Effective therapeutic work can be only achieved in the supportive and safe environment of the therapeutic relationship, in which the clients feel respected and listened to. Mutual trust and open communication, between the client or the couple and the therapist, are the key conditions that will help us improve given life situation. Therefore, I invite all of my clients to give me sincere and ongoing feedback and to ask questions at any time.
During therapy, I listen to your experiences and look at them from different angles while paying attention to your feelings, thoughts, and behaviour. This allows us to gain clarity and a better understanding of the challenges you are facing. Talking it through can help you to come up with different strategies to control the negative impact these difficulties are having on you. During our sessions, you will have the possibility to clarify your own values and priorities, appreciate your positive attributes and reach a better sense of self-awareness.
During each session, we discuss problems and worries that negatively impact your daily life. These may include high levels of stress, intrusive thoughts, fears and anxiety, self-blame and self-doubt, lack of self-esteem, negative self-image, emotional hurt, unpleasant past memories, insufficient social support, relationship problems, marital difficulties, conflicts in the workplace, addictions, disturbed sleep, an inability to relax, etc. The focus of our work is always determined by your needs and priorities.
Couples counselling allows you to gain a better understanding of the issues you and your partner are experiencing. The neutral and supportive environment of the counselling session helps you to identify negative behavioural patterns that have influenced the quality of your relationship, recognise their causes, and understand the impact of how they affect your daily life. Further therapeutic work is focused on helping both partners to realise their own problematic behavioural patterns and learn how to replace them with a behavioural and communication style that promotes mutual trust and develops closeness. Both partners remind themselves how to respect the individual differences between them and who to better support themselves and the other.
Remote sessions are particularly useful for clients who have a busy lifestyle, who travel a lot or live in locations with limited access to an English-speaking professional source of support. Remote sessions take place over the phone, Zoom, Google Meet, Skype or through other online platforms. This allows the clients to attend the session from the comfort of their home or office, while still benefitting from the quality and effectivity of the therapeutic work, which is not negatively impacted by the online format.
With each client, I sign an agreement that, above all else, clarifies the conditions of ethical therapeutic work and emphasises that their personal details are and will be protected as stated by the Data Protection Directive. I also abide by the ethical code of the Czech Association for Psychotherapy and ICCEFT, which requires me to ensure confidentiality. Therefore, no personal information is shared with any third party without your previous written agreement.
Therapy sessions are usually planned on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, ideally at the same time. The total number of sessions varies as it depends on your needs and life situation, which we can discuss further during our initial consultation. You can cancel a scheduled appointment for any reason. I only ask you for at least 24 hours' notice.
If you are taking medication that regulates your mood and helps you to function better, this combined with psychotherapy can have a significantly more positive impact on your overall treatment. During our sessions, you will have the chance to get a better understanding of the internal and external factors that contributed to the situation leading to your doctor’s recommendation. Therapeutic work also allows you to create strategies that will help you to recognise problematic triggers and deal more effectively with issues that have lead to the exhaustion of your organism and potential diagnosis.
A marriage counsellor, as well as a couples counsellor, helps you to understand what factors negatively influence your relationship dynamics and explore the possible ways that may help you to improve the strength and quality of your relationship. Thus, the difference between a marriage counsellor and a couples counsellor is just one of terminology. The key differences between specific professionals are rather linked to their work experience and specific therapeutic approach.
Young clients, between 16 and 18 years of age, have, as do adult clients, the possibility to use their sessions for reflection in order to examine their daily problems, clarify their own goals, develop their sense of self and positive characteristics, etc. For young people, it is often even more important to trust someone and have the opportunity to freely open up to them. During our counselling sessions, the issues that are relevant to today’s youth can be worked through.