My approach is integrative, mainly informed by Existential-Humanistic, Psychodynamic, and Cognitive-Behavioural (third-wave) theories as well as Buddhism.
I am devoted to creating a safe, supportive, and stable therapeutic space so you can feel more secure and trusting in order to express yourself in the therapy room. I value being genuine, respectful, non-judgmental and curious in the therapeutic relationship. I work collaboratively with you to help you learn how to deal with difficult thoughts, emotions and behaviours, make sense of your stuckness, bewilderment and suffering, and develop more flexibility to cope with your internal and external conflicts, which hopefully will bring about personal growth and enhanced well-being.
There are times the therapy is focused more heavily on exploring thoughts, emotions and behaviours unaware to you, examining what keeps you stuck acting in certain ways and identifying some recurrent yet unhealthy relational patterns. It may involve, for instance, talking about your perceptions, feelings, attitudes, expectations and wants towards others (including myself as your therapist), processing individual or recurrent dreams, exploring different forms of non-verbal communications (e.g. through art creation). At other times, it is more about skill learning (e.g. relaxation, mindfulness, visualization, emotional regulation, self-compassion etc.) and problem-solving to achieve symptom relief.
What is more fundamental is that therapy is a safe space that let you experience what you have been deprived of growing up, for examples, security, trust, acceptance, compassion etc., and most important of all, feeling cared for and loved unconditionally.
I believe I am a fellow traveller, just as the individuals who seek help from me are. Beyond the labels of “therapist” and “client”, we are both human beings striving to navigate our life and find meaning out of suffering. Together, we will walk this journey that is full of ups and downs, emotions and uncertainty.
The initial consultation session lasts 60 minutes and all sessions thereafter lasts 50 minutes. The number of therapy sessions required varies across individuals. As a reference, short-term treatment may take 6 to 8 sessions (approximately 2 months with weekly appointments); medium-term treatment 12 to 30 sessions (approximately 3 to 8 months with weekly appointments); and long-term treatment a year or longer. The treatment duration depends on the nature and severity of the symptoms or difficulties, and your expectations for treatment. I offer face-to-face or online consultation and therapy in Cantonese, English and Mandarin.
If you are unsure whether psychotherapy is suitable for you at this point of your life, please feel free to contact me to discuss.
我的心理治療取向
我的治療取向受心理動力理論，存在-人本主義理論，認知行為（第三波）理論及佛教理論影響。
我會建立一個讓您感到安全，穩定和被支持的治療空間，讓您能更安全和更信任地於治療室裡表達自己。 在治療關係中，我認為治療師表現真誠，非批判性和好奇是十分重要。 我將跟您同心協力，幫助您學習如何更有效地處理困擾您的思想, 情緒和行為, 理解您的困惑和痛苦背後的意義，並學習更有彈性地去應對您的內在及外在矛盾，藉以促進個人成長及增強幸福感。
這意味著，治療有時侯較注重探索您未意識到的思想和情緒，了解什麼讓你陷入表現某些行為，並找出一些重複且不健康的關係模式。這可能涉及，例如 : 談論您對其他人的看法，感覺，態度，期望和渴望（包括我 – 作為您的治療師），談論上述各方面怎樣在我們的治療關係中呈現，分析個別或重複的夢，探索不同的非語言表達（如透過藝術創作）。有時候卻注重學習有效的技巧 （如: 放鬆，正念/靜觀，想像，情緒管理，自我慈悲等） 及解決問題的方法，以緩解症狀。
更根本的是，心理治療是一個安全的空間，讓您體會到在成長中被剝奪的經驗，例如安全感，信任，接納，慈悲等，而最重要的是，無條件的關注和愛。
我相信我是一位同路人，就像尋求我幫助的人一樣。在「治療師」和「服務對象」的標籤以外，我們倆都是人類，努力地在我們的生命裡找到方向並從痛苦中尋找意義。我們將共同走過這個充滿起伏，情緒跌盪和不確定性的旅程。
初次諮詢面談為 60 分鐘，以後的所有面談為 50 分鐘。心理治療所需的節數因人而異。一般而言，短期治療為 6 至 8 節 （若每星期一節，大概需 2 個月） ; 中期治療為 12 至 30 節 （若每星期一節，大概需 3 至 8 個月） ; 長期治療為 1 年或以上。心理治療療程的長短視乎您的病情和治療方向。我以粵語，英語和國語提供面對面或網上諮詢和治療。
如果您不確定心理治療是否適合現在的您，請隨時與我聯繫進行討論。
JESSICA TANG, PSYD 