TYPES OF THERAPY

I’d like to invite you to have a think about the type of therapy you’re looking for.

Typically, we would look to begin with an assessment session in order to fully explore the beginnings of our work (which can extend to two sessions.)

The reason being, at the beginning of our work I would be looking to assess what I think could be areas for us to explore in therapeutic work, but ultimately, these decisions are guided by you, and I will fully appreciate and honour your feedback.

I work in a relational and integrative style of therapy (typically one-to-one, or two-to-one in couples), which means that I can help you look for the right tools to achieve the outcomes you’re aiming for through differing therapeutic styles and techniques.

No one type is better than another; They’re all grounded in differing schools, but the main purpose of every type of therapy is to help you facilitate change in your life.

They are classed into three main categories, with some overlap between them.

Humanistic Therapy
The focus between us is on working in the here and now, in a supportive, facilitative encounter to help you grow and change in the way you want to. I would encourage you to self-reflect and facilitate your ability to do so.

Psychodynamic Therapy
We would look to discuss openly and freely, anything that comes to mind. Time would be spent on understanding contradictory feelings and emotions, defences, coping mechanisms, behaviour and relationships. I would encourage you to self-reflect and self-analyse on your life experiences to date.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
We would look to utilise models and tools of CBT in order to highlight and address issues, find constructive solutions and challenge thoughts and feelings with a view to change them. I would encourage you to self-reflect and use homework tasks to help you measure your progress. CBT is usually set at a maximum of 20 sessions.

Session information
Sessions will typically take place in a warm, encouraging environment at my office.
Frequency of sessions can be discussed. (For example, you may want one or two sessions a week or one session a fortnight, so between us, we can work out what would be best for you.)
Some people want a fixed number of sessions, and some people want therapy to be open-ended and ongoing. This is something that we can also discuss.
Sessions are 60 minutes long.

Additionally:
Skype Therapy
If you feel as though you would like to explore therapy through Skype, then there is an option for this type of therapeutic contact. Typically, this is an opportunity for you if you would find it difficult to attend sessions physically, for any number of reasons. I would look to facilitate a session with you at a regularly scheduled time every week, with the same reliability as if attending a physical session.

Skype can also be used if you are in regular attendance, but cannot make a session one week due to other issues that may arise.

Group Therapy
Alternatively, there is also a form of therapy which involves groups and group processes, which generally aims to help people with processes of social anxieties and fears, approaches to life and constructive critiques which can help every person in the group to gain stronger resiliences to life. Groups are typically no more than eight people and myself as the facilitator.

At this present time, I am not offering group therapy.

Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a key element of safe practice and all matters are treated in the strictest confidence. Confidentiality will only be broken if:

• There is a serious threat of harm to self or others.

• If there is a legal requirement to do so.

There is a possibility that I may take elements of our work into supervision, which I undertake regularly for professional assistance. This is in order to review best practice and to continue to think about the work that we are engaging in, in therapy. I will never use names of my clients or offer any information that could identify them in supervision.

Social Media
Unfortunately, I will not accept requests ‘to follow,’ from clients on any social media platforms. There are two reasons for this, firstly being that I feel as though social media is a space that people can use for their own personal discussions and thoughts – so it would be an encroachment on your space, and secondly there are ethical guidelines I am bound by through my professional practice.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me to ask.