Individual Therapy
Psychotherapy is a therapeutic process based on the interaction, communication and relationship established with a patient/client.
It can be focused on the treatment of psychological disorders - as a tool for recuperation and/or cure (of severe disturbances) - or on increasing self-knowledge and self-development, as well as promoting personal health.
Even if verbal communication is a fundamental aspect, psychotherapy is so much more than “talking about problems”. This professional relationship between a therapist and his patients/clients is ruled by well-defined principles, techniques and structures.
The objectives of this process are multiple and diverse: helping in a deeper understanding of oneself and own environment; achieving positive changes in different areas of one’s life; overcome difficult situations and resolve problems; learning for a better management of emotions and feelings like sadness, anger or fear; empowering self-confidence and increasing self-esteem.
Situations where individual therapy is recommended:
- Anxiety;
- Depression;
- Relationship problems;
- Fears, phobias, feeling of insecurity;
- Post-traumatic stress disorder;
- Sleep disorders;
- Eating disorders;
- Addictions;
- Personality disorders/ Emotional disorders;
- Obsessive-compulsive disorders;
- Bipolarity;
- Psychotic disorders...
Couple Therapy
The relationship of a couple is one of the most important and complex. A couple is much more than the sum of two partners; it has its own dynamic, influenced by both and influencing both. Each partner brings his world into the couple: the personal, familial and cultural backgrounds; this is obviously enriching for both, allowing the growth and development of each other. On the other hand, those differences can originate conflicts given the difficulty of bringing together ideas, expectations and negotiating different models.
The aim of a couple therapy is to offer new possibilities for the relation, according to the needs, the potentialities of the couple and of each individual; opening new ways of communication, facilitate a deeper understanding, modify dysfunctional relationship patterns, elaborate conflicts and allowing the development of each, as an individual and as a partner. The therapy also gives a constructive support during a process of separation or break-up, watching over the health and well-being of the partners and children when they are there.
Normally, it is a brief therapy process (8 to 12 sessions). The sessions last for one hour approximately, twice a week, or once a week in some cases. Before initiating the therapy, it is mandatory that both partners participate into one or two sessions, generally once a week, as an assessment phase.
Situations where a couple therapy can be recommended:
- Communication problems;
- Difficulties in solving conflicts;
- Jealousy;
- Unfaithfulness;
- Aggressive behaviour, violence;
- Depression;
- Sexual problems, sexual dissatisfaction;
- Financial disagreements;
- Mediation;
- Problems with the family;
- Conflicts related to the children.
Family Therapy
The Systemic Family Therapy (or family therapy) is a psychotherapeutic process in which the members of a family will be involved together in order to find constructive ways to solve the problems they obviously share. One or more therapists will work to give the families some opportunities to empower their potential. Assuming the importance of family and relational contexts in each individual, respecting each other’s perspectives, beliefs and narratives, the therapist(s) promote positive changes for the family as a whole such as for every member personally.
This therapeutic model is particularly beneficial in moments of crisis of its members. The familial environment has demonstrated to have enormous potentialities to overcome psychological or medical issues. Because it is focused on working simultaneously various relationships, a family therapy is generally more effective than any other kind of therapy, bringing positive changes in a shorter time.
Usually, the family therapy is a quite brief process (around 10 to 12 sessions). The sessions last approximately one hour, twice a month. The presence of all the family is not always compulsory for the session to be done: some or all the members of the family will be required to assist depending on the ongoing work. However, before the beginning of the therapy, there is a phase of assessment that lasts 2 to 4 sessions, preferably done weekly. During those sessions of assessment all the members must be present.
Situations where a family therapy can be recommended:
- Familial conflicts and changes in the familial environment;
- Mental issues in children and adolescents;
- Parenthood and coupledom;
- Support to a family going through a process of separation or divorce;
- Conduct disorders in children, attention disorders or hyperactivity;
- Emotional disorders, anxiety, depression, mourning;
- Psychotic disorders;
- Anorexia, bulimia or other eating disorders;
- Adoption, child fostering;
- Domestic violence;
- Substances abuse, drugs, alcohol and other addictions;
- Migration process and cultural adaptations;
- Significant changes in the family life, like birth, retirement, emancipation of the children, caring of an elderly or dependent person…;
Psychotherapy online
Aren’t we used to hear that “time is money”? This is the perfect proverb to describe our society, where everything is counted and fast, including our precious free time; time that is spent in so many ways: for culture, healthcare, wellness, leisure… But it shouldn’t be only a matter of money, because it is more than that; “time is life”!
Psychotherapy presents inestimable values of recuperation, cure (of deep emotional disturbances) as well as preventive values for personal health, and for a better self-knowledge. Unfortunately for some reasons this is a tool sometimes difficult to search for.
Social clichés, misinformation, fears and misunderstandings can be some of the obstacles. Those obstacles turn even stronger when we step away from big cities into small cities or towns of the inland or the coastline (of Portugal in our case).
“Vidas com Arte” aims to offer an accessible, quick, easy and safe response to this matter of facts, widening the areas of intervention and increasing accessibilities by purposing online psychotherapies (individual, couple and family), for those who feel this need. “Vidas com Arte” wants to adjust to those who feel too far, too busy, too afraid.
These alternatives are usually submitted to special conditions and previous negotiation with the therapist. The practitioner will always evaluate the best option with the success of the therapeutic process/conditions in mind, organizing the frequency of the sessions and modalities of the therapy.
The online consultations can also be planned when it is beneficial for the client and always since a therapeutic process has already started. It can be very useful in case of unexpected crisis for example.
Finally, in “Vidas com Arte”, we decided to use the technological advantages of our modern world to give a good and personalized service to everyone.
For further information, please contact us.