Not everyone experiences therapy in the same way, and that makes going to therapy for the first time a little intimidating to most people. What exactly does a therapeutic programme involve?
The answer to that question can’t be described on a page on the internet. It’s something that you experience, and that takes place between you and the therapist. There are, however, some things that can be said about therapy in general.
The word therapy stems from the Greek word therapeia, meaning ‘treatment’, ‘service’, ‘bodily care’, and ‘methods of improvement’.
At sinteze, therapy is focused on the future, using your potential to be yourself.
Integrative psychosynthesis
Historically, psychotherapy was focused on ‘curing’ disease. In the post-modern psychotherapeutic approach, clients are not considered to be sick. Every individual can become psychologically upset or confused, experience emptiness, or fail to see the meaning of life. Therapy is focused on examining you. Out of curiosity and an interest in the situation you find yourself in.
Psychosynthesis applies this interpretation to examine any potential hidden meaning underlying the situation you are in. This is referred to as the transpersonal. Many people find support and gain understanding of the situation exactly because we also consider this broader picture.
The therapy consists of asking questions and providing insight into the situation by considering it from different perspectives. In addition, we try to find potential judgements that keep you from being compassionate towards yourself. From feeling what it’s like to be in your situation and relating to it.
The therapist uses the healthy part in you as a starting point. There are always aspects of your life that go well and that you are satisfied with. How can you apply your qualities to the aspects of your life that aren't going as well as you’d like? How can you increase your patience towards developments that can and will happen, and experience the world with mindfulness? Therapy is focused on examining these questions and finding what helps you to further develop yourself.
Start
Every therapy programme at Sinteze always begins with an introductory meeting. Do you and the therapist get along? Meet one another and explore, with no strings attached and at a reduced rate. You get the room to ask for anything you need to decide whether to really begin, and will be informed about the formal aspects of starting therapy, such as confidentiality, the right of complaint, and reimbursement. Once you choose to proceed, an initial meeting, called an intake, is held. We articulate the question you are seeking help with and the goal of the therapy, so that you and your therapist know what you want to work on.
Therapy
After the intake interview you will be ready to go! At Sinteze, therapy primarily involves conversing with your therapist. At times you will be asked to do exercises at home. There are also exercises that we provide and explain during sessions when they might be beneficial to do.
Every session, you decide what you would like to talk about. Anything goes. When you’re not sure what you’d like to talk about, you can count on your therapist to ask questions and invite you to discuss certain themes that relate to your question and goal. As our client, you have the freedom to set the pace, and to indicate at any time whether something is intimidating, difficult, or unpleasant, and whether you would rather not do something.
Results
When you start therapy, you want to know what’s in it for you. That’s why we set a goal at the start of a programme. ‘Where would you like to go?’ That provides direction. See also ‘client experiences’.
The conversations with your therapist are aimed at gaining insight into your situation and developing a viewpoint that allows you to approach that situation differently. It can be helpful to learn how to trust yourself. And to be able to choose freely what you want. Together with your therapist, you will also look for a way to determine whether something has changed for the better. It’s not easy for everyone to tell exactly how they are doing and to set a ‘goal’. Your therapist will think along with you at the start. Your goal can then be readjusted during the course of the programme.
Sinteze applies established psychotherapeutic insights, because you are not the only one with your question or problem. It’s important to genuinely search for the answer, or for a different way to handle the problem you are experiencing. If you are motivated and have the courage to take on this self-examination, then you have already taken the most important step.
When you choose guidance, you choose not to have to carry the burden of your question by yourself any longer. Sometimes it can be hard to free yourself from thoughts that get in the way. Sinteze is a private practice for self-examination and psychotherapy. Together we will find an approach that matches your question, as well as provide insight.
During the course of your therapy, you will consider how well you are doing together with your therapist and decide where you would like to take it from there. We will make sure the therapy stays relevant to what is happening in your life, because that requires the most attention. As our client, you indicate what you find important to work on. When you're not sure, you can count on your therapist to guide you until you regain direction.
Clients’ experiences
Clients frequently mention in their assessments that they have regained perspective in life, are able to attribute meaning to the events surrounding them, and have succeeded in reacting differently to those events than they used to.
Clients also note an increased sense of freedom to choose what’s really important or what they would (really) like. Additionally, it is common for physical complaints and sleep disorders to be alleviated in the course of the therapy.
Finally, reduced fear and sombreness are common and important benefits of therapy, allowing clients to feel more capable of moving forward.