There is some confusion
about psychotherapy among the general population, in no small part down to
inaccurate portrayals in the media, but it is a very positive way for someone
to learn more about themselves and why they think, feel, and act the way that
they do.
It provides a safe space to
examine your life and your closely held beliefs, which can help you to change
things that are distressing to you and causing you problems in other sectors of
your life. Although many of these beliefs will have been formed in your childhood,
this is not an approach that looks backwards, as it deals with how to improve
your life in the future by seeing yourself in a new light.
How our experienced
psychotherapists trained in Paris & UK can help you
If you’re seeking
psychotherapy in Paris, France, but you don’t speak French, it might be hard
for you to find a therapist that speaks English. That’s where Philippe Jacquet
& Associates comes in. We can provide you with therapy in English, online
via Skype or WhatsApp because your home address or the need to travel for
business, should not stop you from seeking and receiving help.
We offer treatment for a
variety of issues from marital problems to a loss of meaning to anxiety. We
understand that you may be suffering from more than one issue at a time and
that these issues may exacerbate one another, making you feel worse, so we seek
to treat the whole person, rather than just one issue, which is the key to
long-lasting change.
What type of psychotherapy
do we practice?
Our psychotherapy is based
on the ideas of renowned Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, who is most well known
for his work on symbolism in dreams and how they can be interpreted, but this
is only a small fraction of his work.
Work on the unconscious mind
Jung began practising at the
beginning of the 20th century and developed a close working relationship with
Sigmund Freud. The pair collaborated for several years, but they differed on
the study on the unconscious mind and it ultimately caused their professional
separation. Let’s look at what they believed.
Freud believed that the mind
was divided into:
• the id, which was primitive and instinct-driven,
containing hidden memories
• the superego that serves as the moral compass
• the ego, which is a moderating force between the two
A simple way to imagine this
is that if you were the ego, the id would be the devil on your right shoulder
and the superego would be the angel on your right.
Jung, however, said the
three parts of the brain were the ego, personal unconscious, and the collective
unconscious.
His version of the ego
referred to the conscious mind, which could access thoughts, memories, and
emotions to form a person’s identity, but it was his two-layered unconscious
mind theory that really made waves in the psychotherapy field.
The first layer – the
personal unconscious - was similar to Freud’s interpretation of the mind. It
stored forgotten information or repressed memories that form a complex, which
would be made up of more parts depending on how important the complex was to that
person.
However, the second layer –
the collective unconscious or transpersonal unconscious – was truly
transformational. Jung said that this unconscious is shared by all people,
including our ancestors, to provide us all with a similar imprint. This, he said,
explained why people from all different cultures, countries, races, religions,
genders, age groups, and any other way of dividing people into groups would
cite common fears (i.e. the dark, spiders, snakes).
Furthermore, Jung said that
the collective conscious essentially created universally recognised personality
types, through something he called archetypes. The four most relevant ones are:
• Shadow: Guided by animal instincts and the source of
creative and destructive energy
• Anima/Animus: The unconscious masculine/feminine side that
is the opposite of a person’s biological sex, which means that everyone
assigned male at birth with have feminine elements to their psyche and vice
versa.
• Self: The urge to create a feeling of achieving (or
working towards) your goals through lived experiences.
• Persona/Conformity Archetype: The mask we show to the
world.
Jungian analysis involves
understanding the role and importance of the archetypes for a whole and
balanced self.
What does this mean for us?
Jungian analysis focuses on
the subconscious and involves leaning into those messages so that people can
learn to become more authentically themselves and feel more balanced and whole.
We use it because it is highly effective in the treatment of various mental health
issues by helping someone understand why they do what they do. This insight can
resolve troubling behaviours.
Training for Jungian
analysts
There are only about 1,200
Jungian analysts in the world because of the intense amount of education that
must be undertaken to become qualified. Indeed, a fully trained psychotherapist
would have to take a Master’s degree in the subject at an institution
accredited by the International Association of Analytical Psychology (IAAP).
Then, they would have to do 350 hours of on-the-job training with a Jungian
Analyst who is registered with the IAAP. After all that, they will still only
officially be an analyst-in-training, as they will have several years of
supervision at work from an accredited analyst.
This does mean that patients
will only be seen by the most qualified of individuals though.
English speaking therapy
online
At Philippe Jacquet &
Associates, we are able to offer many sessions online, which we’ve found is as
good as an in-person therapy appointment. For those who have to travel for
business, have family commitments, or would otherwise have problems getting to
our offices, it is actually better because they can actually attend
appointments regularly with less anxiety about getting someone to watch the kids
or something similar.
This is the option that we
offer for patients in the Ile-de-France region. We know that it can be hard to
get an English-speaking therapist in Paris, so we offer many appointments
online and then your psychotherapist will travel to Paris on a monthly basis
for a face-to-face session.
Summary of other services
offered
Of course, psychotherapy is
not the only way of treating mental health and interpersonal relationship
issues. There are practices that have been used since the dawn of time and new
methods that develop as we learn more about the human mind.
We are often asked which way
is best to treat a certain issue, but the fact remains that all of these
methods vary in success based on the person and their circumstances. What
worked great for your friend, may not help you at all. The best method is the
one that helps you.
Of course, there may not be
just one method that helps. Much like you might use an ice pack and rest to
treat a twisted ankle, using a combination of methods can help to treat mental
health problems more effectively; it’s just a matter of getting the balance
right.
At Philippe Jacquet &
Associates, we use an integrative approach to treat you, using the methods
listed below. It may take a little time to find the perfect solution, but it’ll
be worth it to ensure that the treatments work for you.
Art Therapy
For those who have trouble
expressing their feelings, art therapy may be a way to communicate without
talking and tap into the creative side of someone’s mind, rather than the
destructive side that is causing them pain.
It is not about creating
beautiful artwork and you don’t need any particular talents to benefit from
this approach. Our therapists may ask you to draw how you felt when you lost
your mum or you suffered a major setback at work to assess how you were
affected. It’s much harder to disguise how we feel when we’re drawing, rather
than when we’re talking.
Counselling
This treatment is often used
to treat specific issues over a short period, such as the death of a loved one.
The counsellor, or group of other patients if this is a group session, can help
you examine your ideas and perspectives in new ways.
Hypnotherapy
An often misunderstood
treatment, this uses hypnosis to create positive thoughts in your subconscious
mind that will alter problematic behaviours. Importantly, everything will be
discussed with you beforehand and you will not be asleep. You do not have to
take any suggestions that you don’t want to take and you can break yourself out
of a trance if needed.
Business Coaching
Business people are often
under tremendous amounts of stress, but the culture of their office or work
sector can mean that they aren’t encouraged to open up at work, even about
ideas they have. They might feel as if they have to present a 100% perfect idea
to the boss or keep quiet, lest the idea be stolen by a colleague or dismissed
by their manager.
Our business coaches, who
have backgrounds in the business world, will provide a safe and confidential
sounding board for you, offering different perspectives and helping you achieve
your goals.
