Psychotherapy is the provision by qualified practitioners of a formal and professional relationship within which patients/clients can explore difficult, and often painful, emotions and experiences. These may include feelings of anxiety, depression, trauma, or perhaps what is perceived as the loss of meaning of one's life. It is a process which seeks to help the person concerned gain an increased capacity for choice, through which the individual becomes more autonomous and self-determined. With the help of psychotherapy, people are not only able to enjoy better mental health. Psychotherapy may be provided for adult individuals, children, couples, families and groups The profession is regulated through organisations such as the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy, who say patient opinion has continually shown strong support for psychotherapy.
