Which Talking Therapy is for me? (part 4)

Welcome to part 4 of our blog on talking therapies. Last time we continued looking at talking therapies our practitioners offer. Here, we’ll examine more of these in detail, which all take place here at BCR, #AllUnderOurRoof

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In this blog, we’ll look at these therapies:

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Finding a Practitioner

The practitioners each have different training and experience, and their own tailored methods of working, in very many cases taking an integrated approach with tools and techniques from branches of psychotherapy, psychotherapy and counselling practise.

Practitioners very often offer a brief initial consultation, sometimes without charge, to explore the suitability of their approach with you before embarking on therapy.

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How Long Does Therapy Take?

The frequency of talking therapy sessions is usually once per week. These sessions can either be concise and aimed at specific goals over several weeks or more prolonged to thoroughly explore deep-seated issues including trauma. Standard sessions are 50 minutes in duration, with the possibility of extended sessions for hypnotherapy, EMDR, or first-time assessments. For a multitude of people, talking therapy has been a game-changer, equipping them with understanding and methods to cope with intense emotions and life’s hurdles.

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Person-Centred counselling

Our dedicated page, with links to our practitioners person-centred counsellors is here:

❇️ Person-centred therapy is a humanistic method that prioritizes the client’s self-awareness and personal perspective over the therapist’s interpretations of their unconscious motivations and thoughts. This therapeutic style operates on the principle that individuals inherently possess the capacity for personal growth and self-improvement.

❇️ In this therapeutic environment, clients are encouraged to realize their own potential through a supportive relationship where they feel valued and understood. This fosters a connection with their own core values and emotions, creating a foundation for healing and self-discovery.

❇️ This approach is particularly effective for individuals experiencing mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, stress, grief, and other emotional difficulties. It empowers clients by affirming their ability to navigate their mental health journey with the therapist acting as a compassionate facilitator rather than a director.

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Psychodynamic counselling

Our dedicated page, with links to our psychodynamic counsellors is here

❇️ Psychodynamic counselling, a primary psychotherapeutic approach, assists clients in understanding their difficulties and developing coping mechanisms. The term ‘psychodynamic’ pertains to the influence of the unconscious mind on a person’s current actions, emphasizing the importance of bringing these unconscious processes to conscious awareness and comprehending how past experiences shape present behavior.

❇️ Sessions typically last 50 minutes and are scheduled at the same time each week, providing a consistent opportunity for clients to express, reflect upon, and work through their feelings about themselves and others. In collaboration with the therapist, clients examine current life situations and past experiences, with the therapist guiding them to draw connections between historical patterns and current emotions and actions.

❇️ This exploration of past conflicts and recurring emotional patterns allows for a deeper understanding of their roots in the unconscious mind, leading to processing and resolution.

❇️ The psychodynamic method is particularly helpful for individuals dealing with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, addictions, and other mental health concerns.

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Psychotherapy

Our dedicated page, with links to our psychotherapy practitioners is here

❇️ There exists a multitude of psychotherapeutic techniques, encompassing various individual talking therapies, as well as play and creative arts therapies. Many of these are provided by psychologists and therapists associated with our network. Detailed information about each therapy type can be found on our website, along with profiles for each practitioner that outline the psychological therapies they specialize in.

❇️ If you’re dealing with specific conditions or symptoms, consider using our site’s search function. This will generate a list of therapeutic modalities and therapists who mention these issues on their pages, potentially guiding you to the appropriate help.

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Sensorimotor psychotherapy

Our dedicated page, with links to our sensorimotor psychotherapists is here

❇️ Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP) is a comprehensive treatment approach for addressing trauma and attachment-related issues. It adopts an all-encompassing strategy that involves working with the body, emotions, and thoughts for processing and integration.

❇️ This method acknowledges the body’s inherent knowledge as a vital contributor to healing. It utilizes the body not only as a source of strength and support but also as a means to access and work through difficult, traumatic, and formative experiences.

❇️ Under the guidance of an empathetic therapist, clients engage in mindful observation of their bodily sensations, postures, movements, and autonomic responses. This process helps clients uncover and alter entrenched physical and psychological behaviours that hinder their well-being.

❇️ Sensorimotor Psychotherapy proves beneficial in treating PTSD, other trauma-related conditions, and restrictive beliefs stemming from developmental trauma. It encourages clients to leverage their personal strengths while providing sufficient challenges to promote enduring transformation and well-being.

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Solution Focussed Therapy

Our dedicated page, with links to our practitioners is here

❇️ Solution-focused therapy, also known as Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), is a conversational therapeutic approach that emphasizes current circumstances and future aspirations rather than delving into past issues that led the client to seek therapy.

❇️ In this modality, the therapist collaborates with the client to craft a clear vision of desired outcomes and the necessary steps to attain them. This involves identifying instances where the client has successfully navigated past challenges, drawing on these experiences to build confidence and strategies for addressing current concerns.

❇️ The core of SFBT is to harness the client’s existing resources and resilience, focusing on what is working well and how to replicate those successes. It’s a goal-oriented process that helps clients move towards their preferred future by leveraging their own strengths and past achievements as a foundation for progress.

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Systemic therapy

Our dedicated page, with links to our systemic therapy practitioners is here

❇️ Systemic therapy is a form of psychotherapy that views relationships as interconnected systems and explores how individuals are influenced by and participate in these relational networks.

❇️ This therapeutic approach considers the client’s problems within the context of their relational system, providing an alternative lens through which to comprehend and tackle the client’s challenges. By examining the dynamics and patterns within a client’s network of relationships, systemic therapy seeks to understand the roles and interactions that contribute to the client’s issues.

❇️ It offers insights into how changes in one part of the system can lead to improvements in other parts, facilitating a holistic approach to healing that encompasses not just the individual but also their wider relational context.

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Trauma focussed CBT

Our dedicated page, with links to our TF-CBT practitioners is here

❇️ Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a specialized form of psychotherapy designed to assist children, adolescents, and their families in recovering from trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

❇️ TF-CBT enables clients to process the traumatic event, and it equips them with strategies to manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively.

❇️ The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which provides guidance to NHS clinicians on effective treatments, endorses TF-CBT as a recommended therapy for PTSD in children, young people, and adults [CG123; NG116].

For further details, you can refer to NICE’s guidelines:

“Common mental health problems: identification and pathways to care” (Clinical guideline [CG123], published on 25 May 2011)
“Post-traumatic stress disorder” (NICE guideline [NG116], published on 05 December 2018)

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Which Practitioner?

It should be highlighted that there is a range of training and experience among therapy practitioners, who often integrate tools from different psychotherapeutic and counselling traditions in their practice. Practitioners usually propose an initial short consultation, often free, to assess the compatibility of their therapeutic techniques with your needs before therapy begins.

Access our dedicated pages on Counselling, Psychotherapies, Psychology, CBT, EMDR, Hypnotherapy and many more, starting here: https://www.bedfordconsultingrooms.com/therapies/

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Other Talking Therapies… find out more

We’ve covered these therapy types this time. Next time, we will explore in part 5 of the blog, some more of the other talking therapies offered by practitioners #AllUnderOurRoof at BCR. More instalments of the blog will follow.

←Which Talking Therapy is for me? (part 3)