At Psychology HeadQuarters, our psychologists use a number of evidence based therapies to help you / or your children gain control to create a more balanced and fulfilled life. These include:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a psychotherapeutic approach that is based on the concept that the way we think (cognitions) affects how we respond (behaviours). People can interpret the same life event very differently, leading to many and varied emotional & behavioural consequences. Some of these consequences can be helpful, and some not so helpful in our day to day lives. Empirical evidence has shown that CBT is effective in treating a variety of problems, including, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and trauma.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT works on maximising human potential by working on developing a better understanding of accepting what is out of your personal control, and committing to action that allows you to live a more meaningful life. The therapy teaches practical skills to deal with painful thoughts and feelings effectively so they have less of an impact on your daily functioning. It also develops a better understanding of what is truly important to you which then inspires and motivates you to change your life.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
CPT is an evidenced-based treatment protocol that has been found effective for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other corollary symptoms following traumatic events. It focuses on how the traumatic event is construed and coped with by a person who is trying to regain a sense of mastery and control in their life. In CPT, cognitive therapy techniques are utilised to focus on faulty thought related to traumatic events. Processing the trauma involves identifying and allowing for the dissipation of the natural emotions related to the trauma as well as identifying those thoughts that are preventing recovery.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
DBT treatment is a cognitive-behavioral approach that emphasizes the psychosocial aspects of treatment. The theory behind the approach is that some people are prone to react in a more intense and out-of-the-ordinary manner toward certain emotional situations, primarily those found in romantic, family and friend relationships. Some people’s arousal levels in such situations can increase far more quickly than the average person’s, and take a significant amount of time to return to baseline arousal levels. Most of them don’t have any methods for coping with these sudden, intense surges of emotion. DBT is a method for teaching skills that will help in this task.
Psycho-education
This is a specific form of education. It aims to help people with mental health concerns to access the facts about the mental illness in order to better understand how they are feeling and why. It also assists with building strategies to better manage the symptoms and its effects.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing focuses on exploring and resolving ambivalence and centres on motivation processes within the client in order to facilitate change. The therapy is a collaborative, person-centred therapy that aims to increase the client’s intrinsic motivation so that change arises from within, rather than being imposed from without.
Solution Focused Therapy
This is a brief therapy counselling method that focuses directly on solutions rather than the problem itself. The therapist will work on developing a vision of the future with the individual by creating solutions and identifying and continuing behaviours that are already working. The emphasis in this therapy is the future not the past, it is based on the assumption that the client is the best expert about what it takes to change their lives and guides them in developing this skill further.
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
This therapy aims to reduce the troubling symptoms or issues of the individual by focusing on interpersonal relationships, how they relate to them and how they interact with important people in their lives. The therapy has shown good results in reducing symptoms by working on improving interpersonal relationships. IPT has been tested with general success in a series of clinical trials for mood and, increasingly, non-mood disorders; as both an acute and maintenance treatment; and in differing treatment formats.
Narrative Therapy
This therapy works on the idea that our identities are shaped be events and accounts of our lives found in our stories (Narratives). The Therapist will work with the client to fully describe their stories (narratives) and walk through them in order to identify the problems many influences, including the client and the relationships around the client. By focusing on the problems affect on the clients life rather than the client being the problem, distance is created which allows the client to better manage their lives.