FAQ

Session Length

The first session is a psychological assessment of one hour thirty minutes, in which we discuss your current difficulties and the history that shapes them. This is followed by sessions of fifty minutes. Weekly sessions are ideal for sustaining the work, but not a requirement; many clients in Dubai travel frequently, and we agree on a schedule that fits.

What Happens in the First Session?

The first session is a psychological assessment, in which we discuss what has brought you to therapy, the difficulties you are currently experiencing, and the history that shapes them. There is no preparation required. You do not need to know in advance what to talk about; the session is structured around the questions I ask. By the end of the session, you will have a clearer sense of the difficulty and the course of treatment it calls for.

Who I Work With

I work with adults, individually. I do not offer couples therapy, family therapy, or work with children or adolescents.

choosing a therapist

Theoretical approach, clinical experience, and personality fit all matter. Approach matters because different therapeutic orientations work differently, and it helps to know roughly what each involves. Experience matters in the form of how long the therapist has practised and what kinds of difficulties they have worked with. Fit is harder to evaluate in advance: it is the sense, when you meet, that this person understands what you are going through, can hold its complexity, and is someone you can comfortably talk with. A first session is the best way to assess it.

How Long Does Psychodynamic Therapy Take?

I offer short-term psychodynamic therapy of 6–12 sessions for a single, recent difficulty in someone whose life is otherwise stable. For longstanding patterns, complex difficulties, or work that draws on earlier experience, longer-term therapy is more appropriate and typically runs from several months to a year or two of weekly sessions. The length is decided together as the work develops.