Who are psychotherapists?
They usually have an advanced qualification in one of the mental health professions – psychiatry, psychology, nursing – and additional training in psychotherapy, although it’s becoming more common for psychotherapists to have in-depth psychotherapeutic training rather than this foundation. In addition, therapists tend to be curious and non-judgemental people who believe that clients can be helped to get better. What happens during psychotherapy? Sessions take place at the same place and time, usually every week or every fortnight, and whatever is said or done during the 50 or 60 minutes is confidential. In individual therapy, the client and therapist usually sit in chairs (the chaise longue is rarely used these days). Some people use a combination of therapeutic techniques, such as individual and marital therapy (where a couple meets with one therapists). No matter what the technique, the underpinning principle is that psychotherapy is no magic cure; rather, the capacity for cure lies
