What is psychotherapy?

There are many definitions. Among the most relevant is the one given by Karen Horney. According to her, the human being has an inbuilt propensity toward self-realization. If obstacles are removed, we develop into mature, fully realized adults “just as an accord develops into an oak…”. Psychotherapy is a method of identifying and removing inner obstacles and blocks on our way to a fulfilling life.

What is the role of the psychotherapist?

By engaging in a dialog, the therapist helps the client to draw his own conclusions about his values, basic assumptions, core beliefs, goals and possible sources of (inner) conflict. The client is not a recipient of the therapist's interpretation, advice, or wisdom, but an active participant in the search for insight. Insight is gained gently and respectfully through a series of leading questions. In this approach, the therapist does not play the role of the expert or the authority who "knows it all." It is more a Socratic dialog, meant to help the client explore his opinions, to reveal his assumptions and beliefs.

Our approach to psychotherapy is rooted in Alfred Adler’s school of thought. Adler's approach was not to argue with a client. He used friendliness, warmth, caring, and empathy to win them over emotionally. He first encouraged clients and helped them make steps in a new direction before discussing their faults. His style was based on thoughtfulness, irony and fun.

Faithful to the Adlerian principles, we offer an atmosphere of warmth and fun in psychotherapy, well aware that health and well being on an emotional level cannot occur in their absence. We know that a purely logical argument or the unveiling of mistakes would not elicit core psychological change. Therefore we encourage the experience of change on cognitive, emotional and behavioral levels.

How many sessions will I need and how much does it costs?

Each session lasts about 60 minutes and many people start to see results within 10 sessions. However the goal of therapy, the pace and the speed of the treatment are dictated by the client. For ambitious therapeutic goals we can calculate 40-60 sessions. A therapy session costs about EUR 60. In case of medical indication for psychotherapy, the costs are partially or totally reimbursed by the national health service.

What is hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is a method of using hypnosis to gain access to our unconscious for many purposes, like supporting positive change in our lives, reducing pain, quitting addictions, etc.

Through hypnosis a person goes into a state of relaxed focus and is unusually responsive to an idea or image. It is a natural state. There are many other occasions when we enter a natural state of trance. When driving, watching TV, listening to music, and in other activity in the "flow" state we often are in an "altered state of consciousness".

Some people leave their first hypnotherapy session saying, "I wasn't hypnotized. I knew what was going on the whole time!" Hypnosis is not a state of amnesia. Just the opposite true: hypnosis is a state of heightened awareness and focus. There are some cases when amnesia occurs, but they are the exception and not the rule.

How does hypnosis work?

During hypnosis, your body relaxes and your thoughts become more focused. Like other relaxation techniques, hypnosis lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and changes certain types of brain wave activity. In this relaxed state, you will feel at ease physically yet fully awake mentally and may be highly responsive to suggestion.

Will I lose control?

One myth regarding hypnosis is that somebody else can take control of our minds. A hypnotherapist cannot control a person's mind and free will. A person has to want the change, agree on a conscious level with the change, and then hypnosis is an instrument to make that change easier, faster, and permanent.

During hypnosis, the person in trance always has control and can exit at any given time the trance.

What happens during a hypnotherapy session?

After setting the therapeutic goal, namely what condition you would like to address and with what results, you will go in trance (read a focused state of relaxation) through relaxation techniques, using a series of mental images and suggestions intended to support positive change and relieve symptoms. For example, people who have panic attacks may be given the suggestion that, in the future, they will be able to relax and feel safe whenever and wherever they want. You will also learn the basics of self-hypnosis so you can practice at home what you have learned during the session.

How many sessions will I need?

Each session lasts about an hour, and most people start to see results within 4 - 10 sessions. The price for a 10 sessions program is EUR 500. In case of hypnosis for medical indication, the costs are partially or totally reimbursed by the national heath service.

What illnesses or conditions respond well to hypnosis?

Clinical studies suggest that hypnosis may improve immune function, increase relaxation, decrease stress, and ease pain and feelings of anxiety. For example, studies show that dental patients who underwent hypnosis had a significantly higher threshold for pain than those who were not hypnotized. Hypnosis may also improve recovery time and reduce anxiety and pain following surgery. Clinical trials on burn patients suggest that hypnosis decreases pain (enough to replace pain medication) and speeds healing. Generally, clinical studies show that using hypnosis may reduce your need for medication, improve your mental and physical condition before an operation, and reduce the time it takes to recover.

