Therapeutic orientations
As a Counselling Psychologist
I have an honours degree in Psychology and as a Counselling Psychologist I am trained in Person-centred, Psychodynamic, and CBT theories. I also practice and apply Mindfulness regularly. Whilst I am not a specialist in any particular one it allows me to adapt too the complexity of each individual clients needs.
My particular style incorporates elements of each of the following orientations. In particular...
* To engage with the Here and Now to enable a catharsis of emotions in order for them to lose their power over you.
* Reflecting back on past experiences to understand how you have come to this point now.
* To identify and challenge externally constructed thoughts and reconstruct new narratives that come from and work better for you.
* Identify young parts of the self that are driving current behaviours in order to bring them up to date with current circumstances.
* Reflecting on the dynamics of our relationship in order to help understand and work with relational issues.
Which therapy is best for you?
Your GP may initially refer or recommend you to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), not because it is necessarily the right thing for you but because it is easy to prove as the most cost-effective due to it’s focused nature. Many people have never had to reflect on their mental health until a particular issue appears and so the act of doing so can be sufficient for creating change.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Maladaptive thought patterns and core beliefs.
Effective for
Anxiety, depression, phobias, addictions, targeted issues.
Key figures
Aaron and Judith Beck, Albert Ellis, Christine Padesky
However if you have already done a lot of self-help, believe you have good reflective capacity, and are aware your issues are more deep rooted or complex, then CBT may not be sufficient for long term change.
All talking therapy starts from a place of confidentiality, safety, and boundary setting in order to create effective change with your issues. Three fundamental principles created by Carl Rogers enable a therapeutic relationship to be formed.
Empathy, Unconditional Positive Regard and Congruence
Person-centred theory (PCT)
Empowerment through emotional expression and self-direction, here and now.
Effective for
Lost sense of self or direction, personal growth, emotional detachment.
Key figures
Carl Rogers
Sessions continue until the client feels confident in coping alone for themselves.
If you are aware of more deeper routed, historical or more complex issues then you may need a psychotherapeutic approach.
This may take longer because it needs a much more sensitive and slow paced approach in understanding and breaking down defence mechanisms before being able to affect any therapeutic change.
Psychodynamic/Psychotherapy
Unconscious processes, past experiences, relational experiences through transferences and counter-transference’s.
Effective for
Relationship issues, past traumas, abuse and neglect , attachment issues, and complex issues.
Key figures
Sigmund Freud - Unconsciousness, dream analysis
Carl Yung - Collective unconscious, archetypes
John Bowlby - attachment theory
Melanie Klien - Object relations, developmental psychology, play therapy
Additional tools
IFS & Parts
Mindfulness
Develop awareness, focus, pleasure and peacefulness in the 'here and now'.
To develop compassion towards the self
Effective for
when thought processes become too chaotic to manage or we get locked into a rigid place.
Key figures
Mark Williams, Jon Kabat-Zinn