Therapy with a private psychologist
At Psychological Forum you can get help with relationships, stress, anxiety, crises, and other challenges. I am a licensed psychologist, PhD in psychology and have many years of experience in talk therapy with people of different ages, life circumstances, and backgrounds. Are you looking for in-depth conversations (individual therapy) where you gain more understanding of yourself, perspective and change, please contact us. We meet at the practice in Östermalm in Stockholm or online.

Therapy in Stockholm
When is therapy helpful? During the course of life, problems and challenges can arise and we may need to talk to an outsider. In therapy sessions, you can reflect more closely, better understand, and find new perspectives for what you want help with together with a psychologist. The purpose of therapy is to find ways to find and make positive changes for what you want and need.
Here at Psychological Forum you can get help with anxiety and worry, depression, relationships issues, migraines, fatigue, stress and other problem areas. We can meet at the practice in Östermalm in Stockholm or online. Welcome to email me via the contact form.

Psychologist in Affect-focused Therapy
I am a licensed psychologist and work with affect-focused therapy according to ISTDP (Intensive Short-term Dynamic Therapy) where you and I work together and actively around your needs and desire for change.
In broad terms, people's existence can be described in terms of thought, feeling and action. Affect-focused therapy captures the essentials of emotions more than other forms of therapy do, such as CBT or psychodynamic therapy.
Paying attention only to thoughts and behaviors is too limited as we are biologically equipped with emotions to understand ourselves and others. We need to be able to note, identify and express (if we wish to express ourselves in a certain situation) emotions in order to navigate well with our thoughts, behaviors and through our lives.
In affect-focused therapy, you approach the emotions that have been given too limited space in your life. You and I talk about what you want help with, while also paying attention to reactions such as inner anxiety and also emotions that are usually avoided. Becoming aware of feelings, thoughts, needs, desires, and your life path gives you an understanding of who you are and opens up for desired change.

ISTDP Therapy in Stockholm
ISTDP is based on psychodynamic therapy, which means that the client and I will talk about experiences, relationships, and life events in the present and past. We also include the future because that is where changes will occur.
Research shows that a healing factor in therapy is becoming more aware of the 'mind-body' connection. In ISTDP, it is largely about becoming more aware of emotional reactions and expressions that are avoided in everyday life. This can include anger, for example, but also feelings such as being happy and feeling close.
When the 'mind-body' connection as in not good enough connection between (felt) emotions and thoughts (what one thinks) it becomes more difficult to understand and guide oneself. It becomes unclear what one reacts to and how. Psychological problems with anxiety and stagnation may follow.
When emotions are more noticed, we gain additional knowledge (or information) about ourselves. We become closer to ourselves and also to others.

ISTDP at Psychological Forum
I work with a warmer version of ISTDP where positive factors and processes are given more attention than is usually done within ISTDP. We psychologists learn a lot about psychopathology and less about more constructive factors and processes that exist side by side with problems and challenges that clients wish to overcome. It is essential that therapy conversations include both obstacles and opportunities, losses and goals, and both resistance and flow to understand the whole. The same is true for emotions, that we can have mixed feelings, i.e., both negative and positive, for a person, event, goal, loss, or change. An important part of affect-focused therapy is to approach the feelings that have been given too limited space in life and now prevent, for example, closeness, feeling present, being active and vital, feeling well-being and creativity in life.
The Inner and Outer World
This expanded framework of understanding oneself is particularly noticeable in the fact that the client and I talk about obstacles that lead to avoidance (according to traditional ISTDP) and also about feelings and needs that motivate approaching what one wants and needs.
How humans are shaped during life cannot be limited to intrapsychic factors (mental processes). Research show that we are primarily social individuals and that what we experience and experience with the world around us has significance for how we think, feel, and act. Likewise, how we think, feel, and act has significance for how we wish to interact with with others.
ISTDP can also have an overly limited focus on the inner life, while I broaden the framework of understanding to include the outer with relationships, events, situations, etc.
Therapy Arrangement
The arrangement of the therapy with content, focus, and length is adapted to each client's needs and life situation. In the very first conversations, we talk further about what you want to change, your life situation and also what kind of therapy structure would be suitable. We usually start the therapy at the same time considering what you want to change. The following conversations are 50 minutes or longer if the client so wishes. Most clients choose short-term therapy (about 12-16 times) and can keep it open if the therapy ends or continues in some form. Others want therapy for a more extended period of time, such as 6 months, 1 year, or longer.

Research on Therapy
ISTDP therapy is a well-researched form of therapy. Studies show that it is well suited for anxiety, depression, relationships, drug problems, physical problems (pain of various kinds, dizziness, stomach problems), etc. In research, ISTDP therapy show good treatment effects both short and long-term. Read more about research on ISTDP. Here is an overview of articles on ISTDP by Abbas and an article by Lilliengren et al. (2016).
ISTDP therapy is based on psychodynamic therapy. Current research by Leichsenring et al (2023) shows that psychodynamic therapy can be strongly recommended as a psychological treatment for psychological problems.

Research on Emotions
Current research shows how emotions are involved in how we perceive, process and act in our lives and how we remember and plan (Emotion theory ). Emotions affect how we approach and distance ourselves from what we wish to tackle, or not. Emotional states also impact quality of life, agency, and relationships. Various forms of therapy are increasingly beginning to recognize the importance of emotions.
One of the most healing factors in affect-focused therapy is that the client and I pay attention to, identify, and express emotional experiences in parallel with what the client tells us they want to process. Research on this kind of introspection, called interoception, is about noticing, putting words to, and expressing what you feel and think as in perceiving your own emotions in social interactions (Arnold et al., 2019) and being able to recognize and regulate emotions (Zamariola et al., 2019).

For Therapy and Guidance - Contact a psychologist
Maria Sandgren, licensed psychologist with extensive experience, offers therapy at a private practice in central Stockholm as well as via online.
I will help you find the arrangement that best meets your needs, regardless of whether you prefer digital meetings or visits at the practice.