16/07/2026
What is Psychotherapy?
Sometimes, psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling are called ‘talking therapies’. Mostly, this is because they involve talking about an emotional difficulty with a trained therapist. You may touch on problems you are facing, from grief to anxiety, relationship difficulties to addiction.
You may feel like what you’re experiencing isn’t serious enough to get help or feel unsure about the kind of support psychotherapy can offer. But, anyone can benefit from becoming more aware of how they see the world and why. Talking to a trained professional can help you explore your concerns, thoughts and feelings and improve your mental health.
You don’t need to be in crisis or have a diagnosed mental illness to have psychotherapy. It can help you with emotional or mental health problems, including:
anxiety
feeling like you can’t cope
problems dealing with stress or recovering from stressful situations
lack of confidence or extreme shyness
coping with the effects of abuse
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 coming to terms with losses such as bereavement, divorce or unemployment
eating disorders
self-harm
obsessive behaviour
panic attacks and phobias.
How will psychotherapy help me?
Psychotherapy recognises the lasting impact of trauma. This is when stressful events you experience or witness make you feel unsafe, helpless or vulnerable. You’ll work with a therapist to think about what has happened to you, not what is wrong with you. The focus is on compassion, listening and understanding rather than diagnosing.
Psychotherapy can be a powerful, life-changing experience which can help you improve your mental health, overcome social or emotional challenges and fulfil your potential. A trained psychotherapist can support you to:
express your feelings and process them in a safe and supportive relationship
gain deeper insight into the issues you face
talk openly in a confidential space about things you might not feel able to share with anyone else
find better ways to cope with feelings and fears
change the way you think and behave to improve your mental and emotional wellbeing
improve relationships in your life, including with yourself
make sense of any clinical diagnoses you have had by understanding what has happened to you
heal from trauma
learn to communicate better and tolerate differences in yourself and others.
