Frequently Asked Questions
About Psychotherapy
What can I come to therapy for?
You can seek psychotherapy when you are experiencing emotional difficulties, relationship problems, the effects of difficult or traumatic experiences, or feel that something in your life is no longer working as you would like.
My work includes supporting people affected by:
- Relational or complex trauma
- Childhood abuse and neglect
- Abusive or toxic relationships
- Transgenerational trauma
- Difficulties in relationships and emotional life
- Challenges connected with major life changes and transitions
- Difficulties adjusting to a new home, culture, or environment
I also work with expats and Adult Third Culture Kids who may be struggling with belonging, identity, relationships, cultural adjustment, or the experience of living between different cultures.
Do I need to have a diagnosis to start psychotherapy?
No. You do not need to arrive with a diagnosis in order to contact me.
Psychotherapy can also be appropriate when you are experiencing persistent emotional difficulties, relationship patterns you would like to understand better, the effects of past experiences, or simply feel that you would benefit from professional support.
The first sessions can help us understand what is bringing you to therapy and whether my approach is appropriate for your needs.
How do I know whether psychotherapy is right for me?
You do not need to be certain before contacting me.
It can be helpful to consider psychotherapy if you notice recurring emotional or relationship difficulties, feel affected by experiences from your past, or find yourself struggling to create the kind of life or relationships you want.
An introductory consultation can provide an opportunity to discuss what you are looking for and decide whether working together feels appropriate.
What does psychotherapy involve?
Psychotherapy provides a confidential and supportive space in which you can explore your thoughts, feelings, experiences, relationships, and patterns of behaviour.
Rather than focusing only on immediate symptoms, psychotherapy can also involve developing a deeper understanding of the experiences and patterns that influence how you relate to yourself and others.
The process is individual and depends on your circumstances and what you hope to explore.
What is psychoanalysis?
Psychoanalysis is a form of depth-oriented psychological work that seeks to explore conscious and unconscious aspects of emotional life.
It can involve looking carefully at recurring patterns, relationships, feelings, conflicts, memories, and experiences that may influence the way you experience yourself and the people around you.
The aim is not simply to provide quick answers, but to create space for deeper exploration and understanding.
What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) is a specific kind of trauma therapy which uses so-called bilateral stimulation to process traumatic life events. It is often helpful when language on its own is not sufficient for processing, and it can help provide new directions for therapy by introducing areas of your emotional life which we have not yet talked about.
I can provide more information about this kind of therapy during our initial consultation.
Is psychotherapy only about talking about the past?
No.
Therapy can include both present-day concerns and experiences from the past. Depending on what you bring to therapy, we may explore current relationships, emotions and difficulties as well as experiences that may help provide a wider context for them.
The focus is guided by your individual situation and what you would like to work on.
Trauma and relationships
Do you work with people who have experienced childhood abuse or neglect?
Yes. Childhood abuse and neglect are among the areas specifically included in my therapeutic work.
Experiences of abuse from childhood can sometimes continue to affect relationships, self-esteem, emotional regulation, boundaries, or one's sense of safety later in life. Psychotherapy can provide a space to explore these experiences at a pace that feels appropriate for you.
Do you work with relational or “complex” trauma?
Yes.
Relational or “complex” trauma can involve experiences in which important relationships have been associated with fear, instability, manipulation, rejection, neglect, or other forms of emotional or physical harm.
Therapy can provide an opportunity to explore how these experiences may continue to affect relationships and emotional life in the present.
Can I come to therapy because of an abusive or toxic relationship?
Yes.
I work with people who are experiencing or have experienced abusive or toxic relationships, as well as domestic violence.
Therapy can provide a confidential space to explore what has happened, how the relationship has affected you, and what you are experiencing now.
If you are currently in immediate danger, psychotherapy is not a substitute for emergency or crisis services. In an emergency, contact the appropriate emergency service or crisis support in your location.
What is transgenerational trauma?
Transgenerational trauma refers broadly to the ways in which the effects of traumatic experiences can extend beyond the people who originally experienced them and influence later generations.
Exploring family history and recurring patterns can sometimes help people better understand aspects of their emotional lives, relationships, or sense of identity.
Therapy does not assume that every present difficulty is caused by family history. The relevance of these themes is explored individually.
Expats and Third Culture Kids
Do you work with expats living in Vienna?
Yes.
I specifically work with expats who are struggling to adjust to a new home and culture.
Moving to another country can involve much more than practical adjustment. It may affect relationships, identity, belonging, family life, work, and one's sense of stability.
Psychotherapy can provide a space to explore these experiences.
What is an Adult Third Culture Kid (TCK)?
An Adult Third Culture Kid is generally someone who spent a significant part of their developmental years in more than one country and culture.
Growing up between cultures can be enriching, but it can also create complex questions around identity, belonging, relationships, where one feels at home, and if there is such a thing as home.
These experiences can continue to be relevant in adulthood.
