I am 51 years old, which allows me to draw from experiences gained over years of work as a psychoanalyst and psychotherapist. I believe that under the right circumstances, we all have the potential to become architects of our own contentment. However, our psyche is a complex and challenging area. Personal development often leads to the formation of unconscious attitudes or irrational beliefs. These can subtly stand in the way of our contentment. And when close ones and friends don’t help, people need someone to help them notice what they can’t see and find their way.

My work is my passion. I enjoy spending time with people, which is why psychotherapy is so important to me – I find meaningful fulfillment in my professional life through it. I love exploring, investigating, and solving – getting to the root of things. And when I can help people discover and realize their own path, it brings me satisfaction.

In my profession, I see myself as a guide, helping people recognize, understand, and manage unconscious difficulties, hidden motives, ingrained behavior patterns, and internal blocks. I try to accompany them in such a way that they can make decisions freely and informed – taking into account their emotions, desires, passions, talents, limits, and hidden potential. My goal is to help them gain the tools to live a happy life, better understand their story and its impact, and open the path to deeper self-awareness and a more authentic life.

CORE PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC BELIEFS

I believe that the heart of successful psychotherapy is a trusting and safe relationship. The key for me is the effort to attune to each other – even though we will never be exactly the same, we can better understand and cooperate to feel more on the same wavelength. Just like in an orchestra, where tuning the instruments leads to a melody, in therapy it leads to creating trust and safety, which open the way to deeper understanding and better outcomes.

Therapeutic practice shows that the path to deeper understanding of oneself and one’s hidden resources may also involve discovering unconscious patterns and releasing internal blocks that are revealed along with recognizing deeply ingrained behavior patterns, hearing the unheard, or releasing invisible ties. Sometimes it is necessary to first endure certain tension and pain in order to move forward. Just like when massaging a stiff spot initially causes pain but eventually brings relief, in therapy, feeling suppressed emotions or realizing hidden patterns that shaped us may hurt. However, it is precisely this feeling and awareness that open the way to deeper self-knowledge, more complex liberation, greater authenticity, and stronger resilience. In good psychotherapy, we are supported and guided on such a journey.

I am convinced that all these positives – deeper self-awareness, more complex liberation, greater authenticity, and stronger resilience – come with openness to the unknown. I therefore do not cling to old beliefs when they stop making sense or are refuted by new knowledge. I prefer to learn, try to understand, and reflect on new insights rather than rigidly hold on to what I already know. In this spirit, I regularly check with my clients whether we are on the same wavelength and use feedback to assess the effectiveness of therapy. I view psychotherapy as an ongoing process of deepening relationships, education, and development that helps me provide better support to my clients.

In my work, I avoid dogmas and speculation. While I rely on proven and reliable principles, I remain open to new, trustworthy information that may enrich the therapeutic process and allow for deeper understanding. I believe that truth comes in many forms – and that I will learn more about every mental difficulty and the correctness of therapy if I remain open to various views and perspectives. Therapeutic practice also shows that faith, whether religious or personal, can be a path to deeper meaning and a better life, but it can also limit our happiness and restrict our ability to grow. Therapy provides valuable support in distinguishing between what truly supports us and what subtly prevents our happiness and authenticity.

PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC STYLE – INTEGRATIVE AND RELATIONAL

Although my roots are deeply in psychoanalysis, my psychotherapeutic style is integrative and relational. I don’t assemble my working style from arbitrarily chosen therapeutic methods that do not relate to or communicate with each other. On the contrary, I deliberately connect methods that meaningfully fit together and create a coherent framework. This approach is supported by scientific knowledge, which shows that quality therapy is not about one “correct” approach, but about integrating various methods that I harmonize and adapt to the individual needs of the client, thus supporting their natural individuality and potential [1-3].

This integrative and relational style naturally developed from the education, practice, and professional experiences I gained during my studies at three universities abroad and three specialized training programs. I combine knowledge from psychoanalysis, psychotraumatology, autogenic training, and intensive therapeutic techniques (EMDR, ISTDP, AEDP), which I complement and harmonize so that they create a unified, coherent, and effective approach. I don’t just use individual techniques, but also their synergistic effect – multiple approaches applied together are more effective than each of them separately, as confirmed by research studies [2, 4, 5].

