What to expect in your first psychotherapy/counselling session
Every time someone rings for a counselling or psychotherapy appointment, they usually ask me very similar questions. The first most common question is, ‘How many sessions do I need?’ This is a very difficult question to answer because, of course, all people are different and have different levels of hypnotisability. Some clients are resistant to therapy – consciously or unconsciously – and others have more complex conflicts or dynamics which need further investigation. Of course, those clients who just come for counselling may also have a range of problems that need addressing – some of them more complex than others. I always say to clients that I don’t give any guarantees because that’s what sales people do; however, I do suggest that I like to work as quickly as possible and aim to help people move on, whether they have counselling or psychotherapy.
Another question which is asked regularly is what happens during the first session. The first session varies considerably. Some people find the dynamic of going to see a psychotherapist very natural and go straight into free association, giving an account of the source of their problem or problems. Others, however, find the talking to a psychotherapist, in the first instance, a rather strange, potentially anxiety-provoking situation. It is perhaps an extraordinary situation when one is faced with a stranger listening to their intimate problems. My role as a psychotherapist is the put my clients at ease and to make them feel comfortable talking about whatever they need to talk about. I try not to interrupt and lead people through discussion; but, if someone is faced with silence it is occasionally important to fill the gaps to make that person feel more comfortable.
Technique
Although David Kraft uses psychoanalytic techniques in treatment, his main approach is humanistic. He feels that the most important ingredients in the psychotherapeutic relationship are compassion, rapport, empathy, an understanding of the clients’ intrinsic motivations, and the ability to be creative in working out a desired future.
Number of Sessions
Some people need only a few sessions in order to make significant therapeutic change, while others need a longer period of time. Most people discover that they begin to be able to thrive in many aspects of their life when seeing psychotherapist; and, I suppose, one aim of the therapy is to help clients to feel supported and strong in the future without psychotherapeutic intervention.
About David Kraft
David Kraft is an experienced psychotherapist and counsellor. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine from 2004 to 2019. At present, he is a member of council for the British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis (BSCAH). He has a clinic in Harley Street and has been there for over 10 years; in 2014, he set up an additional practice in Enfield. In the first few months, there were a number of clients who found that they could refer themselves for treatment in the local Enfield area. Once the word got about, clients began to be referred from the local hospitals and it became a busy practice.
Bookings
In order to make an appointment at Enfield Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy, please ring (020) 7467 8564; alternatively, you can contact David Kraft’s secretary on the wordk mobile which is (07946) 579645.
The nearest stations to the Enfield clinic are Bush Hill Park and Southbury Stations. Both train stations were about 10 minutes walk to the clinic.
Contact Details
David Kraft BMus MSc PhD MBPsS BSCAH Accred.
Harley Street Clinic
10 Harley Street
London
W1G 9PF
UK
Enfield Psychotherapy, Counselling and Hypnotherapy
Flat 70, Cosmopolitan Court
67 Main Avenue
Enfield
Middlesex
EN1 1GD
0207 467 8564 (General Enquiries)
07946 579645 (Work Mobile)