Therapy
All therapy sessions are online. Standard sessions are 60 minutes duration, and normally conducted weekly. However, where there is a clinical need sessions may be extended to 90 minutes or reduced to 30-45 minutes. This would be agreed in advance, and charges amended as necessary (see fees for more details).
Sessions can also be conducted fortnightly, although it is best to have weekly sessions to begin with to build momentum.
CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Epictetus: “It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
CBT is an evidence based psychological treatment which has a proven track record in treating a wide range of mental health conditions. The main principle behind CBT is that how we think affects the way we behave and how we feel (emotionally and physically).
CBT is a here and now focused treatment that aims to solve current problems in a time limited period. The advantage of CBT is that it can deliver results quickly with between 6-12 sessions for mild to moderate problems, and between 12-24 sessions for more severe problems, sometimes more depending on how chronic the problem is.
A trained and qualified CBT therapist will help you establish links between thoughts, behaviours and feelings that have maintained your difficulties. They will help you learn strategies to manage and overcome these difficulties. If you decide to give CBT a chance, at your initial assessment a detailed history of the presenting problem will be taken so both you and your therapist gain a full understanding of the problem. Your therapy goals will be taken into account to agree a treatment plan and number of sessions. Periodic reviews keep therapy focused and timely.
There are no quick fixes and any kind of therapy can be challenging at times, but if you want to get better, you have to put the effort in and work with your therapist to achieve your therapy goals. There is no one size fits all and other talking therapy approaches may be more suitable such as: EMDR, pure counselling, psychodynamic therapy, integrative therapy, etc. You may wish to explore other options if CBT does not feel right for you.
It is important to have CBT with an accredited CBT therapist. The accreditation process ensures that only accredited training institutions qualifications are recognised, and high therapy standards are maintained with continued professional development (CPD), and regular supervision. All accredited CBT therapists have to renew their accreditation annually.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
Francine Shapiro: “The past affects the present even without our being aware of it.”
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is an evidence based psychological treatment first developed by Francine Shapiro.
The main principle behind EMDR is that our brains adaptive information processing system can be activated during therapy to reprocess troublesome memories. This is done with the help of bilateral stimulation, a deliberate method commonly using eye movements or tapping to engage the brains neural pathways to process disturbing memories from distressing life events in the past.
During the desensitization phase in EMDR processing, high emotional charges attached to the disturbing memories reduce in intensity. The reprocessed memory becomes less bothersome in the present when triggered by stimuli. Naturally it is believed our brain processes information in a similar way during REM sleep.
EMDR has been very effective in the treatment of PTSD, and is now also used for a range of mental health conditions such as phobias, grief, complex trauma, low self-esteem, and lots more.
EMDR can be very effective very quickly, with long lasting effects. Research studies have shown that EMDR can significantly decrease PTSD symptoms in just two or three sessions.
Just as with any therapy, there is no one size fits all and other options may need to be considered. Sometimes a blended approach can be helpful if appropriate.
It is important that your EMDR treatment is done with a trained and qualified EMDR therapist as this ensures the quality of your treatment.
All trained therapists must have regular supervision with an EMDR consultant registered with EMDR Association UK.
Please click here for further information on EMDR.
