewarding, but it can also be challenging, and sometimes painful. Connecting with a therapist is a brave step that takes strength.
My orientation is insight-based. This means that I work collaboratively with clients towards deeper understandings of themselves and their life experiences. Influenced by psychodynamic thinking, I am interested in how our personal histories shape the way we view ourselves and the unconscious dynamics that influence our lives.
Developing self-awareness builds resilience, giving us more options for how we navigate our worlds and how we participate in relationships. Finding new ways to make sense of old things can help us to accept who we are and to choose the patterns that we want for ourselves. This kind of personal growth also supports how we cope, solve problems, and find purpose.