What exactly is therapy?

The founder of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Ronald Hayes, described ACT as “a type of therapy that aims to help patients accept what is out of their control, and commit instead to actions that enrich their lives.” It is based on the idea that the best way to deal with suffering and distress is not to escape, avoid, or minimize it; but rather face those thoughts, feelings, and patterns directly. 

ACT is designed to increase the client’s ability to accept as valid the way they feel, to explore different ways of dealing with their problems, let go of those things that are outside of their control, and engage in (commit to) different approaches to addressing their problems in the future. 

ACT is a relatively active type of therapeutic approach that involves structured  exercises both in session and between sessions. ACT is often used in conjunction with mindfulness therapy (see below).

Behavioral activation is typically used in the treatment of depression. As its name implies, its focus is on a client's behaviors rather than their thoughts and feelings. The treatment approach is based on the premise that clients experience depression because they do not receive sufficient positive reinforcement. Consequently, treatment involves incorporating more rewarding experiences into one’s life. 

The appeal of this approach for many is that it provides concrete steps for the client to follow that are - by definition - rewarding to them. The therapist’s role in Behavior Activation is to educate the client about the process of change, guide them in (re)discovering rewarding experiences, and motivating them to take the next steps. The number of sessions tends to be around 16-20 and may be offered in group or individual settings. 

One of the more popular therapeutic approaches, cognitive-behavioral therapy is based on the idea that a client’s thoughts affect their emotional and behavioral reactions to events in their lives. The underlying premise is that one’s faulty thought patterns lead to a chain of successively more catastrophic outcomes that the client believes with varying degrees of certainty and that derail their lives because they act on these faulty beliefs. For instance, a client with a fear of public speaking may have strongly held (but not necessarily true) core beliefs about their expectations of speaking. These beliefs may sound something like: “I’ll forget what I’m supposed to say;” “people will laugh at me”; “I’ll have a panic attack in front of everyone.”

CBT helps clients identify maladaptive thoughts by taking a critical look at how valid those thoughts are, how likely they are to occur, and how bad the outcome would be if the thoughts were true. By replacing unrealistic, catastrophic thoughts with more realistic and adaptive ones, the client can experience a reduction in negative emotions and begin to process and interact with their world in a healthier, more adaptive fashion. The client with a fear of public speaking would work with their therapist to examine the evidence underlying their core beliefs: “What evidence do you have that people will laugh at you?” “What are alternative reasons someone might be laughing during a presentation you’re giving?” 

Sessions are highly structured and focused on current problems and practical solutions. Treatment is usually time-limited, lasting from 8 to 20 sessions. Those most likely to benefit are individuals who want a treatment approach solution-focused with clear goals and practical techniques and are willing to take an active part in treatment as CBT often involves work to be completed by the client between sessions. 

DBT combines some of the methods of CBT with meditation techniques. It involves individual therapy and group therapy. DBT is particularly helpful treatment of personality disorders with a self-harm component. 

EMDR is another talking therapy that's been developed to help people who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). People who have PTSD may experience intrusive thoughts, memories, nightmares or flashbacks of traumatic events in their past. EMDR helps the brain reprocess memories of the traumatic event so you can let go of them. A way of stimulating the brain through eye movements which seems to make distressing memories feel less intense. It is used for a range of traumas, including past sexual, physical or emotional abuse, accidents and injuries, phobias, addictions and fear of performing in public. EMDR can be a distressing process, so it's important to have a good support network of family and friends around you if you plan to try it.

More to come. 

More to come. 

Guided self-help is recommended as a treatment for depression, anxiety and panic disorder. With guided self-help you work through a CBT-based workbook or computer course with the support of a therapist. The therapist works with you to understand your problems and make positive changes in your life. Guided self-help aims to give you helpful tools and techniques that you can carry on using after the course has finished. During the course your therapist will support you with face-to-face appointments or phone calls.

More to come. 

Humanistic treatment takes more of a macro approach that looks at the whole-person approach to one’s problems, using a range of theories and practices to help you develop Originally developed to offer an alternative to psychodynamic and behavioral therapies, Humanistic approaches focused on developing the full potential of the individual.

These therapies explore your relationship with different parts of yourself (such as your body, mind, emotions, behavior and spirituality) and other people (for example family, friends, society or culture) and support you to grow and live life to the full.

Humanistic therapies tend to treat specific problems - such as depression, anxiety or addiction - as chances for you to develop and grow. Therapists work with any issue causing difficulties in your life. They will suit people interested in exploring their lives and looking at their problems from a wide range of angles.

Variations: Person-centered counseling, transpersonal psychology, body psychotherapy, gestalt therapy, psychosynthesis, integrative psychotherapy, existential psychotherapy, transactional analysis, psychodrama and personal construct therapy. 

IPT is a talking treatment that helps people with depression identify and address problems in their relationships with family, partners and friends. The idea is that poor relationships with people in your life can leave you feeling depressed. Depression can in turn make your relationships with other people worse. Interpersonal Therapy explores how to link mood with the way you relate to the people close to you. IPT may be a good option for someone with severe depression or depression that hasn't responded to other talking therapies, such as CBT. IPT is usually offered over 16 to 20 sessions.

Mindfulness-based therapies help you focus on your thoughts and feelings as they happen moment by moment. They can be used to help treat depression and addiction. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) combines mindfulness techniques like meditation and breathing exercises with cognitive therapy. MBCT is one of the options that may be offered to you after a course of treatment for depression to help stop it coming back. A therapy that combines talking therapies with meditation. It helps people reduce stress, switch off from difficult thoughts and feelings and make changes. 

Variations: mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. 

Are your customers raving about you on social media? Share their great stories to help turn potential customers into loyal ones.

Based on the practice of Freud and Jung, psychodynamic therapy focuses on early life experiences, personality characteristics, and unconscious processes influence your current functioning. The therapist works with you to understand your thoughts, feelings, relationships, behaviors, dreams and fantasies.

Traditional psychodynamic therapy can take years (though there are shorter versions available). Because of this, they are not always covered by insurance companies, who are looking for more concrete outcome sooner. Those who benefit most from psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapy are those who are willing and able to devote a lot of time and energy to deep self-exploration.  

More to come.