Psychotherapy
is a journey for both the consumer and the clinician. The clinician and client
begin with getting to know each other and start to develop an understanding over
time of the therapeutic process. Through this initial interaction, a pattern of
thinking and behaving emerges that allows the clinician to understand the
person's methods of responding to their world. Sometimes these patterns can be
associated with common diagnostic categories such as depression, anxiety, PTSD,
obsessions, compulsions, and an effective course of action (a treatment plan)
can be constructed from an understanding of these patterns.
Just as each person is unique, so is each therapy a unique combination of elements that is tailored for the individual and the issues for which they are seeking relief. The treatment plan becomes the road map of what will be done in therapy. For some, it may increasing their understanding of the origins of the problem. For others, it may mean discovering a means of directly addressing a single problem at home in relationships, or even at work.