Psychotherapy
Unparalleled Psychotherapy Services in Newtown, PA, And Beyond
As a local licensed clinical psychologist, Stephen R. Van Schoyck Ph.D Clinical Psychology aims to make psychotherapy services around Newtown, PA, more accessible for individuals, couples, and families. That is why he offers both in-person sessions and telehealth consultations.
Dr. Van Schoyck’s Seven Principles of Treatment
- Emotion Drives Behavior: People act to reduce emotional tension. They aren't inherently self-destructive or flawed in character. Emotional dynamics are the primary drivers of human behavior.
- Humans are fundamentally feeling beings who happen to think, not thinking beings who happen to feel. Self-awareness is crucial to understanding both felt and hidden emotions.
- Emotions are the glue that holds relationships together. Suppressed emotions lead to communication breakdowns and a loss of trust.
- People have two selves: the Self For Others, which aims to stay connected to the family of origin and is rooted in fear, guilt, and shame, and the Authentic Self, which represents your natural reactions grounded in emotions like joy, anger, and sadness. These two selves compete for emotional awareness.
- People are born dependent on their parents to survive, making the Self For Others the primary self as a child. The Authentic Self emerges as one grows older, supported by independent choices, healthy relationships, and support such as psychotherapy services.
- Exposing the Authentic Self requires effort and necessitates degrees of separation from familial influences.
- Psychiatric medications should be a last resort, not the first. Mental illness conditions requiring ongoing medication management exist in less than 20% of the patient population.
