Frances Hamilton

Psychotherapy differs from counselling in that it is open ended with no end date predetermined and therefore of longer duration. This approach allows the time and space needed to explore and understand in greater depth the underlying motivations behind repeated patterns of behaviour and the strength of the emotional pull which can seem to take on a life of its own.

Recurring behaviour and overwhelming emotions can seriously affect our capacity to live in harmony with ourselves and others. In our modern world of 'speed is everything' and 'quick fixes' the value of taking time can often be lost. Allowing yourself to delve deeper, alongside someone who can support and empower you, will give you the key to discover who you truly are and who you were born to be.

The deeper process of exploration into your earliest experiences gives understanding and meaning to how these have influenced and helped to shape who you are today; and to consider how difficulties manifesting through symptoms of dysfunction and breakdown in the present may have their origins in the past. An important part of the process is to hear what is being expressed through the symptom, to give it a voice and to see what purpose it has for you.

A central part of the work will be to establish a trusting therapeutic relationship within which, you will be able to work with those areas of your life that have been troubling you and that may be more entrenched and enduring. Over time, through the experience of the therapeutic relationship, the unconscious and hidden motivations that lie at the root of your troubles can be seen, understood and the emotions that became attached, can be released. In this way your feelings can become more manageable and open up the possibility of a future you may never have envisaged.