Psychotherapy – Phototherapy
I completed a special, three-year crisis and trauma therapy education organised by the Institute of Psychotherapy of the Finnish Association for Metal Health in autumn 2003. The aim of this education was to provide tools for handling crisis and trauma situations concerning individuals, families, social networks and workplace communities. This form of therapy is developed for treating reactions which arise from radical changes in life and from other overwhelming experiences. Crisis psychotherapy is mainly a co-operational treatment based on conversations, in form of brief therapy or longer term psychotherapy. To complement my crisis therapy education I have also qualifications for using the EMDR method.
My final
thesis in the crisis therapy education considered “Valokuvan Käyttö
Kriisiterapiassa” (Using Photographs in Crisis Therapy). In my thesis I have
studied the use of photographs in psychotherapy both from theoretical and
practical point of view. My thesis included practical examples such as: a
photographic process description of a crisis confronted due to an illness, a
description of photographic simulation and comparing the simulation to the EMDR
method and using symbolic photographs in crisis therapy.
I have studied phototherapy as a part of my work in “Photos and Stories
in Therapeutical Work and Counselling” training course (2001 – 2002) and in
“Photos and Stories in Organisational Development and in Individual
Counselling” training (2002 – 2003). I have also participated in Rosy
Martin´s Phototherapy Workshop and Judy
Weiser´s PhotoTherapy Workshop.
I provide
psychotherapeutic services in my private practise in Turku. Photographs form a
significant part of my psychotherapy and I use them in a versatile way in my
counselling sessions; my techniques include, for example, looking at old
photographs, looking at other emotional pictures and even taking new
photographs during the therapeutic session. The aim is to enhance the self
awareness of the customer, facilitate the customer’s personal development and
to provide tools to cope with the mental crisis. I receive regular guidance for
my psychotherapeutic work.
The Finnish
Association for Phototherapy was established 3rd of February 2004. I´m
the chairperson of the association
2004-2006. The aim of the association is to bring phototherapy in all its forms
to public attention. Association’s net pages are coming soon.
More about phototherapy: