Therapy That’s Created to Suit You

In my thirty years as a psychotherapist I have trained in many different approaches. Like most therapists I recognised early on that no one approach suits all. As complex human beings we respond to those approaches we can most relate to. For some that is a laid-back conversation. For others it might be an approach that addresses painful experiences in the past, troublesome (repetitive) thoughts, difficult emotions, unconscious blocks, or real-life situations in which we have become stuck. Some clients like to keep it brief, while others need more support.

For all these reasons I am known as an Integrative Therapist. Meaning that I have integrated ideas and techniques into my own, unique, way of working. Integrative Therapists are not afraid to fall back on one, particular, approach if that is the one the client responds to best.

Here are three approaches I am especially fond of:

Hypno-psychotherapy

I sometimes use hypnosis to develop a trance state if that appeals to my clients. Therapeutic hypnosis can be remarkably successful with anxiety and stress-related problems. However, I more often use informal, conversational trance - in which clients uncover the deeper purpose (the positive intention) below an unwanted symptom. This can often lead to very deep changes, even in Brief Therapy

Neuro-Linguistic Therapy.

I trained early in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and found that its attention to the way that people speak about their problems can be profoundly revealing. Also interesting is the way that NLP works with the neurological patterns that keep problems going. For example, the way someone experiences stress can be encoded in the images, self-talk, and structured feeling states, as well as their words. Change any of these and you often change the problem state.

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

The ACT process starts with changing your relationship to difficult thoughts and feelings - accepting them rather than fighting them. Perhaps also noticing that you have experienced the patterns before, and that they are related to difficult experiences in the past. At this point you are free to defuse from those thoughts and feelings - letting them go and refocusing your attention on what really matters to you. This could refer to your work, your relationships, or your own mental health. Together we then uncover the actions you might want to commit to doing that will improve your position in life.

I also draw on Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy (CBT) when working on difficult thoughts that can be hard to shift, and I am certified to work with Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) for Trauma work.

As an Integrative therapist I work on all levels: Thoughts, Emotions, Unconscious needs and intentions, the Body, Brain and Behaviour. I will also teach you some new skills for handling any real-life challenges that might be holding you back.

Have a Question? Contact me about it.

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