Therapeutic approaches

I have enjoyed working with clients 12 years to older adults in a therapeutic capacity to assist building understanding and tolerance of psychological distress whilst moving towards resolution, facilitating individuals to gain satisfaction and contentment in life.

Therapeutic approach is always reflective of individual need; though I am experienced in delivering:

·      Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT; both individual DBT-informed therapy and facilitating skills groups)

·      Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

·      Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

·      Schema Therapy

·      Person-Centred Therapy

Within a wide range of presentations.

 

DBT

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is a modified version of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) initially designed to treat borderline personality disorder. It is also highly beneficial in the treatment of other conditions including suicidal behaviour, self-harm, substance use, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and eating disorders.

“Dialectical” refers to the use of seemingly opposite strategies of “acceptance” and “change” to achieve synthesis in order for individuals to move forward and towards a life worth living.

 

CBT

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a short-term form of psychotherapy directed at present-time issues and based on the idea that the way an individual thinks and feels affects the way he or she behaves. The focus is on problem solving, and the goal is to change thought patterns in order to change responses to difficult situations.

A CBT approach can be applied to a wide range of mental health issues and conditions including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, substance use, eating disorders and many other identified problems.

 

ACT

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an action-oriented approach to psychotherapy that stems from traditional behaviour therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy. Clients learn to stop avoiding, denying, and struggling with their inner emotions and, instead, accept that these deeper feelings are appropriate responses to certain situations that should not prevent them from moving forward in their lives. With this understanding, clients begin to accept their issues and hardships and commit to making necessary changes in their behaviour, regardless of what is going on in their lives, and how they feel about it.

Person-centred

This humanistic approach is based on the view of founder Carl Rogers that “he individual has within himself or herself vast resources for self-understanding, for altering his or her self-concept, attitudes and self-directed behaviour - and that these resources can be tapped if only a definable climate of facilitative psychological attitudes can be provided” (1980).

The notion of self-concept is central to individuals’ experience of the world, their lives and themselves. The focus of person-centred therapy is therefore on the person’s subjective view of the world.

The core conditions of client-centred therapy operate according to three basic principles:

  • Congruence; i.e. therapist genuineness in contrast to the “blank screen”

  • Unconditional positive regard

  • Empathy

Overall, person-centred therapy is a non-directive, optimistic therapeutic approach that focuses on individuals’ ability to make changes in their lived and encourages them to strive for self-actualisation.  

Mindfulness

Mindfulness has received a lot of attention within the past few decades as both a psychological construct and as a form of clinical intervention. It crops up in classrooms, at business meetings, during gym classes and across a myriad of mobile phone apps but what actually is mindfulness?

With origins in Buddhist Zen traditions, Western psychological conceptualisations of mindfulness incorporate awareness and non-judgmental acceptance of each present moment. This stance increases individual resilience to various forms of psychological distress associated with tendencies to avoid, suppress or over-engage with distressing thoughts and emotions.

Mindfulness practices may be formal, such as meditation or informal where practice is based in being present in daily life. Grounding through our five senses is an effective form of mindfulness that encourages people to slow down and become more aware of what is happening in the here and now.

Incorporating mindfulness elements into any therapeutic approach and generalising to life between sessions is likely to bring about various positive psychological effects. This may include increased subjective wellbeing, reduce psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity and improved emotional and behavioural regulation.

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