Types of Therapy We Use
At TG Psychology we understand and respect that everybody is different. Our psychologists are trained in a range of different psychological therapy styles and are able to adapt the techniques from these to meet your specific needs and circumstances. Please see below for a list of the main therapeutic styles we use.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a widely used therapy style, in which your psychologist will help you to recognise, and modify, any unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaving that contribute to your emotional difficulties. CBT is a practical, systematic and goal-oriented approach, which has consistently been found to be a highly effective treatment for a wide range of issues, including: depression, anxiety, substance abuse, personality disorders and eating disorders, to name just a few.
In CBT you will learn to identify, challenge and replace negative, unhelpful thoughts and beliefs with more realistic and helpful ones. You will also learn to recognise and replace the behaviours that contribute to your difficulties, in order to bring about enduring, positive changes in your life.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT is a therapeutic approach in which you will learn to recognise and accept things that are out of your personal control, and to commit to actions which improve and enrich your life. Your psychologist will be able to teach you a range of strategies to help you effectively distance yourself from painful thoughts and feelings.
One of the most important skills you will learn is mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of deliberately focusing your attention on the present moment, noticing your feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations. It is particularly useful skill to learn if you spend a lot of time worrying unproductively about things in the future, or ruminating over things that have happened in your past.
In ACT significant emphasis is placed on values. Your psychologist will help you to clarify the things that are truly important to you and then use that knowledge to inspire and motivate you to make changes in your life that are consistent with those values.
Schema Focused Therapy (SFT)
SFT is used to help you to identify and challenge negative and self-defeating beliefs about yourself, others and the future, (known as schemas). Your psychologist will help you to recognise how these prevent you from achieving your goals, or getting your needs met in your interpersonal relationships. Examples of self-defeating schemas include “I’m unlovable”, “People will abandon me”, “people will mistreat me” or “I’m a failure”. Often such thinking styles have their origins in our childhood and are reinforced repeatedly throughout our lives.
In SFT your psychologist will help you to reconnect with the underlying feelings associated with your self-defeating beliefs, and to recognise more unhelpful ways of coping.
Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
SFBT is a practical and relatively brief style of therapy which emphasises identifying, and working towards realistic solutions to current life issues. It has been found to be particularly helpful in reducing the emotional pain associated with interpersonal difficulties in families, couples and workplace environments.
Your psychologist will ask you imagine, in detail, how your life would be different if the current problems suddenly no longer existed. This will enable you to generate potential solutions, with clear and concise goals. These can then be broken down into smaller, more immediately achievable steps, increasing motivation and hope for the future.
Your psychologist may also ask you to reflect on how you have solved problems in the past, helping you to recognise skills, abilities and resources you may have found helpful before. This process can also highlight new skills that you may find helpful to acquire, such as: interpersonal skills like assertiveness and active listening, or conflict resolution and emotion regulation skills.
