Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is different from other talking therapies because it explores the impact of an individual’s thoughts, beliefs and attitudes on their feelings and actions. It focuses on coping skills for various problems, linking the things you think with the things you do.
CBT is often a short-term treatment. Many CBT practitioners will suggest that activities outside of the sessions, like writing in a journal or completing worksheets, take place to augment the work being done whilst in session. CBT can help an individual gain insight and perspective, and it can help with a variety of mental health problems including phobias, sleep problems, stress, drug and alcohol problems and other concerns.
Good to Know:
- CBT works with the idea that the way individuals think about something affects the way they feel and behave.
- CBT can help with physical health problems alongside mental health problems.
- During a session, an individual might talk about both the past and the present moment.
More Information
What is CBT? Making Sense of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
9 CBT Techniques for Better Mental Health
Personal Accounts of CBT
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR therapy can help individuals who are living with the continued impacts of negative past experiences.
The underlying theory of EMDR states that difficulties in the present moment have their origins in memories that have not yet been fully processed. EMDR helps individuals to process painful memories in a way that can reduce and even eliminate symptoms as well as help manage future fears.
EMDR employs a structured approach to working with individuals and their trauma memories. The structure involves eight phases of treatment, and all of them work together to allow the mind to heal from difficult emotional wounds.
GOOD TO KNOW:
- Using EMDR to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an evidence-based treatment; for example, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognises EMDR as an effective treatment for trauma.
- EMDR can be a highly effective treatment for a large variety of mental health issues.
- EMDR therapy is client-centred and relational.
OUR PRACTITIONERS:
MORE INFORMATION:
The History of EMDR
What is Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy? (video Psych Hub)Animation to Explain EMDR Therapy and Trauma (video EMDR Association UK)
Discover EMDR (EMDR Association UK)
Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt therapy focuses on your experience with your therapist in the present moment within the safe space of the therapy room. It allows for exploration of both the here and now and the past, linking the two facets of your experience by concentrating on how you feel at this very moment rather than how you felt before.
This approach helps individuals focus on their thoughts, feelings and behaviours in order to better appreciate how they interact with others in their lives.
The word ‘gestalt’ is a German word that means ‘whole’, ‘pattern’, or ‘form’. Gestalt therapy looks at life experiences in a holistic way to help individuals develop self-awareness. This kind of therapy can be an engaging and dynamic experience that often draws an individual’s creativity to build confidence and open avenues.
GOOD TO KNOW:
- Gestalt therapy is effective in the treatment of a wide range of mental health concerns and can be beneficial in both the long term and the short term.
- The philosophical underpinnings of Gestalt therapy concern the belief that the whole of an individual is different from the sum of its parts.
- Gestalt therapy supports the development of greater self-awareness
OUR PRACTITIONERS:
MORE INFORMATION:
Group Psychotherapy & Group Analysis
Group Psychotherapy can help with:
- problems in making and sustaining relationships
- social anxiety
- difficulty in finding a voice when in a work, family or social group
- feeling left out or on the edge in social situations
- being isolated as child / finding it hard to maintain adult friendships
- feeling ashamed of feelings and anxieties which you have kept private and never been able to talk about
- hearing others share similar experiences can help you discover you are not alone)
OUR GROUPS AT HTC
We are currently unable to offer group assessments or sessions at this time. When they become available we will update this space.
Humanistic Therapy
Humanistic therapies focus on self-development, growth and responsibilities. They seek to help individuals recognise their strengths, creativity and choice in the ‘here and now’.
The humanistic approaches are based on the belief that we all naturally gravitate towards goodness. While of course, difficult life experiences may temporarily block our ability to reach our potential, with the right support, we all have the ability to achieve our goals.
A humanistic therapist will work to create a safe, supportive space where clients will be able to explore themselves and their potential, ultimately working towards developing their own personal growth – mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
The benefits of humanistic therapy
The humanistic approaches are especially suited to anyone feeling lost, struggling with low self-esteem or generally looking to improve well-being.
Humanistic therapists will also work with people living with specific conditions, such as anxiety, panic disorders, addiction, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and more complex mental health problems.
Integrative practice
Humanistic practitioners usually draw on different theories and approaches in collaboration with the client to find the right way of working for each individual.
They are likely to be informed by:
Person-centred therapy
(also known as “client-centred” counselling), based on the belief that being valued as a person, without being judged, can help an individual to accept who they are, and reconnect with themselves.
Existential therapy
Which explores certain issues from a philosophical perspective, and is interested in the importance of meaning and purpose in our lives.
Transactional analysis
Which focuses on our relationships and communications with others.
