Individual psychotherapy – regular meetings with psychotherapist (psychologist or psychiatrist) once or twice a week. Duration of each meeting is 50 min. Psychotherapy is more effective, if meetings take place each week at the same time. A patient should obligate to attend all appointed meetings, according to the agreement with psychotherapist. Therapists knowingly and purposely stimulate and analyze the processes, taking place during therapeutic sessions (i.e., arising feelings).
Purpose of individual psychotherapy – to help a man to understand the causes of inner and outer conflicts, the style of his/her behaviour, to seek new, more successful ways of behaviour.
Individual psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychotherapy is applied, when facing:
- Various neurotic disorders (anxiety, fear, personality disorders, post-traumatic stress).
- Difficulties in relationships with other people
- Inferiority
- Excessive self-consciousness
- Endless sorrow for the bereavement experienced.
The therapy of this direction helps to see inner conflicts, which remain unknowable for a man because of his/her psychological features. The insight, developing during the therapy, helps to know yourself. The aim is not simply get rid of one or some symptoms, but to restore self- confidence, to discover the taste of life, to change relationships with other people thanks to the new insight.
PPsychotherapy may be painful as well, since it may (and often must) touch unpleasant moments, which persecute and impede the “normal” life.
Duration of psychotherapy:
- short-term (4-5 months);
- average (6-12 months);
- long-term (longer than a year).
The effectiveness of psychotherapy is directly related with its duration. Therapy continues till spiritual discomfort is suffered. Generally, specific term is not determined, and the therapy is finished, following mutual agreement between psychotherapist and patient. A patient has the right to cancel the psychotherapy at any time, however, the mentioned cancellation must be comprehended (i.e., at least a few meetings are appointed for this).