What is psychotherapy? And who is it for?

What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a treatment using psychological means, whose goal is to mitigate or remove the client's problems. This also usually leads to an increase in the level of self-awareness, self-acceptance, self-realization and self-esteem. Psychotherapy can help us achieve a broader perspective on ourselves, become aware of established patterns of thinking and behavior, uncover our meaning, and overall achieve a higher quality of life and fulfillment of our potential.

When should you consider psychotherapy?

Some people seek psychotherapy because they have been feeling depressed, anxious, or angry for a long time. Others may want help due to a chronic illness that is disrupting their emotional or physical well-being. Others may have short-term problems that they need help dealing with. They may be going through a divorce, feeling overwhelmed by a new job, or grieving the death of a family member.

Possible signs for which therapy may be beneficial:

• You feel a long-term feeling of helplessness and sadness
• Your problems do not improve despite your efforts and the help of family and friends
• You have difficulty concentrating on work or performing other daily activities
• You are disproportionately worried, expect the worst, or are constantly tense
• Your behavior, such as excessive alcohol consumption, drug use, or aggression, is harmful to you or others
• You want to better understand yourself, understand your relationships, and develop your potential so that your life is directed towards greater satisfaction, a sense of fulfillment, and health

Relief can come after the first session

Everyone's a little different and some people need more time, but often the first session helps a lot. It is up to you how much you share, the important thing is that you feel good. Because therapy is "about people," it is critical that both the client and the therapist are certain that they can and want to work together before sitting down. The first session normally includes an agreement on what you will work on, how frequently you will work on it, and maybe how long you will work on it.

And if you are not convinced that the therapist is right for you, take some time and don't force yourself into the collaboration. Alternatively, you can try someone else.

You will feel the real power of therapy with regular sessions

According to the experience of thousands of you, we know that you will start to feel the real power after the fifth session. We methodically track the impact of therapy based on 8 parameters (stress, anxiety, depression, wellbeing, amount of medication, resilience, sleep, and concentration). From these parameters, we calculate the so-called wellbeing score.

The higher the score is, the more positive the impact of therapy has.

How can you get the most out of psychotherapy?

• Be honest with your therapist. You have to honestly share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
• Be an active participant in therapy. Therapy works best as a partnership: you need to work on yourself.
• Dedicate time to it. What you put into it will come back to you. Don't let therapy slip through your fingers. It can be difficult at first, but pay attention to whether you are really focusing on the things that are important to you.
• If it doesn't work, consider a different approach or a different therapist. Talk to your therapist about whether another psychotherapeutic approach is not more beneficial for you. And also, good "chemistry" with the therapist is very important, so look for someone you will feel comfortable with and who will inspire your trust.

Is my topic suitable for therapy?

You can come to therapy with a wide range of topics - from current dissatisfaction through relationship problems, depression, anxiety to deep trauma. It will help you with anything that affects your mental well-being. At the beginning, you will set goals with the psychotherapist and you will be moving towards them throughout the therapy.

Look at the most common topics that people deal with in therapy.

I don't have any serious problem, does therapy make sense for me at all?

Psychotherapy does not have to just treat serious mental health problems. You don't have to have depression or be completely burned out. You don't even have to be able to name your problem exactly. It is enough that you do not feel completely well in some area of your life and you would like to change that. Or you want to get to know yourself more deeply so that you can better use your own potential and feel fulfilled in life.

Psychotherapy is a great way to preventively care for your mental health, it doesn't have to just put out fires.

I feel really bad. Can Hedepy help me?

If you are feeling very down, there is no need to wait. Talk to a psychotherapist as soon as possible. Thanks to the online form of therapy, you have access to psychotherapists from all over the Czech Republic and you can have your first session in a few days.

Do you feel like you need help right now? If you are in a state where you could harm yourself or others, please don't wait and contact the crisis hotline on 116 123.

How to choose the right therapist?

You should feel comfortable and confident with your therapist. Only then will you be really honest and open in therapy - and that is the basis for its success.

That's why it's okay to simply "try out" a few therapists at the beginning to find the right one. Read our more detailed article on how to choose the right therapist and how to know that they are the right one. We have filmed short video profiles of therapists so that you can get to know them at least a little before the actual session. You can also find reviews on their profiles. But don't worry, you don't have to go through all 160+ therapists yourself. Based on a 5-minute test, we will find you three tailored ones.