OUR PRACTITIONERS:
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is an unstructured, medium to long-term talking treatment for mild, moderate and severe emotional difficulties. Whilst everyone experiences occasional emotional distress, for some people the problems keep coming back again and again.
In these cases, there can be unresolved conflicts from the past that are stirring up strong feelings in the present, pushing the individual into self-destructive patterns. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is indicated by the government N.I.C.E guidelines as a recommended treatment for people with recurring or complex emotional problems. It is also an invaluable treatment for those with attachment difficulties, since the nature of the relationship between therapist and patient, and what it might represent, is one of the therapeutic tools of the treatment process.
It may be that you have previously sought help of a supportive nature but found your problems did not fundamentally change. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is suitable if you want to look deeper into yourself in order to make lasting changes. There may be strong feelings attached to current issues which you cannot fully account for. It can also be that you feel empty and lacking in the capacity to feel or express any emotions. You may be experiencing a loss of meaning in your life, having difficulties in your relationships or in handling the pressures of everyday living. You may need to understand how traumatic or abusive relationships have impacted you. This in turn can free you to make more positive and loving relationships in the present.
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy can help you to uncover the underlying causes of your problems. When painful memories are talked about they can begin to lose their power. Facing up to your fears and your feelings can help you to discover new strengths and resolve some of the underlying symptoms. Knowing more about yourself can help you to make the changes you need in your life.
In psychoanalytic psychotherapy you are invited to speak as openly as possible about whatever comes into your mind. As you talk, your therapist will listen and offer you a space to express yourself. It can take time to build up enough trust, but after a while it is likely that you will find relief in sharing things which you had never imagined you could talk about.
You may also discover patterns in the way that you relate to your therapist and those around you. As these emerge, it can be helpful to link them with past experiences which have influenced the way that you approach people. A psychoanalytic psychotherapist does not give advice. They will listen and try to understand. Through an on-going conversation, they will help you to understand how your past experiences have influenced the way that you relate to yourself and to others in the present.
People seeking psychoanalytic psychotherapy are usually those who are seeking a greater understanding of their symptoms and behaviour.
So, in order to benefit from it, you will need to have some curiosity about the struggles you are facing. This motivation is important because psychoanalytic psychotherapy can be uncomfortable at times, as well as rewarding. Facing feelings and experiences that you may prefer to forget or not think about can be hard.
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy is an evidence-based treatment and several studies have been completed and published showing its effectiveness. A good overview of this research is a book entitled ‘What works for whom?’ by Anthony Roth and Peter Fonagy. A more recent article from Scientific American published in March 2010 also offers
‘…the strongest evidence yet that psychodynamic psychotherapy — “talk therapy” — works. In fact, it not only works, it keeps working long after the sessions stop.’
Psychodynamic Therapy
Like psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapy, the aim of psychodynamic therapy is to bring the unconscious mind into consciousness – helping individuals to unravel, experience and understand their true, deep-rooted feelings in order to resolve them.
It takes the view that our unconscious holds onto painful feelings and memories, which are too difficult for the conscious mind to process. Often, psychodynamic therapy is shorter than psychoanalytic therapy with respect to the frequency and number of sessions, but this is not always the case.
Psychodynamic therapy will typically focus on recognizing, acknowledging, understanding, expressing, and overcoming negative and contradictory feelings and repressed emotions in order to improve the client’s interpersonal experiences and relationships. This includes helping the client understand how repressed earlier emotions affect current decision-making, behaviour and relationships. Psychodynamic therapy also aims to help those who are aware of and understand the origins of their social difficulties, but are not able to overcome their problems on their own. Clients learn to analyse and resolve their current issues and change their behaviour in current relationships through this deep exploration and analysis of earlier experiences and emotions.
The psychodynamic approach is designed to help individuals with a wide range of problems including anxiety, addiction, depression and eating disorders. It can be beneficial for those who have lost meaning in their lives or have difficulty forming or maintaining personal relationships. While suitable for everyone, it is often most appreciated by individuals with a capacity for self-reflection, and a natural curiosity for their internal life and their behaviours.
OUR PRACTIONERS:
Body Movement Psychotherapy
Body Movement Psychotherapy (BMS) is a predominantly talking therapy that holds space for the client’s embodied experience to be expressed and brought into awareness as part of a process of change.
Injuries, illness, stress and trauma profoundly effect the body and depending on the client’s unique perspective, practices such as breath work and gentle intentional movement can
help to shine a light on patterns of tension and ways of being that no longer serve you. This can be a deeply moving and creative process that promotes self acceptance, self compassion and emotional resilience in the safety of a therapeutic space.