APPROACHES to Therapy
What Is Satitherapy?
Satitherapy is an integrative psychotherapeutic approach developed by Mirko Frýba, which uses mindfulness (sati in Pali) as its core healing principle. It is rooted in person-centred therapy (Carl Rogers) and integrates elements of psychodrama (Jakob Levy Moreno) and focusing (Eugene Gendlin) with Buddhist psychology.
In practice, this means empathetic listening and supporting mindfulness in different aspects of experience—emotional, bodily, cognitive, and behavioural. The therapist places deep trust in the client's ability to eventually recognise both beneficial and harmful patterns in their inner and outer life. Rather than offering advice or interpretation, the therapist acts as a guide, accompanying the client through their process of self-discovery.
Process-Oriented Psychotherapy (POP), developed by Arnold Mindell, is an integrative approach in psychotherapy. Its goal is to help clients develop awareness of thoughts, emotions, and experiences they tend to suppress but that continue to affect their lives.
POP views dreams, symptoms, and personal or relational struggles as messages carrying the key to their own resolution—signposts for necessary personal and societal growth. These messages can help individuals, their families, and communities become more whole, experience life more fully, and find answers to fundamental questions like Who am I? and Where am I going?
At its core, POP encourages embracing the full spectrum of human experiences. It focuses on helping neglected or suppressed aspects of identity unfold in a meaningful way. The reluctance to acknowledge these marginalised parts is seen as a boundary of our identity.
In practice, POP involves engaging with what is perceived as "disturbing"—fully experiencing the problem to uncover its essence and integrate it into life in a constructive way.
Guided Affective Imagery
Katathym-Imaginative Psychotherapy (KIP) is a depth-oriented psychotherapeutic method that blends modern psychoanalytic and psychodynamic theories with the use of imagination (daydreaming) driven by emotional energy. The imagined material is then worked through, deepened, and integrated.
The process typically begins with a brief relaxation, after which the therapist offers a motif (e.g., a meadow, a stream, a relationship figure, etc.). This invites the exploration of current moods, conscious and unconscious conflicts, and their development on an imaginal and symbolic level.
Unlike the analysis of nightly dreams, the client describes to the therapist everything unfolding in their internal vision as the imagination progresses. This allows the therapist to guide the client through the process. After the session, the client processes the imagined images through art or writing, enriching them with additional insights.
During follow-up discussions, the explored and refined content from the imaginations is connected with current conflicts and life stories, with the goal of integrating them into the biographical context.
KIP has proven particularly effective in treating neurotic, functional, and psychosomatic issues, trauma, and personality disorders.
Sandtray Therapy – "Playing" in Sand
Sandtray therapy is a method that opens the door to a non-verbal, creative process within each of us. In a protected and safe space, using miniature figures and a small sandbox, clients create a three-dimensional model of their inner or outer world, representing their problems, emotions, or experiences.
By materialising these issues through tangible symbols, clients can explore their struggles, resources, and potential solutions in a hands-on way. The process allows for experimentation with new, healing perspectives. Clients intuitively select from a variety of miniatures and figures to represent aspects of their internal or external world.
Sandtray is a highly effective, primarily non-verbal tool that can be used with children, adolescents, and adults alike.
The Solution-Focused (SF) approach, developed by Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer, belongs to the broader family of systemic and postmodern therapies. As the name suggests, it focuses on co-creating solutions rather than analysing problems and their causes in detail.
In SF therapy, the therapist and client begin by constructing a detailed vision of how the client's life will change once the problem is resolved—what they want or need instead. Together, they explore the client's past experiences and behaviours to identify resources and strengths that can help create a practical, step-by-step solution.
A key part of this process is identifying past "exceptions"—times when the client successfully coped with difficulties or overcame challenges. By recognising these moments, the client can build on what has already worked for them.
Through a respectful and practical dialogue, SF therapists and their clients work collaboratively to define meaningful goals and develop satisfying, achievable solutions.
Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic method that combines elements of hypnosis and therapy to facilitate changes in thoughts, emotions, or behaviours. During a hypnotherapy session, the client enters a state of deep relaxation, allowing the therapist to work with their subconscious mind to promote positive changes or resolve issues such as phobias, habits, or anxiety.
By using hypnosis, the therapist helps the client achieve specific goals or overcome challenges in a focused and supportive way.