Who?

I am a trained psychologist from the clinical psychology program at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). I have broad experience, including in acute psychiatry, outpatient treatment in specialized health services, and private practice. I initiated my private practice in 2018 with a clear focus on developing my skills to help as many individuals as free themselves from unnecessary mental distress.

As a therapist, I am warm, authentic, and supportive, but also firm when I deem it necessary. I work with people facing both small and large problems, and my goal is to understand and help you achieve your desires and goals in therapy. I consider psychotherapy both an art and a craft that one never finishes learning, and I continuously work to ensure and develop my therapeutic skills through weekly peer supervision and monthly participation in national and international seminars and training for psychologists.

My approach

My therapeutic approach is mostly informed by psychodynamic methods, based on the belief that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by internal forces and emotions that we are often not consciously aware of. Therapy aims to bring unconscious conflicts and emotions to the surface for understanding, processing, and integration, leading to symptom relief, personal growth, and change. I am particularly inspired by a therapeutic model called ISTDP (Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy), which has been developed since the 1960s and has been documented as effective for a wide range of psychological disorders, symptoms, and related psychosomatic issues.

I tailor my approach to each client's wishes, needs, and conditions. Some clients want someone to talk to about life challenges, motivation, energy, relationship issues, or difficulties related to past events. Most struggle with various forms of anxiety or depression, often linked to current events or past experiences. Common symptoms include low energy, restlessness, racing thoughts, low mood, low self-esteem, panic attacks, life crises, sleep problems, burnout, anger issues, somatic complaints without a medical explanation (headaches, tension, irritable bowel, etc.), ongoing conflicts, addiction, relationship breakdowns, difficult grief, and more.

There's no need to prepare for therapy; just come as you are, and we'll quickly determine if it's right for you.

How long

The duration of therapy depends on the nature of the issues, the desired change, and how effectively we can make therapy work for you. A short therapy course with a psychologist is typically around 10-20 hours for specific problems. For more complex and enduring issues, much more time may be necessary. We will continuously assess if you are getting what you want from therapy. Some only need help getting through a current crisis, and this can often be achieved within a short timeframe. Generally, most clients in private practice benefit from about 5-50 hours.

Frequency

Therapy can be demanding, and my experience suggests that the more will and motivation you invest, the more you can gain from it. Patients who seem to benefit the most are those who attend weekly sessions at a set time, prioritizing therapy and the process to feel better. Research suggests that the best results are achieved with weekly sessions. In private practice, this may be challenging for some due to financial or other commitments. Therefore, many start with weekly sessions and may transition to 45, 60, or 90 minutes every other week later on. How one responds to therapy can guide the choice of session length: Some need more time to get started and benefit from longer sessions, while others may feel overwhelmed and struggle to stay focused in, for example, a 90-minute session. Together we can determine what works best for you.

Pictures of the waiting room, the office, entrance and the therapist enjoying the winter