ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the relationship between primary care and psychotherapy from the perspective of a psychotherapist working in a GP surgery. Psychotherapeutic and primary care models apply different approaches to our patients, and the presence of a psychotherapist in the practice has an impact on the practice as a whole. The interface at which the two meet can represent a highly sensitive but potentially fertile ground and an opportunity to explore what it is that our patients are requesting of us. It can, however, also present particular difficulties—for example, if the practice feels threatened or persecuted by the therapist’s approach. There are also anxieties for the therapist who works inside another institution, especially one as potentially cohesive as a general practice. The placement of a therapist within a practice may be one way to build stronger links with our referrers, but it requires careful consideration as there is a risk of confusion as to the aims and identity of the work.
