
For young adults with emotional, relational or existential issues
Do you want to understand yourself better and
achieve change in depth?
If you are reading this, you feel that something in your life is troubling you - a feeling, a situation, or a pattern in your relationships that you don't know how to resolve. You are not alone. We all go through difficult times, and sometimes they can feel overwhelming.
Sometimes we reach a point where difficult emotions, relationships or existential questions take over and make it difficult to move on. This often happens during the crucial years of young adulthood.
You are reading this because you want to live more freely and feel better, unhindered by your own blocks. You're tired of feeling like you're not fully in charge of your life, or that your relationships aren't as deep or stable as you'd like. You want to be able to feel love, be creative and use your emotions as an asset instead of a hindrance. Simply distracting yourself is no longer enough, and now you're ready to face what you've been trying to push away.
The fact that you are now considering seeking help from a psychologist is a big and courageous step. Perhaps you have realized that the problems are starting to take over and affect you more than you would like. You don't want to wait until it gets worse - you want to deal with it now.
You probably already know a lot about what you want your life to look like. The question is why it's so hard to take the steps to get there.
What you might be thinking right now:
You want someone to talk to, who listens and understands you without judging.
You want to understand yourself better and find new and better ways to deal with what you are going through.
You want to make better decisions and feel more in control of your own life.
You want to change the patterns that hold you back.
You want to get to the bottom of your problems and find a long-term solution.
You have probably already tried to solve things on your own. Maybe you've talked to loved ones, tried to change your lifestyle or even sought help in the past. But sometimes temporary solutions are not enough. It doesn't mean you've done anything wrong, it just means that deeper work is needed to achieve real change that lasts over time.
Who I am:
My name is Max Olsson and I am a licensed psychologist with a practice at Järntorget in Gothenburg. I work especially with young adults and help you understand yourself and your problems in depth. With me, we focus both on relieving your symptoms and getting to the bottom of the underlying causes.
Why therapy can help:
Psychotherapy is helpful for a variety of difficulties and can provide both a sense of relief and a renewed hope and sense of possibility. We humans are often unaware of much of what governs our lives. Getting to know yourself is a key to feeling better. By understanding more about your emotions, how your history affects you and what patterns you repeat, you can start to make more conscious choices and live a freer life.
What I offer:
When you come to therapy with me, the aim is not only to make you feel better in the moment, but also to create lasting change that lasts over time. We will look at all parts of you - your thoughts, feelings, relationships and life experiences - to understand what is behind the challenges you are facing and how we can help you move forward.
Here are some things you can expect from my approach:
A safe environment:
Here you can talk about anything without feeling judged. We create a place where you can be open and honest about everything you feel - even what feels difficult or uncomfortable.
Self-awareness and deep understanding:
Many times we are guided by patterns we are not aware of. By understanding yourself better, you can start to influence your life in a more conscious way and make decisions that are more in line with what you want.
Individualized therapy:
We tailor the therapy to your needs. I am a psychologist, but you are the expert on you and your life. Together we will find the path that suits you best.
An emotional experience - not just thoughts:
For change to happen in depth, we also need to work with your feelings and make space for them to come out. Many people feel that they know what they should do, but find it difficult to bring themselves to do it. This is often because we avoid getting in touch with difficult emotions.
Your personal story:
We also look at your background and the experiences that shaped you. This helps us understand why you act and feel the way you do today, and how we can change what no longer helps you.
The importance of relationships:
Your relationships affect you more than many people realize. We will look at your relationships and see what patterns you repeat there. By understanding them, you can start to change how you relate to both yourself and others.
A long-term change:
The goal of our therapy is to create a deeper change that will not only make you feel better temporarily, but will give you new ways of dealing with life in a more sustainable way. Therapy is an investment in yourself - an investment that, in the best case scenario, continues to yield results long after the therapy has ended. Studies show that the effects of in-depth therapy are not only long-lasting, but often strengthen over time.
What former patients say
"Max is a psychologist who is very present in the conversation and the emotions that arise. He is calm and confident, which makes it easy to open up. He has never made me feel ashamed of anything, but at the same time challenged me when I needed it to move forward. Max often checks how the therapy is working and makes different suggestions for solutions if needed."
