Evidence-based Approaches

ACT is a psychotherapeutic approach that prioritises acceptance when confronting negative thoughts, feelings, symptoms, or circumstances. This therapy encourages a heightened commitment to engaging in healthy, constructive activities aligned with your values or goals. ACT operates under the theory that increased acceptance can enhance psychological flexibility. This approach offers various advantages, such as breaking the habit of consistently avoiding specific thoughts or emotional experiences that may contribute to further issues.

ACT follows a process of Identifying Your Values, Acceptance techniques, Cognitive Defusion, and Commitment to Action.

Also known as Compassion Mind Training, CFT integrates compassion training techniques into psychotherapy to foster kinder thinking habits. This approach emphasises the importance of cultivating compassion towards oneself and others while navigating the world. Rooted in Buddhist principles, CFT shows that fostering compassion not only enhances personal happiness but also contributes to the well-being of others. In CFT, people develop skills to promote kindness towards themselves and consideration for others. These habits function to reduce self-criticism and shame, enabling a more compassionate perspective towards oneself and others. CFT uniquely incorporates techniques to promote acceptance and self-respect, aiming to boost self-confidence and positive emotions.

Specific CFT techniques that are often used include Compassion Imaging and Compassion Behaviour Tasks as a form of Exposure Therapy.

DBT is an adapted form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with the primary objectives of helping people to live in the present, cultivate effective stress coping mechanisms, managing emotions, and enhancing interpersonal relationships. DBT is particularly beneficial for people needing to work on emotional regulation, limiting self-destructive behaviors, or grappling with trauma responses.

Some of the DBT techniques used include Distress Tolerance skills, Mindfulness through senses, Emotion Regulation and Interpersonal Effectiveness.

Gestalt Therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach centered on a person's current life, prioritising the present over delving into past experiences. It highlights the significance of comprehending the context of an individual's life in addressing their challenges, promoting a sense of responsibility rather than assigning blame. Perception plays a crucial role in this theory, exploring how we attribute meaning and construct understanding of our world and experiences. The approach is person-centered, valuing the uniqueness of each individual's experience.

Gestalt Therapy involves several techniques, including the Empty Chair exercise, incorporation of “I” statements, and exploring body language responses.

Individual Therapy, also known as Adlerian Therapy, presents a holistic perspective in psychology. It emphasises the pivotal role of overcoming feelings of inferiority and cultivating a sense of belonging to achieve success and happiness. This approach also underscores the significance of social interactions and community involvement in fostering individual growth. Central to the philosophy is the recognition of each individual's inherent need for connection, belonging, and the ongoing effort to overcome feelings of inferiority.

Individual Therapy in practice requires the practitioner to give equal attention to your strengths and your problems, demonstrating interest in you as a complete person rather than a diagnosis or someone that needs to be “cured”. This work also utilises techniques that require you to explore your past, such as Family Constellation work and using reorientation around past events.

Motivational Interviewing is a technique crafted to assist people with discovering the motivation needed for positive behaviour change. This client-centered approach is especially beneficial for those with mixed feelings about altering their behaviour. Ambivalence, where one desires change but feels unprepared for it, is common. Motivational Interviewing contends that resolving this ambivalence can boost motivation for change. What sets Motivational Interviewing apart is its emphasis on empowering you to take ownership of your recovery journey.

Practitioners will use Motivational Interviewing to highlight to you any discrepancies between your current situation and the aspirations you express. We can do this through reframing or presenting alternative interpretations.

Life is perceived through our senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell, spatial orientation, and movement, and internal state. Sensory input is derived from both our own bodies and the surrounding environment. Each person possesses a distinct sensory profile. This profile offers a tailored method for comprehending how we react to sensory stimuli in the environment. Utilising a research-based framework, sensory profiles assess your sensitivity to sound, visual stimuli, vestibular, smells, taste, and touch, proprioception and interoception.

By creating a sensory profile, we can work together to manage emotional regulation by creating a personalised list of what sensory experiences can cause you discomfort, and others that can soothe you.