For me, Relational Psychotherapy super-charges the other therapeutic approaches by bringing them together in a way that offers a holistic, encompassing and deeply attuned therapeutic experience. The Relational approach is grounded in theories of depth psychology, integrated with learnings from attachment and trauma theory (amongst others), and is deeply interpersonal.
It is a contemporary take on analysis, where the therapist is very much an active and present participant. Relational therapists recognise that it is not possible to be in therapy without both people being affected.
The result is that you sit with a therapist who has a deep theoretical understanding of the workings of the psyche and is attuned to what is happening in the here-and-now relationship between the client and the therapist.
The symptoms that the medical model attributes to various diagnosable conditions are understood to arise as an understandable response to your environment, developmental experience, and life experience. You have the symptoms because you are human - these are your BodyMind's best adaptation to keep you safe and secure, given the limits of your experience to date.
Humans are deeply social creatures, and our early life experiences with caregivers set a blueprint for how we relate to ourselves and to other people. Often, these blueprints include, for example, silencing ourselves out of fear of the reaction we might receive or, conversely, making ourselves so big that no one can ignore us.
Some of us learned to numb our feelings, which can lead us to enter the depths of depression as our life force is almost extinguished. Some of us experience a chronically activated nervous system with barely any respite, resulting in heightened states of anxiety and panic. Some of us feel so unsafe in relationships that we shut off our connection to ourselves and to other people, leaving us feeling desperately lonely and isolated over time.
Relational Psychotherapy offers more than a path back to mental health. It offers a path to deeply understanding and appreciating your unique human nature and supporting you on your journey to your authentic expression in life.
As with any path, you can travel it for as long as you like. You may choose to rest somewhere for a while and take in the vista where you now stand, before continuing further.
A Relational Therapist commits to walking this path with you, discovering the shadows that block your progress alongside you and finding a way to navigate them together. The therapeutic relationship is invaluable in this, as often our shadow aspects (past traumas, unconscious ways of interacting with the world) get played out in the therapy. The Relational Therapist is attuned to this and will help unpack it as it arises.
Each Relational Therapist is unique. As with any other therapeutic approach, it's important to find a therapist who you feel a good 'fit' with - someone who gets you, is present, willing to listen, and attentively guides you throughout your therapy.
The above describes a little of how I work. If you're curious and want to work with me, either individually or as a couple, please feel free to reach out!
Anna Wiederroth, Clinical Psychologist - Individual and Couple Therapist