If this is your first time coming to counselling or psychotherapy, you may be curious about what it is like. If you already have some experience about it, you may be confused by the multiplicity and diversity of the approaches.
Therefore, I‘d like to stand in your perspective, imagining the questions you might have, and stand in a therapist’s view, to answer your questions. I hope this helps a little for you to make a decision about being committed to counselling or psychotherapy.
What Psychotherapy Is
Psychotherapeutic work, broadly, can be classified into two distinct approaches: one emphasising cognitive and behavioural modification, and the other prioritising the exploration of emotions, feelings, and relational dynamics.
My Therapeutic Approach
My work prioritises emotions and feelings. I believe that meaningful psychotherapy arises from an individual's initial shift in feelings, which then naturally leads to changes in attitudes, values, thoughts and behavioural patterns. This, in the research debate, can be the true path to addressing the root cause of symptoms.
However, I am also open to incorporating behaviour and mindfulness-based interventions into therapy when deemed appropriate, as these can serve as valuable adjuncts to the overall therapeutic process.
How Psychotherapy works
Experiential
My primary mode of intervention is grounded in feelings and experiences rather than cognitive restructuring or thought modification......
My therapeutic approach is rooted in a dialogical philosophy of contemporary psychotherapy, encompassing Psychodynamic Therapy, Person-centred Therapy, Internal Family System, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. At the heart of my work lie four core concepts:
All mental health issues are inherently relational. Every emotion, thought, and the behavioral pattern is embedded within and emerges from specific interpersonal relationships......
Dialogical
Relational
Creative
Psychotherapy can be viewed as a collaborative dialogue between two experts: you as the expert on your own life experiences, emotions, thoughts, and actions, and me, drawing upon my psychological knowledge ......
Many mental health issues and challenges stand in stark opposition to creativity and innovation. Conversely, creative language dialogue serves as a pathway out of emotional storms......
Why Hsiang Psychotherapy
My psychotherapy practice, accredited by the University of Edinburgh and UK National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society, offers therapy to: 1. Let go of disturbing thoughts and uninvited feelings, 2. Empower yourself to be authentic and pursue your dreams, 3. Transform your template of interpersonal relationship dynamics, 4. Discover life meanings. In other words, my approach involves four key functions below. Please click the button + to unfold further information.
Client’s feedback "Hsiang, thank you for your help. If I hadn't come here, I think I would never have been able to say these words. But when I did verbalise them, I realised that I was hurting and angry. It's just that I never could express it before. And maybe I never knew I could express it, until we met."
Enhancing Self-Awareness
Client’s feedback "Thank you for trusting me so much, Hsiang. But if it weren't for you, I don't think I could handle the overwhelms and have left that unhealthy relationship and job. You saw my pain and gave me the strength.”
Processing Emotional Pain
Client’s feedback "Throughout the year and a half of counselling, from my academic pursuits, professional endeavours, to personal relationships, thank you Hsiang for your empowering listening and responses whenever I faced challenges. Unknowingly, I have undergone a remarkable transformation, becoming a new version of myself."
Transforming Deeply Ingrained Interpersonal Patterns
Client’s feedback "I still remember when you asked me if this way of interacting with men was familiar to me. It was like an electric shock, and I, deep down, realised that it was somehow closely related to my relationship with my father. I think from that moment on, we gradually uncover the mystery of my life.”
