Individual therapy is structured, goal-oriented, one-on-one meetings between the client and the psychotherapist. They include processes such as psychological assessment and psychotherapeutic intervention. Sessions are essentially based on the trust relationship between the client and psychotherapist.
The psychotherapy process enables individuals to improve in areas such as problem-solving skills, relationship and communication skills, social skills, and emotion regulation skills. The main goal is to improve the psychological well-being of the client.
There are many different approaches used in individual therapy. These include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Schema Therapy, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Narrative Therapy, EMDR. (You can obtain more information about these approaches practiced in our center from the approaches section)
Psychotherapy process tries to bring about positive behavioral and emotional changes in children and adolescents. In addition to verbal therapeutic interventions, methods such as play, art (painting, music, dance, etc.), psychodrama are also effective in sharing emotions and solving problems in children and adolescents.
Psychotherapy helps children and adolescents to gain emotional support, to understand their feelings and problems, to resolve conflicts, etc. The goals of psychotherapy vary from person to person. For instance, anger management, increasing school success, overcoming test anxiety, developing positive relationships with friends and family, coping with anxiety, increasing self-confidence, etc. The goals are reviewed with the client and a suitable working strategy is created for the child or the adolescent. The length of the therapy depends on how complex and severe the problem is.
Therapy can be carried out with individuals with personal, family, or social difficulties who have not been diagnosed with any mental health condition, as well as with those who have been diagnosed. Some issues specific to the developmental period may also cause the individual to experience problems in daily life. In such a case, the physical, mental, academic, and social history of the child and adolescent are also taken into consideration.
The treatment of children who are diagnosed with a specific mental health condition is carried out by psychiatrists and psychologists in a collaborative manner. Medical and psychotherapeutic approaches are utilized together.
Psychotherapy services and early intervention received in childhood and adolescence are of particular importance in terms of solving the problems experienced by the child or the adolescent in the early development period, preventing the conditions from becoming permanent and persisting into the adulthood.
A family is a system in which different members live together. In family interaction, the nature of interpersonal relationships, the personality structures, mental states, emotional and social expectations, and reactions of family members may lead to psychopathological (disordered) conditions among family members. A dysfunction in one of the family members may disrupt the balance of the family and thus the system, while a dysfunction in the family may cause one or more of the family members to show symptoms of a disorder.
Family therapy helps in overcoming problems among individuals who are in close relationships. Not only family members, but also couples in close relationships and close friends may seek family therapy and receive help to improve their relationships. Family therapy is a type of therapy that improves the quality of communication between family members and helps them overcome disputes. The therapist is like a bridge between the family in this therapy process. He/she guides family members to solve their problems in an atmosphere of understanding and cooperation and uses various therapeutic techniques, when necessary. By listening to everyone’s opinion about the problem, the therapist supports in understanding the process and assists family members to make sense of it.
During family therapies, the whole family may be seen at the same time, or a member of the family may be engaged individually. Family therapy includes different approaches within itself. Which of these approaches will be preferred is decided by taking into consideration the personal characteristics of the client and how the problem can be solved in the most appropriate and effective manner.
Couples may experience different problems during dating, engagement, or the marriage period. Regardless of the stage, the couples requesting help can be counseled. In addition, couples who want to divorce may also need counseling. Couples who are not sure of the decision to divorce or who cannot establish the grounds for reconciliation necessary for divorce or who do not know how to organize relations with their children may receive help at this point.
Individuals who apply to couples therapy may be asked to receive individual therapy in a situation arising from their individual psychopathologies. Within this process, assessments are made regarding the priorities of the therapy. The process is formed by informing the client about how the treatment will be followed up.
Play therapy is an evidence-based method based on the idea that children can express themselves and solve their problems through play. This method is applied to children between the ages of 3 and 12. Following their individual assessment, this method is used if it is found suitable.
The aim of play therapy is to understand the inner world of children, to enable them to cope with their emotional problems, and to develop their ability to produce alternative solutions to their problems.
It can be used in a wide range of areas related to depression, obsessions, anxiety disorders, sexual and physical abuse, trauma, divorce, bedwetting, masturbation, eating, sleeping, and so on.
There are different play therapy approaches. Child-centered play therapy, cognitive behavioral play therapy, experiential play therapy, filial play therapy, symbolic play therapy, sand therapy, and so on. The therapist chooses and uses the appropriate approach, considering the child's personality, needs and problems.