Psychotherapy at our Glasgow centre

We are pleased to offer psychotherapy at First Psychology Centre, Glasgow. Psychotherapy is a similar process to counselling in that a client works with a counsellor / psychotherapist or psychologist to address specific issues or difficulties that are causing distress.

Unlike counselling, psychotherapy is a deeper process that will often focus on the 'patterns' or 'themes' that seem to recur time and time again.

How psychotherapy enables change

Psychotherapy will look at patterns and themes and explore how they link to a range of things about you and your personality, such as how you grew up, some of the challenges you have faced in life and the ways in which you may have learned to cope with difficulties. The aim of this kind of focus is to enable change through understanding the underlying causes of what is going wrong and enabling you to develop alternative ways of thinking and behaving.

Psychotherapy - the process and the therapist

Psychotherapy is often a longer-term process, sometimes lasting up to a year (or even longer) of regular meetings with a counsellor / psychotherapist or psychologist. Like counselling, practitioners offering psychotherapy will tend to work in different ways and have different styles. Some will take quite an active, friendly approach while others will appear more detached and analytical (often termed 'psychodynamic' or 'psychoanalytical'). It is important to find the right match for you.

Although some people feel psychotherapy is the right thing for them at the outset and begin with the intention of seeing someone regularly for a reasonably long period, others continue on into psychotherapy after a shorter period of counselling. It is quite usual to continue working with the same counsellor / psychotherapist or psychologist in such circumstances, as most experienced practitioners are comfortable offering counselling and psychotherapy.

Psychotherapy no longer means lying on a couch

Psychotherapy has historically been associated with lying on a couch speaking to a largely silent practitioner. While this does still occasionally take place (this is called psychoanalysis), the vast majority of counsellor / psychotherapists and psychologists do not work in this way (certainly none of us do!). Psychotherapy is therefore much more accessible and far less intimidating than often feared.

To ask us any questions about psychotherapy or to book an initial session with one of our experienced practitioners in Glasgow, please contact us.

Practitioners offering psychotherapy at our Glasgow centre:

Professor Ewan Gillon, Counselling Psychologist
Dr Maria Gascon, Counselling Psychologist
Dr Gerald McNinch, Counselling Psychologist / Couples Therapist
Dr Laura Taylor, Counselling Psychologist
Rebecca Kayne, Counsellor / Psychotherapist