Frequently Asked Questions
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy or talk therapy is a directed interpersonal process of self discovery aiming at change, better, and progress. It takes as it’s subject matter the mental life of the client, their beliefs, thoughts, emotions, patterns and behaviour, and gently brings into awareness those phenomena to work them and increase agency and purposeful action.
The dynamic collaboration between an attuned, trained, and congruent therapist and a client provides a compassionate space where individuals can identify and explore mental life difficulties, obstacles, and dysfunction, not as problematic elements the client has fallen into, but as mechanisms that were once useful and now produce more harm than good. With conscious and compassionate discovery, commitment, and continuous work, productive change can be brought about.
What is psychotherapy?Though research support the effectiveness of psychotherapy, it is not necessary to engage in it to improve life quality or overcome difficulty. the fruits of psychotherapy can be achieved elsewhere such in a supporting and loving relationship and a reliable support system.
However, if difficulty and distress levels are excessive, support is not reliable or the nature of the problem is unclear and one has only a vague idea about, collaboration with a specialist in mental life is of value.
people come to therapy for multiple reasons, and it is not necessary that one is experiencing significant psychological distress to go to therapy, one can simply wish to improve and progress, gain better awareness of themselves, update their life philosophy, or achieve a certain concrete goal.
Do you need to go to therapy?
What therapeutic models do I use?
I am pursuing psychotherapy training in integrative psychotherapy, which is a combination of different models based on the client needs. I have experience working and training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; which is a model that targets unhelpful and dysfunctional beliefs and thoughts within individuals to induce adaptive behaviours and emotions, from the Beck institute.
I am also training and working in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which is a model that emphasising acceptance of one’s thoughts and emotions and exposing oneself to them while pursuing valued actions: that action inspired and directed by one’s core and authentic values. The training took place with the Psychwire online platform.
I have also am training and been supervised in Schema Therapy, a model for deeper work aiming at discovering long standing repetitive patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour, and the accompanying coping modes. These usually operate outside of awareness of tangential to it.
I am continuing training and work under supervision of qualified and experienced psychotherapists. In addition to supervision, I am going to continuous personal therapy to increase self awareness and be better suited to offer help and care.
How does change happen in psychotherapy?
In psychotherapy, change is a multifactorial process depending on the paradigm chosen for therapy. However, years of peer reviewed empirical research has shown the markers and conditions of improvement. These conditions are: a solid therapeutic alliance between the therapist and client, which an agreement on goals and direction, empathy, genuineness and honest and compassionate relationship; therapist competence and attunement; client resources such as support and commitment; and the specific model applied with its tools and rationale.
With these conditions built in the interaction between client and therapist, therapy can proceed. change can take place through continuous collaboration and it manifests in reduction of distress and dysfunction, increased agency and competence, new and functional patterns of thoughts, emotion, and behaviour emerge and are affirmed, overall life satisfaction improve and a sense of meaning and purpose develops.
Since the process depends on many factors, there is no guarantee that each therapeutic collaboration will succeed. Nonetheless, there is value in self discovery and improvement may take place at another stage in life based on earlier work.
What do I work with/have worked with?
What do I offer that is different/
what is my speciality
I have experience working in multiple clinical settings (Beroun hospital, Terapeutika clinic, University NYC counselling centre). I have worked with anxiety, depression, Personality disorders (Borderline PD), Substance use disorder, Bipolar disorder, Somatic Symptom disorder, ADHD, and sleep disturbances.
In addition, I have worked with milder issues such as adjustment, integration, cultural shock, meaning and purpose, religious doubt and skepticism. I have worked with people who do not suffer from significant distress, but are interested in progress and betterment or self understanding.
I am specialising in expat mental health issues, intercultural counselling, Arab mental health, and cultural difference.
Are there any special offers ?
What languages do I speak and work with?
I can work fluently and in Arabic and English. I have competence and training in both languages and conduct both my private and professional affairs in those languages.
I have a conversational level in Czech language enough for my integration and understanding of the culture but not enough to offer therapy.
Yes. reach out for more details.