What to Expect
Your initial therapy sessions will involve:
Getting to know you and your current situation (e.g., relationships, study/work, mental health symptoms, stressors and problems, coping strategies)
Collaboratively setting goals for psychological treatment
Psychometric questionnaires tailored to your personal circumstances
The main therapeutic modalities that Maria uses include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Schema Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Maria will collaborate with you on goals, treatment modality and expectations, the depth of therapy, and the duration of treatment.
How long does therapy take?
This really depends on what you are seeking help for and your goals for therapy.
Psychological counselling does not have to be a long-term commitment, especially if you have a specific goal or problem you would like to focus on. Maria offers evidence-based, short-term treatment approaches that work well within 3 to 6 sessions. Therapy approaches such as Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy will equip you with strategies and skills from the first sessions.
Psychological therapy can also be deeper and more process-driven, so it can be medium- to long-term, e.g., 6 months or more. This is usually the case for people who have experienced significant trauma or currently have multiple difficulties in their lives. Maria offers schema therapy, which can be more insightful and helpful for understanding and working through more complex, pervasive, and long-term issues that keep you stuck in the same patterns.