The way individual psychotherapy is conducted depends on the uniqueness of each psychotherapist- client pair. Nevertheless, psychotherapy is a very specific process. Despite the existence of numerous systems of psychotherapy, the process of psychotherapy has several distinct characteristics.
It is a systematic treatment
It is aimed at change and growth in a client or elimination of a client's suffering
It involves a professional relationship
An authentic, open, and trusting relationship between a client and a therapist is crucial for psychotherapy to be successful. While often the process of psychotherapy involves a conversation between a client and a therapist, it is fundamentally different from a conversation between two friends. The main differences are as follows:
Individual psychotherapy is not a mutual support, typical for friends, but a professional relationship, aimed at the change in a client's life and elimination of client's suffering
Individual psychotherapy provides a client with a safe, non-judgmental, and confidential atmosphere for exploring truths of his or her life