the A B C D E of therapies offered.....
A
ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY
Acceptance and commitment therapy typically starts with an assessment of what the patient wants. Emotional control goals (eg. 'I just want to be happy') are reframed as a means to a more valued life (eg. through asking, 'And if you felt happier and more confident what would you be doing more of?'). Assessment includes identifying all the things the patient has done to try to achieve their aims and how well these have worked in the short and long term. Acceptance and commitment therapy therapists particularly seek to identify patterns of trying to control or avoid uncontrollable internal experiences, particularly those that disrupt valued living. These can range from obvious (eg. overt avoidance of difficult situations, substance use and oversleeping) to subtle (eg. 'putting on a front', 'holding back' or 'not really listening' during conversations). Motivation to change is ideally born from an appreciation that strategies used until now to reduce discomfort have come at the cost of the life one truly wants. (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners) www.racgp.org.au/afp/2012/september/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy
B
BEHAVIOUR THERAPY FOR CHILDREN
This therapy aims to support parents with the challenges of raising children in the 21st century. Using behavioural principles, parents are helped to provide their children with positive behaviour supports that can make a difference to family life and relationships. This therapy helps parents reflect on their current approaches to raising their children and develop more effective skills, especially in managing more difficult behaviours and behavioural mistakes.
C
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY
CBT is the 'gold standard' therapy for many problems experienced by patients. In CBT, clients are helped to:
* Learn to recognise "distortions in thinking" - what thoughts are creating problems for you, and then to re-evaluate them in the light of reality.
* Gain a better understanding of the behaviour and motivation of others.
* Use problem-solving skills to cope with difficult situations.
* Learn to develop a greater sense of confidence in your abilities.
D
DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOUR THERAPY
DBT encompasses developing skills in mindfulness practices, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness and distress tolerance. In dialectics, we teach patients to appreciate that there are many perspectives in life situations, and that each person's perspective can hold a 'kernel of truth'. Whilst DBT was first developed to treat patients with Borderline Personality Disorder, today DBT is utilised for a range of mental health problems, including depression and anxiety.
E
EYE MOVEMENT DE-SENSITISATION AND REPROCESSING THERAPY
EMDR is the leading therapy in the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Since its inception, EMDR has evolved as a therapy of choice, and is now used to treat depression, anxiety, panic, phobias and other mental health problems. EMDR has been described as follows:
'EMDR therapy is an eight-phase treatment. Eye movements (or other bilateral stimulation) are used during one part of the session. After the clinician has determined which memory to target first, he asks the client to hold different aspects of that event or thought in mind and to use his eyes to track the therapist’s hand as it moves back and forth across the client’s field of vision. As this happens, for reasons believed by a Harvard researcher to be connected with the biological mechanisms involved in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, internal associations arise and the clients begin to process the memory and disturbing feelings. In successful EMDR therapy, the meaning of painful events is transformed on an emotional level. For instance, a rape victim shifts from feeling horror and self-disgust to holding the firm belief that, “I survived it and I am strong.”'(EMDR Institute, Inc.) www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/
ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY
Acceptance and commitment therapy typically starts with an assessment of what the patient wants. Emotional control goals (eg. 'I just want to be happy') are reframed as a means to a more valued life (eg. through asking, 'And if you felt happier and more confident what would you be doing more of?'). Assessment includes identifying all the things the patient has done to try to achieve their aims and how well these have worked in the short and long term. Acceptance and commitment therapy therapists particularly seek to identify patterns of trying to control or avoid uncontrollable internal experiences, particularly those that disrupt valued living. These can range from obvious (eg. overt avoidance of difficult situations, substance use and oversleeping) to subtle (eg. 'putting on a front', 'holding back' or 'not really listening' during conversations). Motivation to change is ideally born from an appreciation that strategies used until now to reduce discomfort have come at the cost of the life one truly wants. (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners) www.racgp.org.au/afp/2012/september/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy
B
BEHAVIOUR THERAPY FOR CHILDREN
This therapy aims to support parents with the challenges of raising children in the 21st century. Using behavioural principles, parents are helped to provide their children with positive behaviour supports that can make a difference to family life and relationships. This therapy helps parents reflect on their current approaches to raising their children and develop more effective skills, especially in managing more difficult behaviours and behavioural mistakes.
C
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY
CBT is the 'gold standard' therapy for many problems experienced by patients. In CBT, clients are helped to:
* Learn to recognise "distortions in thinking" - what thoughts are creating problems for you, and then to re-evaluate them in the light of reality.
* Gain a better understanding of the behaviour and motivation of others.
* Use problem-solving skills to cope with difficult situations.
* Learn to develop a greater sense of confidence in your abilities.
D
DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOUR THERAPY
DBT encompasses developing skills in mindfulness practices, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness and distress tolerance. In dialectics, we teach patients to appreciate that there are many perspectives in life situations, and that each person's perspective can hold a 'kernel of truth'. Whilst DBT was first developed to treat patients with Borderline Personality Disorder, today DBT is utilised for a range of mental health problems, including depression and anxiety.
E
EYE MOVEMENT DE-SENSITISATION AND REPROCESSING THERAPY
EMDR is the leading therapy in the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Since its inception, EMDR has evolved as a therapy of choice, and is now used to treat depression, anxiety, panic, phobias and other mental health problems. EMDR has been described as follows:
'EMDR therapy is an eight-phase treatment. Eye movements (or other bilateral stimulation) are used during one part of the session. After the clinician has determined which memory to target first, he asks the client to hold different aspects of that event or thought in mind and to use his eyes to track the therapist’s hand as it moves back and forth across the client’s field of vision. As this happens, for reasons believed by a Harvard researcher to be connected with the biological mechanisms involved in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, internal associations arise and the clients begin to process the memory and disturbing feelings. In successful EMDR therapy, the meaning of painful events is transformed on an emotional level. For instance, a rape victim shifts from feeling horror and self-disgust to holding the firm belief that, “I survived it and I am strong.”'(EMDR Institute, Inc.) www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/
