Individual psychotherapy
Individual psychotherapy is a treatment aimed at working the relational patterns and mentalizing deficiencies that affect the problems of the daily life, cause emotional suffering and affect our mental health. It is also a process of personal growth and self-discovery.
In individual therapy sessions, both present and past life situations are analyzed, according to the assumption that our personality is a dynamic system whose development occurs throughout life. The only way to understand each person’s relational patterns is by understanding the entire process and the mechanisms that cause the vicious cycles or maladaptive relational patterns to be maintained and strengthened.
The frequency of the sessions is usually weekly, in some cases bi-weekly, bi-monthly or mixed: starts with a higher frequency of sessions that is later reduced.
Depending on the needs of each patient and the problem they bring to therapy, the process can be shorter and superficial or longer and deeper.
This individual therapy variant, called focal/brief therapy, normally lasts between 10 and 40 sessions. Even if specific focuses are established, individual therapy is open to new ones that may appear during the therapeutic process.
We usually work with a focus and set and review the objectives of therapy every 10 sessions.
Couples counseling
Couples counseling or therapy consists of a series of sessions during which the therapist meets with the couple together or separately. Couples counseling is focused on solving a central conflict of the couple that impedes progress or causes suffering.
The relationship, that is co-created by the members of the couple, is the focus of attention during the sessions, however, it is inevitable to also focus on the relational patterns of each partner separately to understand the dynamics of the relationship.
The therapist’s role is to help the couple find solutions and not directly advise them on what to do.
The couples counseling usually lasts between 10 and 30 sessions of 60 minutes each. The frequency is usually bi-monthly.
Group therapy
Group therapy are sessions in a group of between 5 and 10 people, led by one or two therapists, who meet regularly to treat a common problem. The therapist is the one who guides the group and the members play the role of co-therapists. Group therapy takes advantage of group dynamics to help participants mobilize some of the issues that are most difficult to bring up in individual therapy.
The duration of group therapy is flexible. Each session usually lasts 1.5 hours and the frequency is usually bi-monthly or once a month.
Family therapy
In our psychotherapy center we also carry out sessions with the patient’s family when we see that this resource could help us move forward. It is an essential modality if we work with adolescents.
Sometimes complicated family relationships affect the individual and being able to work certain patterns together can be a dynamic and efficient way.
The termination of psychotherapy usually takes place when a structural change related to the reason for the consultation has occurred and the patients is able to manage the problems on their own.
Psychoeducation
Psychoeducation is an online course that we have prepared both for patients, before starting treatment, and for family members, so that they can understand the theory of the problem and the process of therapy.
These sessions are not mandatory, however, highly recommended, for new patients and for family members of minors.
They help optimize treatments, provide a framework within which we move, resolve doubts and give some basic tools.