Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
CBT is one successful approach in treating mild to severe depression, anxiety; personality, eating, & obsessive compulsive disorders; phobias, substance abuse, and weight control. CBT acknowledges the influence of behavioural changes on improving one’s mood and assists to break the vicious cycle of negativity, regardless of a person’s past experiences.
Interpersonal Therapy focuses on the subjective relational experiences of the client. As life issues and problems are interpersonal in nature, this therapeutic intervention is built upon the relationship between client and psychologist. It shows the client effective ways to manage relationships and their own emotional responses.
A method of therapy which views issues such as love, loss, death, finitude (the concept that all things come to an end), self- responsibility, life suffering, and the loneliness of isolation as being at the root of a psychological problem. It embraces human potential and focuses on the positive potential for good and growth that is inherent in each of us.
Narrative Therapy places the experiences of the client in a central position of importance. The focus is upon the presenting life stories that clients have constructed about who they are, and what their lives are like. People present for counselling when the lens gets stuck on a problem story, causing the client to become stuck too.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing is a directive, client-centered counseling style for eliciting behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence. The examination and resolution of ambivalence is its central purpose, and the counselor is intentionally directive in pursuing an explicit goal.
This is a respectful, optimistic approach which, rather than being problem-oriented, helps clients to explore their ‘preferred future’ and highlights their innate strengths and resources. Solution-Focused therapy is a future-focused, goal-directed intervention towards identifying solutions to presenting problems.
Anxiety is a normal response feelings of pressure and a loss of control. In many cases it goes once the stressful situation has passed. For people suffering from anxiety disorder these emotions do not subside; the feelings are present constantly and for no specific reason, having a debilitating impact on everyday life.
Feelings of despair, agitation, sadness and emptiness which persist tend to have a negative impact on an individual. These feelings limit the ability to attend to daily life. A psychologist can assist with identifying the core problem that is contributing to debilitating depression and provide the necessary support to overcome it.
When anger is managed in a responsible and positive way it is a motivating energy, but when repeatedly repressed, denied or dismissed, it can manifest itself in various levels of severity from a mild irritation to uncontrollable rage. Strategies and counselling can help individuals constructively manage anger.
Family therapy addresses the problematic underlying attitudes that are unwittingly adding to family issues. Healthy interactions generally support mentally and emotionally healthy individuals who are socially well-adjusted; conversely, dysfunctional interactions may lead to mental, emotional, and/or behavioural disorders.
Counselling helps clients to identify and come to terms with feelings and emotions experienced during or after a traumatic event. Trauma can involve single incidents such as a car accident, witnessing a robbery, or being involved in a natural disaster. Trauma counselling aims to support the client towards recovery and optimal living.