Individual Therapy
Personal transformation through professional individual therapy and counseling is powerful. Literally changing lives and transforming futures.. Therapy works, but what therapy works for you? Read more on the various types of therapy available to see which resonates.
Individual therapy (psychotherapy or counselling) is therapy offered one-on-one between an individual and a registered practitioner (psychologist or counsellor – depending who you choose to work with).
The idea of individual therapy is to have a safe and confidential environment to work through difficulties, bring relief, gain perspective and create change. Individual therapy can assist with a wide variety of topics from coping with major life challenges, processing emotional distress and trauma, to dealing with depression or anxiety, to addressing dissatisfaction in relationships, intimacy dilemmas, to simply desiring personal growth and greater self-knowledge.
Individual therapy can be an effective treatment for a host of mental and emotional problems. It can be very healing, in and of itself, to voice your worries or talk about something that’s weighing on your mind. And it feels good to be listened to—to know that someone else wants to and can help.

Individual therapy, also known as psychotherapy or counseling, is a process through which clients work one-on-one with a trained therapist in a safe, caring, and confidential environment. They explore their feelings, beliefs, or behaviors, work through challenging or influential memories, identify aspects of their lives that they would like to change, better understand themselves and others, set personal goals, and work toward desired change.
In an individual therapy session, you can expect to discuss the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issue, and report progress (or any new insights gained) from the previous therapy session. Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more difficult patterns or your desire for more personal development.
Individual therapy can help address various issues including stress, anxiety, depression, anger, grief, addiction, and many other life changes and transitions. In fact, anyone dealing with any type of behavioral or emotional issues, from depression to couple’s issues, and from anxiety to anger management issues, can benefit from individual therapy.
Yes, with few exceptions. Therapists are required to maintain the confidentiality of their communications with clients. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, including instances where there may be a risk of harm to self or others, or in cases of child or elder abuse. Your therapist should clearly explain their confidentiality policies at the start of therapy.
More information regarding individual therapy
Individual therapy is a joint process between a therapist and a person in therapy (client / patient). Common goals of therapy can be to inspire change or improve quality of life. People may seek therapy for help with issues that are hard to face alone. Individual therapy is also called therapy, psychotherapy, psychosocial therapy, talk therapy, and counseling.
Therapy can help people overcome obstacles to their well-being. It can increase positive feelings, such as compassion and self-esteem. People in therapy can learn skills for handling difficult situations, making healthy decisions, and reaching goals. Many find they enjoy the therapeutic journey of becoming more self-aware and creating change in areas that were previously dissatisfying.
The length of therapy changes, depending on:
- The complexity of the dilemma, with some presenting difficulties being short-term work and some being far more complex and requiring a more layered approach to creating change.
- The preferred way of working of the therapist, although many psychologists adapt to their client’s needs and all therapy is tailor made to a certain extent, within therapeutic rationale or from a therapeutic orientation, depending on the training and preferred working frame of the therapist. Therapists do generally have a preferred working method or orientation to how they work. Some therapeutic orientations are short, term, more solutions focused while others are longer term insight focused, all therapeutic modalities have a space and place within the field (if we were all cut from the same cloth and could describe a dilemma from a singular frame, it would be rather limiting and reductionist).
- The Klarriti view: Therapy works! The orientation and style of the therapist AND … the fit with the client is what is of utmost importance in seeing growth and experiencing change.
When looking at duration of therapy:
- Short term therapy, though some transformation can take place in just a session, generally the norm is to have four to six sessions, initially in close succession (weekly) and then spread a bit further out moving toward resolution and a client flying to a new chapter.
- Some processes of therapy can go on as long as several years, depending on the type of orientation, working method and approach of the therapist, also the complexity of the mental health history and dilemma though some. Some longer-term work can be part of a mental health monthly hygiene type approach to life, where therapy become part of how you live and clear out unfinished or lingering things that transpire as part of work, relationships and in general life.
- Read more on therapeutic orientations and type of therapy approaches to see which fits your approach to thinking, working emotionally and life – that will really help you in finding the best fit mental health practitioner to work with.
Individual therapy and personal counseling can provide support, problem-solving skills, find diagnostic understanding and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, trauma, body image issues, managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, transitional stages, sexuality, intimacy, health related processes, and in confronting the hassles of life.
There are various types of individual therapy approaches that therapists may use based on the client’s needs and the therapist’s training. Here are a few examples:
- Integrative Interactional Approach: Relational based approach looking at wellness and mental health taking place between people in the way they relate with each other. With its roots in systems therapy, with a humanistic frame underpinning. The focus is on addressing interpersonal factors in the persons style and environment that elicits ineffective patterns between people, from which symptomatic behavior’s and dissatisfaction surface. “How we relate is how we are, thus how I impact on you and youn on me determine the nature and quality of our lives” ~ Prof Charl Vorster
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT focuses on the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It helps individuals identify and challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts and develop more adaptive ways of thinking and coping. CBT often involves homework assignments and practical strategies to promote change.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Psychodynamic therapy explores how past experiences, including childhood and early relationships, shape the present. It aims to uncover unconscious patterns, unresolved conflicts, and defense mechanisms that may impact the individual’s emotional well-being. The therapist and client work together to gain insight and promote healing.
- Humanistic Therapy: Humanistic therapy emphasizes self-exploration, personal growth, and self-actualization. It focuses on the individual’s inherent capacity for growth, self-awareness, and personal choices. Person-centered therapy, a type of humanistic therapy, emphasizes empathy, acceptance, and creating a non-judgmental therapeutic environment.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT combines mindfulness and acceptance strategies with commitment and behavior change techniques. It helps individuals accept difficult thoughts and emotions while taking committed action towards their values and goals. ACT aims to enhance psychological flexibility and improve overall well-being.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): DBT was initially developed to treat borderline personality disorder, but it has since been applied to various other conditions. It incorporates elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy with mindfulness techniques. DBT focuses on emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and building a life worth living.
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT): SFBT is a goal-oriented approach that focuses on finding solutions rather than dwelling on problems. It encourages individuals to identify their strengths, resources, and exceptions to the problem. The therapist helps clients set achievable goals and develop practical strategies to move towards a desired outcome.
- Narrative Therapy: Narrative therapy explores how people construct meaning and make sense of their lives through the stories they tell. It separates the individual from the problem and encourages the exploration of alternative narratives and possibilities. Narrative therapy aims to empower individuals by helping them rewrite their life stories.
It’s important to note that therapists may integrate different approaches and techniques, tailoring the therapy to meet the individual needs of their clients. The choice of therapy type will depend on the client’s goals, preferences, and the expertise of the therapist.