Why Psychotherapy? Some introductory words
Let me begin with a attenuating statement: To make a psychotherapy is no longer a stigma today. On the contrary, it is evidence of healthy self-care and insight that there are problems,
symptoms and crises which are hard to cope with just on your own.
Psychotherapy means being able to get to know oneself better with the assistance and guidance of the therapist and to effect growth, inner and outer development and even healing.
As a psychotherapist (with naturopath license), my intention is to give you unconditional empathic acceptance and a compassionate space in which you can develop, recognize, mourn, rage, grow, integrate, post-mature and heal.
The difference between classical psychotherapists and myself essentially consists in the fact that I do not adopt a distanced-objective attitude towards my clients,
but rather create an empathic and relationship of closeness which heals and nourishes. With presence I will be always with you, be compassionate, feel with you
and will also do be afraid of witnessing your emotional pain and internal abyss.
As a human being, I remain visible, accessible and constantly meet you as equal. I, too, am only a human being on his path of life.
In short: with competence and empathy I will accompany you through your inner spaces, because only there we find inner peace, well-being and healing.
You can view my areas of specialisation in detail under the rubric "Matthias Albers".
What exactly is nondual?
The mystic traditions of all world religions like Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen, Hindu Advaita, Taoism, Kabbalism, Sufism and mystical Christianity all suggest that the fulfillment of the human potential
and the liberation from suffering happen when attention rests peacefully in its source, prior to thought. This source might be called "nondual": non-judgmental, accepting, present, empathic, compassionate, beyond right or wrong thinking.
That's my basic attitude while giving therapy.
In a nondual approach, psychotherapy might begin dualistically by identifying and describing client's problems in the developing a personal history.
However, in time, therapists and clients begin to deconstruct the "idea" of the problem. As they come together in the here and now, resting in Presence, the apparent problem is dismantled and
client's attention is unhooked from the idea of the problem holder. Therapists with a nondual perspective may have access to the repertoire of techniques such as meditation, visualization, etc.
These techniques arise spontaneously in the moment in a way that is naturally appropriate for the client.
We eventually discover that we are both everything and nothing. The mind can't grasp any of this, which actually is quite good news, allowing it to relax into its natural role of being a faithful servant,
rather than a false master of the truth. The mind learns to bow down to the heart of Silence, relinquishing the illusion of control.
At the end of the day, the therapist is only an impersonal vehicle for healing and education rather than personal doer.
First there is a mountain,
Then there is no mountain,
Then there is.
(Ch'an master Ch'ing Yuan Wei-Hsin)
And by the way, you don't need to be religious or spiritual to take up my services.
Maps & Methods
It has proven to me and my clients that we not only enter in a profound process and transforming flow together, but also that I again and again make certain concepts (maps) and methods (strategies) transparent.
In the first place, I mean that I introduce psychological, philosophical or simply life-practical concepts in relevant places, which might represent the present experience of the client,
so that he or she can locate her- or himself. These maps form a temporary rather theoretical point of orientation, to be gradually released later on in the process.
Secondly, you will always have practical methods at your disposal to work independently. Empathic bonding is my basic principle of work, and although I may take on a father's or mother's role for a part of the journey,
it is the goal of the therapy to empower the client and free her- or himself from dependencies.
Here is a selection of my pool of methods:
Methods from traditional Depth Psychology methods, behavioral and structural methods, Gestalt therapeutic methods, methods from the Scheme Therapy, Hakomi, emdr,
Somatic experiencing according to Peter Levine (SE), part work according to Tom Holmes, psychodynamic-imaginative trauma therapy by Luise Reddemann,
energy tapping according to Gallo, Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), EMDR, IRRT (Image Rescripting Reprocessing Therapy), PET (Prolonged Exposure Therapy), NET (Narrative Exposure Therapy),
Chakra and Archetypes work according to Caroline Myss Nonviolence Communication according to Rosenberg, The Compass according to Arnina Kashtan,
The Work by Byron Katie, Mourning work according to Jorgos Canacakis, Forgiveness work according to Collin Tipping, Tibetan energy work,
Trauma sensitive TaiChi, Mindfulness-orientated Interventions for Trauma.