With self-hypnosis you can learn self-regulation skills. For instance, someone with arthritis may learn to turn down pain like the volume on a radio. Hypnotherapy can also be used to help manage chronic illness. Self-hypnosis can enhance a sense of control, which is often lacking when someone has a chronic illness.

Other problems or conditions that may respond to hypnotherapy include: irritable bowel syndrome, tension headaches, alopecia areata, asthma, phobias, insomnia, addictions, bedwetting, fibromyalgia, labor and delivery, skin disorders (such as acne, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis), stress, tinnitus, cancer related pain, weight loss, eating disorders and indigestion. (Source: Hypnotherapy | University of Maryland Medical Center)

What are your strengths?

We do not ask “what’s missing?”, we ask “what’s there?”. We do not focus on weaknesses, we identify strengths, we explore the client’s gifts and talents. A coach is there to ask questions which allow the client to see beyond the self-imposed limits and go from where he is today to where he wants to be. Before setting a goal and the steps that lead to it, we explore possibilities, different scenarios. Instead of looking at “what do you want to do, what can you do, what will you do and when will you do it”, we encourage the client to take a step back and to ask “what if?”.

What Is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is a powerful new psychotherapy technique which has been very successful in helping people who suffer from trauma, anxiety, panic, disturbing memories, post traumatic stress and many other emotional problems. Until recently, these conditions were difficult and time-consuming to treat. EMDR is considered a breakthrough therapy because of its simplicity and the fact that it can bring quick and lasting relief for most types of emotional distress.

EMDR is the most effective and rapid method for healing PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) as shown by extensive scientific research studies.

The EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation, right/left eye movement, or tactile stimulation, which alternatively activates the right and the left brain hemispheres, releasing emotional experiences that are "trapped" in the nervous system. As troubling images and feelings are processed by the brain via the eye-movement patterns, resolution of the issues and a peaceful state are achieved.

How Does EMDR Work?

At this point thousands of clinicians worldwide have successfully treated millions of people with EMDR therapy. One theory is that the eye movements stimulate the same type of biological connections and beneficial processes created in REM sleep. Research shows that if a person is taught a skill and prevented from entering REM sleep that evening, the skill can be lost. During REM sleep the brain forms appropriate neuronal connections. The memory is processed and shifted to a more adaptive, usable form.

For all of us, unprocessed memories are generally the basis of negative responses, attitudes and behaviors. Processed memories, on the other hand, are the basis of adaptive positive responses, attitudes and behaviors. Changing the memories that form the way we see ourselves also changes the way we view others and life in general. Therefore our relationships, professional life, what we are willing to do or able to resist, they all move in a positive direction.

How Does A EMDR Session Looks Like?

After preparatory work (anamnesis, choosing the memory to be targeted, activating resources, etc.), the therapist asks the client to revisit the disturbing moment or incident, recalling feelings surrounding the experience, as well as any negative thoughts, feelings and memories. The client is not asked to describe the memory in detail or to fully re-experience it, just to mentally make a connection to the disturbing event. The therapist then holds her fingers about forty centimeters from the clients face and begins to move them back and forth like a windshield wiper. The client tracks the movements as if watching ping pong. The more intensely the client focuses on the memory, the easier it becomes for the memory to come to life. As quick and vibrant images arise during the therapy session, they are processed, and, as the disturbing feelings fade away, peaceful, joyful, positive feelings take their place.

During EMDR therapy people remain awake and in full control of their faculties. An EMDR session usually takes about 80 to 90 minutes.

What problems are helped by EMDR?

The studies to date show a high degree of effectiveness with the following conditions: depression, anxiety or panic, phobias, fears, accidents (car accidents, fire, etc.), loos and grief, assault, robbery, sexual abuse, childhood trauma, witness to violence, illness, injury, post traumatic stress, relationship problems, low self esteem, sleeping disturbances, etc.

The EMDR technique is most effective when used in conjunction with other traditional methods of therapy in treating these and many other emotional disorders.

How many sessions will I need and how much does it costs?

Each session lasts about 90 minutes and many people start to see results after the first session. The number of session will demend of the number of unprocessed, disturbing memories. On average each of us has a minimum of 10 disturbing memories, which can be processed. However the goal of therapy, the pace and the speed of the treatment are dictated by the client. A therapy session costs about EUR 80. In case of medical indication for psychotherapy, the costs are partially or totally reimbursed by the national health service.

More information in EMDR

• www.emdr.com
• www.emdr-europe.org
• www.emdria.org
• www.traumatherapie.at