I have always observed three broad approaches in the field of psychotherapy, and I would like to share my own way of distinguishing them. The first is the Clinical Approach. Here, the focus is strictly medical: the therapist looks for the symptom, the syndrome, and the diagnosis, followed by a specific treatment, often including medication. It is precise, structured, and aimed at reducing suffering through clear, targeted medical interventions.

The second approach centers on Personality. In this modality, the therapist explores traits, recurring patterns, how a person functions in social contexts, and exactly what shaped their character over time. It is an investigation into the "who" rather than just the "what."

The third approach, the one I practice and value most, is Understanding Therapy—often referred to as Existential or Humanistic therapy. For me, the heart of this work is seeing the world entirely through the client’s eyes. I believe that deep happiness arises when someone truly understands you; conversely, unhappiness often stems from feeling merely exposed, judged, or analytically "figured out." The most significant therapeutic shift begins exactly when true understanding happens.

What Understanding Really Means

It is crucial to realize that understanding is never a single fact or a static moment—it is a living process. It can only emerge through genuine dialogue. I ask questions, the person answers, and I ask again, digging deeper: "Why does this specific thing matter to you?" or "What lies behind that feeling?" Little by little, a fuller, three-dimensional picture forms. I begin to see reality not as I think it is, but as they experience it—I begin to grasp what is truly significant for them.

When I work as a forensic expert or an evaluator, I may disagree with someone’s view of the world. But in therapy, that is not my role. My sole role is to enter their world without judgment. I often tell people who come to see me: "I can understand you only if you help me. If you answer my questions openly, we can get there. If not, I am powerless."

Two Definitions That Stay With Me

There are many ways to define our work, but two stand out. Fritz Perls, the founder of Gestalt therapy, described psychotherapy as the search for answers to three fundamental questions: What do you want? What do you feel? What do you do to get what you want?

Another definition I love (though I no longer remember who said it first) is simple yet profound: Psychotherapy is two people talking, and one of them is more worried or upset—and it is not always the client. For me, therapy is nothing without this honest dialogue and relationship. Something alive can only happen between two people.

How Long Should Therapy Last?

The duration varies significantly by method. Some approaches are long by design. Classical psychoanalysis once required several sessions a week for years. Modern psychoanalytic or psychodynamic work is often more flexible today, but it remains deep and extended. Behavioral therapies usually set a clearer, shorter frame—often 10 to 20 sessions. Hypnosis can sometimes work very quickly and suits certain people perfectly, while others would never choose it.

When clients ask me how long we will meet, I suggest we start with two or three sessions. The first meeting can often feel confusing or overwhelming; people sometimes leave unsure of the fit. But after a few meetings, we can decide together what makes sense. Therapy is always a joint creation.

What works best for me is when we become a team. I bring my professional experience and technique; the client brings their life, their pain, and their goal. They are in charge—they know why they came and what they need. When someone simply says "make me feel better," it is like going to a surgeon and saying "I have pain—fix it" without showing where. We have to explore together what the fear, sadness, or block actually is.

Sometimes, surprisingly, one session is enough. There is a small story I like that illustrates this well: A hungry man ate a whole loaf of bread and was still hungry. He ate a second, then a third—still hungry. Finally, he ate a bagel and felt satisfied. He realized: "I should have started with the bagel." In therapy, we are looking for that bagel.

References

• Perls, F. (1969). Gestalt Therapy Verbatim. Real People Press.
  The book contains actual workshop transcripts where Perls works with clients’ awareness of what they feel, want, and do to achieve their goals.
• Rogers, C. R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21(2), 95–103.
  Rogers describes empathic understanding as the therapist’s ability to enter and see the client’s private world as if it were their own.
• Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential Psychotherapy. Basic Books.
  Yalom examines core human concerns—meaning, isolation, freedom, and death—and how understanding these concerns forms the foundation of existential therapy.