Brief Therapy

Brief Therapy is a proven psychotherapy approach that aims to help people overcome specific problems or crises in their lives. A planned short-term psychotherapy, brief therapy typically lasts three to six sessions.

Who can Brief Therapy Help?

The brief therapy technique often works well for people who are in the middle of a life crisis, such as divorce or separation, a sudden, unwanted career change or sudden bereavement.

How Brief Therapy Works

In a crisis, people may experience a range of emotions and reactions - and many of these emotions can be extreme: one can feel emotionally overwhelmed, or, on the opposing end of the spectrum, completely numb. The common thread is that either extreme emotional state can interfere with one's ability to navigate the crisis - and thus achieve a resolution.

The first step is to bring the emotional intensity to an optimal level - this allows for a more objective assessment of one's reactions to the crisis. At this point, work begins on the core assumptions on which these reactions are based. Finally the therapist and client work together to find specific solutions.

What to Expect after Brief Therapy

The goal of brief therapy is to restore one's equilibrium to what it was before the crisis/problem arose.

For many, brief therapy is a good match for their needs. Others may find that long-standing issues have played a role in the crisis and want to address them. Still others may become interested in the process of self-discovery they have just experienced and want to explore further along this path. At this point, people can choose to engage in longer-term psychotherapy, and work on broader goals.

Read more about longer-term psychotherapy