In addition to methods, I also integrate therapeutic stances. I consider the specific situation and difficulties of the client and decide whether it is best to guide them as an expert or support them in becoming an expert on their own problems and finding their own answers. Sometimes it is more effective for us to collaborate and share opinions, while other times, it is necessary to confront the client in order for them to move forward. This adaptive, relationship-focused approach is effective because it adapts to the individual needs of the client, creating a safe and stable environment for deeper self-exploration and freer, more authentic expression.

My integrative style also includes integrating therapeutic approaches focused on psychopathology, problem-solving, and living experiences. Each of these three approaches can bring important benefits depending on the client’s current needs. While the psychopathology-focused approach helps uncover the roots of difficulties and defense mechanisms, the problem-solving approach focuses on practical improvement of daily functioning. The experiential approach focuses on deeper emotional transformation. Integrating these three approaches enhances effectiveness and provides comprehensive, flexible support tailored to the client’s individual needs.

WHY I CHOSE EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN AUSTRIA – KEY REASONS

I chose to study at Sigmund Freud University (SFU) because this university offers a unique combination of scientific and practical education in psychotherapy that is not available in Slovakia. The main reasons were:

  • Academic Education in Psychotherapy: Although there is good training and education in psychotherapy in Slovakia, it is not possible to obtain an academic university degree specialized directly in psychotherapy. SFU, as one of the few universities in the world, offers a comprehensive university program that integrates psychotherapy with psychology, psychiatry, psychosomatics, medicine, and social work. This broader approach allowed me to better understand psychotherapy in the context of various disciplines.
  • Wide Methodological Base: SFU requires basic training in several psychotherapy approaches (psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioral therapy, Gestalt therapy, existential therapy, analytical therapy, and others). Students can then specialize in one method. This diversified approach provided me with a solid foundation in various techniques, which enriched my practice.
  • Scientific and Regulated Approach: Psychotherapy at SFU is based on scientific foundations and regulated by the Austrian psychotherapy law, which ensures a highly professional and high-quality educational framework. This approach is in line with the latest research and guarantees a professional standard.
  • International Perspective: SFU collaborates with experts from around the world and provides access to the latest studies and research in both English and German. This international approach enriched my education and allowed me to work with current trends in psychotherapy.
  • Austrian Tradition of Psychotherapy: Austria is known as the cradle of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, which allowed me to obtain an education in an environment with a rich tradition and professional background, which is crucial in psychotherapy.

The decision to study at SFU paid off. After completing my studies and training, I obtained psychotherapy licenses and gained the necessary therapeutic practice and experience (long-term work in a psychotherapy clinic in Vienna, Bratislava, and a psychiatric clinic in Trenčín). Finally, I established and built my own private psychotherapy practice in Vienna and Trnava, where I work to this day. I also work as a research fellow at SFU.

During my studies at SFU I have been lucky enough to meet and get to know important figures in contemporary Austrian psychotherapy. These people have been, and continue to be, an important influence, in particular Alfred Pritz (President of the World Council for Psychotherapy, 1995-; President of the European Association of Psychotherapy, 1991-), Christoph Fischer (chairman of the Psychoanalytic Institute in Innsbruck, 1988-) and Markus Fäh (chairman of the European Confederation for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, 2003-2008; chairman of the Swiss Psychotherapists’ Association, 1993-2003). My continuing relationships with these experts are very useful to me.

  1. Wampold, B.E. and Z.E. Imel, The great psychotherapy debate: The evidence for what makes psychotherapy work. 2015, New York, NY: Routledge.
  2. Norcross, J.C. and M.R. Goldfried, Handbook of psychotherapy integration. 2005, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
  3. Cooper, M., Integrating counselling & psychotherapy: Directionality, synergy and social change. 2019, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Limited.
  4. Stricker, G. and J.R. Gold, Comprehensive handbook of psychotherapy integration. 2013, New York: Springer Science & Business Media.
  5. Rydberg, J.A. and J. Machado, Integrative psychotherapy and psychotherapy integration: The case of EMDR. European Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 2020. 4(3): p. 100165.