Psychotherapy and counselling approaches
Psychotherapists and counsellors work from a variety of theoretical approaches with their clients. At ProTherapy we offer a range of therapeutic modalities which include solution focused, cognitive behavioural, interpersonal, EFT and EMDR.
Solution Focused brief therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that is brief and effective. Research shows it to bring about lasting change on average in less than 5 sessions and in up to 83% of referrals. It can be brief because it is future-focused and because it works with the strengths of the individual making the best use of their resources. It can bring about lasting change precisely because it aims to build solutions rather than solve problems.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a psychological approach which is based on scientific principles and which research has shown to be effective for a wide range of problems. Client and therapist work together to identify and understand problems in terms of the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviour. The approach usually focuses on difficulties in the here and now, and relies on the therapist and client developing a shared view of the individual`s problem. This then leads to the identification of goals and strategies designed to overcome the problem. This approach is recommended by the NICE guidelines for a wide range of psychological problems.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy is a brief and highly structured approach that addresses interpersonal issues in depression. It is modest in its use of psychotherapy jargon and promotes attention to the relationship-based issues which are central to the experience of many depressed individuals. It attends to difficulties arising in the daily experience of maintaining relationships and resolving difficulties while suffering an episode of major depression. The fundamental clinical task of interpersonal therapy is to help individuals to learn to link mood with interpersonal contacts, and to recognise that by appropriately addressing interpersonal situations, they may simultaneously improve both their relationships and depressive state.
EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique. It is an advanced form of psychological acupressure. It is a powerful technique that uses acupressure tapping combined with cognitive restructuring to link into an emotional disturbance which is then balanced and cleared. It has proven itself in many scientific studies showing that it is able to rapidly reduce the emotional impact of memories and incidents that trigger emotional distress. It is said to be effective for a wide range of issues including post traumatic stress, phobias, depression, anxiety and panic disorders.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing. It is an evidence-based therapeutic procedure and has mainly been used in the treatment of post traumatic stress. However, it is now being increasingly used to treat grief, phobias, anxiety and panic disorders. It is believed that the eye movements induced in EMDR mirror the natural eye movement process that occurs in REM (rapid eye movement) phase of sleep during which information is processed naturally. Again, this approach is recommended in the NICE guidelines for some psychological disorders.