Psychotherapy

Tony Clarkson is a UKCP registered psychotherapist and offers psychotherapy at the Sanctuary of Healing.

As a member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy, he works within their Code of Ethics and Practice, and is subject to their Complaints Procedures.

If you would like to discuss the possibility of psychotherapy or ask any questions, then please ring Tony Clarkson at the Sanctuary on 01254 246940.

What is psychotherapy?

The many different kinds of psychotherapy available all aim to help people to overcome stress, emotional problems, relationship problems or challenging habits. Psychotherapy can give you the time and space to be listened to, heard and understood.

Psychotherapy is not about advice-giving, it is more about empowering you to make more informed choices and to exist happily in this world in terms of a compassionate relationship with yourself and with other people.

The methods involve talking to another person and sometimes taking actions together. The person carrying out the treatment is a therapist, the person being seen is the client.

What are the potential benefits of psychotherapy?

You may find that your patterns of behaviour change, you overcome fears and your anxiety is reduced.

The overriding aim of treatment with psychotherapy is that it may gradually bring about a greater degree of self understanding and enable you to find more appropriate ways of being, and of coping with difficulties.

What actually happens in Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy usually involves regular meetings at the same time, same place every week or two weeks. Sometimes the length of the treatment will be agreed between the client and the therapist within a month or so of starting. Sessions last for 1½ hours and are confidential to the people in that session.

Psychotherapy and its Role in General Health and Well-being

We recognise that there is a strong link between emotional and mental health and physical and spiritual health. Often, when emotional and mental matters are worked on with psychotherapy, general health and well-being improves. Specific ailments can be worked on, often with support from other treatments available at the Sanctuary.

Underlying this is the belief that it is necessary to heal the energy (or the "soul" or the "spirit") before you can heal the body. Meditation is a key tool to achieving this and, in addition to Tai Chi and Yoga, is one of the classes which will be held at the Sanctuary to support the individual in taking responsibility for his or her own spiritual healing. Like the Casa de Dom Inacio in Brazil (see John of God page), the Sanctuary is a positive place where healing energy resides for the benefit of clients and visitors.

Who can benefit from psychotherapy?

Many different people can benefit from the experience of psychotherapy. Listed below are examples of why you might choose to see a psychotherapist.

Do you feel dissatisfied with life in general or any aspect of your life in particular?
Do you have low self-esteem and feel that you lack in confidence?
Perhaps you wonder why your relationships with others often leave you feeling dissatisfied?
Do you often feel stressed with your work or home situation?
Maybe you have family issues that you would like to explore?
Perhaps you experience anxiety that causes you distress and stops you from doing things that you would like to?
Are you some-one who tells yourself that you should be happy and then feel guilty because actually you often feel low and unmotivated?
Perhaps there has been a change in your life and you have experienced separation and/or loss?
Do you feel 'stuck' or in a rut?
Do you feel confused and unsure of what you would like to do with your life?
Perhaps you behave in ways that you don’t understand and you would like to understand why you do what you do?
Maybe aspects of your behaviour are experienced as destructive to yourself and/or others?
Perhaps you feel that you do not know who you are and you would really like the opportunity to discover yourself in a safe and accepting environment?