EFFECTIVE COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
As an integrative contemporary counsellor & psychotherapist, I work to ensure that therapeutic approaches to treatment fit the needs of each client. This flexibility allows more choice about what therapeutic model to use. For example, we may focus on using one specific approach throughout the therapy or we might find it helpful to adapt the approach throughout the sessions by drawing from a range of models. The therapeutic approaches I use and integrate together to support you are described below.
COGNITIVE THERAPY (CT) & RECOVERY-ORIENTED COGNITIVE THERAPY (CT-R)
Cognitive Therapy (CT) is a talking and action therapy that supports a person to identify and manage their problems by changing the way they think and behave. It is an action-oriented, psychosocial therapy that identifies and addresses faulty thinking patterns that influence negative emotions and behaviours. It is widely recognised as an effective therapy for a wide range of behavioural and psychological issues including relational difficulties, Anxiety, Substance Abuse, low mood, problems with motivation and more. It is sometimes a favourite therapy style for clients as it focuses on helping to create actionable and lasting change in thinking and behavioural patterns that impede personal growth.
Recovery Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R) is a treatment approach designed to promote empowerment, recovery, and resiliency in individuals. CT-R is a strengths-based approach that focuses on activating adaptive modes of living, developing meaningful aspirations, and engaging in personally meaningful activities to bring about one’s desired life.
TRAUMA-INFORMED THERAPY
Trauma-Informed Therapy is rooted in understanding the connection between the trauma experience and the person's emotional and behavioural responses. The purpose of trauma-informed therapy is to offer skills and strategies that support you in better understanding, coping with, processing emotions and memories tied to traumatic experiences, with the end goal of enabling you to create a healthier and more adaptive meaning of the experience or experiences that took place.
It is a gentle non-labelling style, that cultivates a hope based foundation, recognises your strengths, resiliance and potential to heal. It works to create a safe space in which to cultivate and practice effective grounding and coping strategies.
MOTIVATIONAL ENHANCEMENT
Motivational Enhancement and Motivational Interviewing is a directive, client-centred counselling style for eliciting behaviour change by helping explore and resolve both reasons to change, and reasons to stay the same. Through this process, a person is able to identify what personally motivates their desire to change, and helps them to recognise which actions help achieve this change.
It is focused and goal-directed. Every goal is chosen by the client as they move through the process of learning to nurture and trust their own direction.
This has been extrememly effective in helping clients recognise and create actionable change in a short period of time.
INTERPERSONAL GROUP THERAPY
Interpersonal Group Therapy allows participants to expand their trust and comfort beyond a one-on-one setting, safely piloting new patterns of behaviour, challenging misconceptions about themselves or others, and learning how to respond more effectively with multiple people. This variety mirrors the reality of peoples reactions, responses and experience of the world, and prepares people for new positive patterns and growth in their daily lives.
PSYCHOEDUCATION
Psychoeducation is an evidence-based therapeutic intervention for clients and their loved ones. It teaches information that supports a better understanding of psychological, behavioural and social problems. This is done by combining a wide range of expertise and methods best suited to the individuals needs and learning style. Psychoeducation can be offered in 1:1 or group format. It has proved exceptionally effective in supporting family members to understand a anothers challenging behaviours and processes related to a particular mental health conditions.