- Former patient
"Your clinic has been a safe place to come to where I've never felt judged, no matter what I've told you. You are a good listener, but you are also good at asking the right questions that have helped me find new ways of thinking. You are professional, patient and have a warm personality."
- Former patient
STEP 1
To see if therapy with me might be right for you, we can start with a short, free phone call where you can ask your questions. Or we can book a first appointment at the clinic. You can book a time that suits you directly in my calendar, either a phone appointment or an in-person session.
In many periods I am fully booked with a waiting list. Right now I have a few places left, but they often get booked up quickly. A call costs 1200 SEK.
STEP 2
You will receive clear instructions on how to find my office. We will sit down for 45 minutes to get an initial picture of your situation. This time is for both you and me to ask our questions and decide whether we think I can be of help to you.
STEP 3
If we decide that we would like to work together on your issues, we will formulate together how best to work on them. We meet regularly at least once a week for individual psychotherapy.
Although therapy can be very helpful and there is a lot of research to support that it really works, I understand that many people are still hesitant to seek help. It's normal, but it's also a bit sad. I have the privilege of seeing people change and feel better through counseling, and I know how much it can help.
Therefore, it would be a shame if you didn't take the plunge because of some questions or concerns that I haven't managed to answer. I have therefore tried to gather some of the most common reasons why many people are reluctant to start therapy, and below I provide answers to them:
Frequently asked questions
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The first sessions of psychotherapy are usually devoted to understanding your current situation and what makes you seek help. You will tell me about your situation and I will ask questions to help us both understand it better. You do not need to prepare anything. It can be seen as a process of me trying to understand how I can be of help to you, and for both of us to find out if the relationship contains the right ingredients to enable what you want to achieve. The first call is as long as later calls and has the same price. You do not commit to anything through this first conversation. It is common to feel nervous and tense before a first meeting and this is something completely normal that usually goes away after a while.
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Not at all! We all find ourselves in situations where we need help and support to move forward. Being able to recognize when you have reached such a point can be seen as a great sign of strength. A survey from 2011 showed that one in four Swedes has seen a psychologist at some point.
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I expect nothing more from you than a willingness to come to the sessions, to show up on time, to pay your bills and to try to talk as openly, honestly and freely as you can about whatever comes to mind and preoccupies you, at your own pace and on your own terms. A willingness to explore your own inner life is a prerequisite for the work of psychotherapy.
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I listen curiously and non-judgmentally, ask probing questions and help you hear yourself in new ways. I don't have a set agenda for the conversation beforehand, but work together with you based on what is important to you. At the beginning of our contact, we will talk about what is important to you in the treatment, and your wishes are important for us to be able to find the right approach for your particular questions and you as a person.
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In my practice, we meet regularly at least once a week. It is possible to meet more often than that, but not more rarely. In my experience, this is necessary to maintain the intensity of the treatment. The frequency of visits creates a safe, structured and predictable rhythm and an environment that allows you to prepare, consciously and unconsciously, for the possibility of temporarily reducing defenses. This makes it easier to get to the root causes of your difficulties.
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Unfortunately, it is not possible to answer that question in a forum like this. Everyone's circumstances are unique to them and there are many components that determine how long a therapy process will be. Psychotherapy is tailored to your specific situation and needs, making it difficult to describe a normal course of events. Therapy can last a short time or a long time, depending on your needs, wishes, difficulties and your willingness and motivation for this type of work.
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Information you share with me will be kept strictly confidential and will not be disclosed without your consent. However, confidentiality is not guaranteed by law in life-threatening situations involving danger to yourself or others, or in situations where children are at risk (such as physical or psychological abuse).
One final thought:
In existential psychology, which I work with, it is said that there is no such thing as not making a choice in life. This means that we are always faced with choices, even when we decide to leave things as they are. Not doing anything about your situation is also a choice in itself.
Although therapy can be challenging at times, it is an investment that most people, in retrospect, see as very worthwhile. It is an investment in yourself, your well-being and your future. You are worth getting that help and getting to know yourself on a deeper level.