Can therapy help with questions about identity and belonging?
Yes.
Questions about identity, belonging, home, cultural differences, and relationships can become particularly significant for people who have moved between countries or cultures.
For expats and Adult Third Culture Kids, therapy can provide a space to explore these experiences without having to be reduced to a single cultural identity.
I am an international person living in Vienna. Does therapy have to be in German?
The English-language website specifically offers information for English-speaking clients and identifies work with expats and Adult Third Culture Kids.
As an adult Third Culture Kid and a forever expat I am familiar with all the issues around having lived in more than one culture and country.
Starting therapy
How do I make an appointment?
The best way to make initial contact is by email (rosdolskyd@gmail.com).
What should I write in my first email?
You do not need to provide a detailed history in your first message.
You can briefly introduce yourself, explain what brings you to therapy, and let me know your expectations.
Please avoid sending highly sensitive information by email unless it is necessary. We can discuss personal matters in a more appropriate setting.
What happens after I contact you?
We make an appointment for an introductory consultation during which we can discuss your situation, what you are looking for, and whether psychotherapy with me may be appropriate.
If we decide to work together, we can discuss the practical arrangements for beginning therapy.
What should I expect from the first session?
The first session is an opportunity for us to begin understanding what has brought you to therapy and what you would like to explore.
You may talk about your current situation, relevant experiences, relationships, and what you hope to gain from psychotherapy.
You do not need to have everything organised or know exactly what to say. We can begin with whatever feels most important to you.
Do I have to know exactly what is wrong before contacting you?
No.
Many people know that something is not working well without being able to clearly identify the reason.
You can contact me even if your concerns feel difficult to put into words. Part of the therapeutic process can be developing a clearer understanding of what you are experiencing.
Confidentiality and privacy
Is psychotherapy confidential?
Psychotherapy takes place within a professional and confidential setting.
If confidentiality is an important concern for you, we can discuss it at the beginning of therapy.
Is it safe to contact you by email?
Email is the preferred initial method of contact because I may not always be available by telephone.
However, ordinary internet and email communication cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure. The website's privacy policy explicitly notes that data transmitted over the internet, including email communications, may be subject to security risks.
For this reason, your initial email can be kept relatively brief.
What happens to the information I provide through the contact form?
The website's privacy policy states that information submitted through the contact form may be stored and processed to handle the enquiry and respond to any follow-up questions. It also states that such information is not shared without consent.
What are my data protection rights?
Under the applicable data-protection framework, you may have rights concerning access to, correction, deletion, restriction, objection to, and portability of your personal data, as well as the right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
Practical questions
Where is my private practice located?
It is located at:
Höhnegasse 19/20 1180 Vienna, Austria
How can I contact you?
Email: rosdolskyd@gmail.com Telephone: +43 650 470 91 33
Because I am not always available by phone, I prefer to be contacted by email.
Do you offer online psychotherapy?
Please contact me to ask about current availability and whether online psychotherapy is appropriate for your circumstances.
How long is a therapy session?
Therapy sessions are 50 minutes long.
How often would we meet?
I usually recommend initially meeting once a week. Once we have been working together for a while, we can switch to meeting every two weeks.
This can be discussed when we begin working together.
How long does psychotherapy take?
There is no single timeframe that applies to everyone.
The length of psychotherapy depends on your circumstances, what you would like to explore, the nature of the difficulties you are experiencing, and the kind of therapeutic work we undertake.
How much does psychotherapy cost?
Please contact me directly for information about fees and payment arrangements.
Can psychotherapy costs be reimbursed by health insurance?
If you have insurance in Austria, you will receive partial reimbursement for therapy sessions.
What is your cancellation policy?
If you need to cancel a session, please let me know as soon as possible. We will try to find another appointment that works for both of us during that same week.
Finding out whether we are a good fit
What if I am not sure whether you are the right therapist for me?
That is completely reasonable.
Choosing a psychotherapist is a personal decision, and it is important that you feel comfortable with the person you work with.
An initial consultation can help you understand whether my approach and areas of work are suitable for what you are looking for.
Can I contact you before deciding to start therapy?
Yes. You can make an initial enquiry by email and briefly describe what you are looking for.
You do not need to commit to ongoing therapy simply because you make an enquiry.
What if I decide that therapy is not right for me?
You are free to decide whether you would like to continue.
If it becomes clear that another form of support or a different professional would be more appropriate, this can be discussed openly.
Emergencies and urgent situations
Can I contact you in an emergency?
The practice should not be considered an emergency or crisis service.
If you are in immediate danger, are experiencing a medical emergency, or feel that you may harm yourself or someone else, contact the appropriate emergency or crisis service in your location rather than waiting for an email response or therapy appointment.
For non-emergency concerns, you are welcome to make contact by email.
Still have questions?
If your question is not answered here, please get in touch by email.
A brief first message is enough to start the conversation. You can explain what you are looking for and ask any practical questions you may have about psychotherapy in Vienna.