Types of therapy I work with
I integrate particular types of therapy into my work. These are all types of therapy which I have sound theoretical and working knowledge of. Whatever types of therapy we use in a session, it will always be purposeful and collaborative.
Here's a quick guide to the different models of therapy I use to give a taste of what I can offer.
Person-centred Therapy (PCT) When it was first developed, PCT was revolutionary in the way it sought to shift power imbalances in the counselling room. PCT believes in client's innate capacity for change and growth and the therapist's duty to provide empathy, non-judgment and authenticity. In it's 'purest' form PCT is non-directive and entirely client led. In my work, although I don't entirely align with this traditional PCT approach, I do keep a core of empathy, non-judgment, authenticity and collaboration.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) ACT challenges you to consider whether you can commit to being led by your values rather than feelings. It looks at the thoughts you might be hooked into and how they're leading you away from a life that's meaningful to you. ACT operates from a place of non-judgment and recognises that the challenges you face aren't your fault, and at the same time they might be things you can commit to approaching differently. For example, we might look at how to notice a self-critical thought without letting it stop you from doing something that matters to you.
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) CFT believes that we aren't responsible for the minds we're born with or the environment we're born into, and at the same time, with wisdom, strength and care, we might be able to employ tools that support our psychological and emotional wellbeing. CFT believes that our emotions are regulate by three different systems - threat, drive and soothe. If you're coming to therapy it's likely your soothe system is in need of some support and growth. We can do that through breathwork, guided visualisation and looking at the different flows of compassion we can experience.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) Skills DBT is a type of behavioural therapy with a very specific set of protocols. Although I'm not a DBT therapist, I am able to offer interventions from DBT skills. These skills looks at mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation and distress tolerance, and focus on helping you find the middle ground between acceptance and change. These skills can be particularly helpful when emotions feel overwhelming or relationships are difficult to navigate.
Mindfulness A common thread running through ACT, CFT and DBT is mindfulness. An often misunderstood concept, mindfulness is about non-judgementally engaging with the present - simple but not easy. Together, we can look at how you could use formal and informal practices in a way that feels authentic to you.