Brief therapy
8 to 16 sessions, with a clear beginning and end.
Not everyone needs or wants open-ended psychotherapy. Psychodynamic interpersonal therapy is a defined, time-limited treatment, developed from the same tradition as my longer-term work but designed to be brief.
Medicare rebates are available with a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP.
What it is for
PIT has been tested in randomised trials and shown to help with:
Depression, particularly where CBT has been tried without lasting benefit.
Physical symptoms without a physical explanation - chronic pain, bowel disturbance, fatigue that has been properly investigated and come back clear.
A history of self-harm.
Difficulties that sit across physical and mental health at the same time.
Patterns in relationships that keep repeating and keep hurting.
It is often the treatment offered when other approaches have not suited or have not worked. It asks a willingness to talk about feelings, which not everyone wants, and it is not the right treatment for everyone.
What actually happens
The sessions are conversations - closer to a serious talk with someone who is genuinely paying attention than to a course of instruction. There is no homework and there are no worksheets. The focus is on your emotional life and your relationships, including what happens between us in the room, because that is usually where the pattern shows itself most clearly.
We agree the number of sessions at the start. Most people do eight to sixteen, weekly, of fifty minutes.
You do not need a referral to see me privately, but you do need one for the Medicare rebate.