INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY

Most people will see a therapist for individual work, and weekly sessions of just under an hour are common. However, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapists might see someone up to 3 times a week, maybe using the analytic couch, particularly if the person is undertaking a training therapy to enter a health profession. A CBT therapist might offer contact at fortnightly intervals. There will usually be an initial assessment session, for the therapist to find out about what brings you to therapy at this point in your life, and an invitation to talk about your life to date in terms of family, school and work experiences. Each therapist can then contract a way befitting their style of working

GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY  

We spend much of our lives in groups – family, school, work, hobbies and friendship. Patterns of behaviour, ways of thinking, self-image and identity can become established in early life, and reinforced through later experiences in groups. A therapeutic group provides a place for learning to talk about things that cause worry, so a person can receive support, challenge and encouragement. As people come to realise that they are not alone in their fears and anxieties, the group can also provide a place to discover how they are seen by others, and to try out new and more authentic ways of relating.
There would usually be at least 2 or more individual sessions prior to joining a group, to ensure that group would be the best therapy option, and to ensure no one would be placed in a group with someone they already know. Groups are held in the evening, last 90 minutes, and are facilitated by Christine who is a qualified Group Analyst with an M.Sc. in Group Analytic Psychotherapy from UCD, and many years of group work experience.