Richard Flax

The therapy which I practice is a psychodynamic model which is a verified and established method of therapy for successfully healing mental distress. Within this framework, individuals and couples gradually become more aware of aspects previously outside of their awareness. They will then be able to face and master those areas which are interfering with experiencing more satisfying relationships with others and themselves. I do offer suggestions or direct advice and endeavor to remain impartial in trying to assist in finding out your own solutions, in line with your own principles and outlook on life. Some of the issues commonly treated in therapy are anxiety, relationship problems, loneliness, emotional conflicts, depression, divorce or separation, fears, anger, grief, and loss.

In an ongoing collaboration, the underlying sources of your struggles will be brought to light and put you more in a position of finding ways of changing that which used to feel so overwhelming. These discoveries usually come out within the relationship to the therapist. The way you view the world and the way you interact with it will all be played out in the manner with which you relate to the therapist. It is in this regard, that it becomes vitally important to share and disclose any feelings, reactions or thoughts that you may have towards the therapist. This will provide a means from which to understand and examine the particular framework from which you draw and depend in order to make sense of the world. The back and forth interaction with the therapist will hopefully provide clues to the nature of your current difficulties, be that with your spouse, partner, family or friends.

Therapy is a process that requires commitment, patience, and a wish to change. Sessions will be conducted weekly for fifty minutes. Depending on availability and need this can be increased to meeting more frequently. The focus will be on whatever is on your mind, no matter how trivial. In couple’s therapy, each partner is encouraged to look at their own involvement to the relational climate. In this way, a platform will be created for the relationship from which the couple can join, contribute and unite. When each partner is willing to take an honest appraisal of themselves, own their own emotional conflicts, the relationship will becomes a healthier resource from which they can both find comfort and strength. Additionally, the way each partner views themselves and the way behave toward each other can also be improved. As well as the underlying issues of the current situation, attention and consideration will also be given to your childhood and upbringing for themes and patterns from your family of origin.

As you gradually learn and comprehend the primary emotional sources for your problems and conflicts, you will be more in a position to gradually face, confront, and change those impediments. Once you are able to identity the problem, you can then be more able to recognise it as part of your own emotional fabric, not something foreign or uncontrollable, that wields its influence and dominance over your life. Gradually by attending and dealing with the psychological issues, unhelpful and damaging modes of behaviour and painful emotional interactions can all be improved

The mixtures of relationship problems are infinite but they all have to do with some level of tension around relating to others and what unresolved feelings are involved. Relationships are determined by our own unconscious views of ourselves in relationship with others. This is a picture that we have imbedded in our minds, which include fears, wishes, anxieties and conflicts which simultaneously draw us nearer or move us further away from significant people in our lives. This is often the underlying cause for the push pull dynamic inherent in all relationships. In order to make changes, each partner has to be willing to look at how they impact the relationship within their own psychological makeup. Therapy is a process of becoming more familiar with who you are and your values and discovering the responses to your own questions so you can feel you have more of a sense of choice in your life.

This path to self discovery may not be smooth, it may result in unease and things may get worse before they get better, this is normal. Recounting, reviewing and finding resolution to unpleasant experiences can similarly arouse intense feelings.

Seeking help is a bold and honorable step, it involves patience and commitment. Your relationship to yourself and with others can become less confined As a result, you will feel more empowered and able to create and fashion the life that you want to lead.

Individuals £110.00, Couples £125.00 per session.

Approximate length of one appointment: 50 minutes

Approximate length of therapy: short (six to twelve sessions) and long-term, open-ended therapy.

Languages: English