What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy aims to help clients gain insight into their difficulties or distress, establish a greater understanding of their motivation, and enable them to find more appropriate ways of coping or bring about changes in their thinking and behaviour.

Psychotherapy involves exploring feelings, beliefs, thoughts and relevant events, sometimes from childhood and personal history, in a structured way with someone trained to help you do it safely. Depending on the nature of your problem, therapy can be short or long term. Sessions can be provided for adults, adolescents and children on a one-to-one basis, or for couples, families and within groups whose members share similar problems.

What happens during psychotherapy?
Every session at The Northern Integrative Health Practice in Sacriston, Durham is different because every client is different, as are their problems. Your psychotherapist will encourage you to talk and explore, in a structured way, your feelings and experiences.

Depending on their training and modality, your therapist may also suggest particular techniques as part of that exploration - for example, using art, imaging, dream or movement work. Whatever the technique or clinical approach, psychotherapy is not a magical cure, it is a process to help you find the capacity for improvement within yourself.

What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?

Different people use the words counselling and psychotherapy in different ways, so there is no commonly agreed definition. There is a general understanding that a psychotherapist can work with a wider range of clients or patients and can offer more in-depth and longer term work where appropriate. It is generally accepted that counsellors provide shorter-term therapy.

What is psychotherapeutic counselling?
Psychotherapeutic Counselling is distinguished from traditional counselling by its emphasis on the co-creation of an in-depth therapeutic relationship; wherein the suffering human being is viewed holistically, body, mind and soul and in the context of a concrete life situation and developmental stage.

Can psychotherapy help me?
Psychotherapy has helped many people deal with mental or emotional distress, which can be experienced in many ways including:

• Anxiety or an inability to cope or concentrate
• Inability to deal with stress or recover from stressful situations
• Lack of confidence or excessive shyness
• Feelings of depression, sadness, grief or emptiness
• Extreme mood swings
• Difficulty making or sustaining relationships, or repeatedly becoming involved in unsatisfying or destructive relationships
• Sexual problems
• Difficulties in coming to terms with losses such as bereavement, divorce or loss of employment
• Eating disorders
• Self harm
• Obsessive behaviour
• Panic attacks and phobia
• Addiction

How much does it cost?
The cost of psychotherapy at The NIHP Sacriston Practice in Durham varies depending on the practitioner. It is also available on the NHS, but you usually need to be referred by your GP.