"A place of safety and trust, where it is possible to initiate meaningful change"
What is Psychotherapy? If we asked this question 100 years ago, the answer would have been much more straightforward than it can ever be now. Born as psychoanalysis, based on free association, dream interpretation and interpretation of transference, psychotherapy has evolved to be conceptualized in a variety of different ways, by different therapists.
My basic therapy style is influenced by my upbringing and education in Italy as well as my life experiences, my American education as a doctor of clinical psychology, my ongoing reading in philosophy, psychology and spirituality and my ongoing practice of Meditation.
I view psychotherapy treatment as a committed endeavor involving equally committed people, the therapist and the patient(s), who choose to meet regularly, for a meaningful period of time, and encounter each other in a most authentic and genuine fashion, in the unique safety and intimacy of the therapeutic relationship and therapy space. I believe that one of the underlying purposes of treatment is to engage in a process of self-knowledge with someone we trust and allow ourselves to be vulnerable with, and hence really be "seen", just as we are.
This dynamic may also shed light on the less manifest ways in which we communicate and behave, within ourselves as well as with others. To gain a more intimate awareness of how we operate at these levels makes us aware of our "blind spots", or those non-verbal messages that may communicate other than what we consciously intend to communicate, perhaps undermining a valuable purpose or a relationship we value.
Gaining this kind of awareness helps making the decision to change unwanted patterns of thoughts and behavior more effective. That entails the acceptance of how things are, in the here and now. The next step is willingness to do something about what we wish to improve. In this context, there are many different treatment approaches that can be adopted, that vary according to each client's needs, goals and desires, as well as the length of time that can be devoted to treatment.