What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a term that refers to a professional activity in which with the help of the interaction between two people or a group, the person is assisted in getting to know and understand himself or herself and make changes to his/her life. Psychotherapists use methods whose boundaries and practical application are predetermined, and help the person/patient to explore not only his problems with others but also his inner conflicts, and assist him in resolving these.

Methods and processes that do not involve the following cannot be called psychotherapy:

– Psychotherapy has to be applied in accordance with a particular theory, and any explanations and changes have to be in the light of this theory.

– The Psychotherapist has to possess a degree of professional education that has equipped him with a deep understanding and knowledge of the basis of human behaviour, and alongside the formal psychotherapy training he also has to concur with moral and professional boundaries.

– The Psychotherapist has to be aware of the person’s social and cultural values, understand the impact of these on the person’s behaviour and attitude, and he has to be able to respect these.

– Apart from his past professional training, the psychotherapist should also continue his professional supervision process (higher supervision) and should be able to consult his senior colleague at any time to ask for his views and recommendations on any problem.

– The intended psychotherapy methods and their effectiveness on different disorders and problems should have been researched beforehand and their effectiveness demonstrated in past scientific research.

Therefore great care should be taken when choosing a psychotherapist and an enquiry made into his past professional education and training.