TREATMENT APPROACH

At assessment our psychologists will collaborate with you to determine what treatment is likely to be effective for your individual needs. All of our psychologists work as a team with client’s doctors and other supporting professionals and are trained in the following approaches:

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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a structured, often time-limited, psychological therapy that helps clients identify and modify unhelpful thoughts that mediate their feelings and behaviour. By encouraging more helpful thoughts the individual is likely to improve their emotional state and make behavioural choices that are more satisfying and functional. Treatment often involves keeping a record of thoughts, recognising unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaving, challenging unhelpful beliefs, setting behavioural goals to improve mood and alleviate anxiety, conducting behavioural experiments to challenge the reality of certain thoughts, structured problem solving and training in effective communication skills.

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Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is a psychological treatment that helps individuals identify and clarify their personal values and develop acceptance of their thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and urges. When individuals are able to accept and struggle less with internal experiences, like thoughts and emotions, they are better able to act in ways that are consistent with their core values. Hence, they become free to live the life they would like to live. Individuals are taught mindfulness meditation, a practice whereby they become more aware of their internal experiences and surroundings and learn to stay in the present moment accepting their experiences and cultivating greater self-compassion and self-acceptance. Goals informed by ones core values are routinely set and committed to, so that each day is experienced as more meaningful and satisfying.

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Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

DBT is a structured therapy designed to improve emotional regulation and interpersonal relationships. It combines cognitive behavioural techniques and mindful awareness and acceptance approaches. Individuals are taught skills in four key areas: Distress Tolerance, Affect Regulation, Mindfulness Skills and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Some people benefit from developing competence in all of the four key skill areas whilst others benefit from focusing on one or two specific skill areas. DBT skills are usually taught in a group therapy setting. Those completing an intensive DBT group program require individual weekly sessions with a DBT trained therapist. Outside treatment sessions individuals diarise their incidence of distress, engagement in problematic behaviours and use of DBT skills. In some instances clients benefit from learning DBT skills even if they are not currently undertaking a group DBT program.

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Psychodynamic Therapies

Psychodynamic Therapies focus on helping individuals develop a more honest understanding of themselves, including acknowledgment of what can be difficult or painful to see in themselves, in order to live a more purposeful life. Clients are gently encouraged to reveal and reflect upon patterns with respect to how they relate to themselves and how they relate to significant others. The therapy relationship is frequently used to better appreciate these attachment and relational patterns. Clients who undertake this approach are supported as they piece together how their past emotions and experiences affects their present behaviour and decisions, and in time individuals work towards gradually freeing themselves from any maladaptive emotional and behavioural patterns.