Therapies
At Psychology Therapy Practice, we offer comprehensive assessment and therapy services both online and in person. Our goal is to work collaboratively with you to explore the roots of your challenges and help you manage them more effectively. Our clinical psychologists utilize evidence-based approaches and a range of therapeutic models tailored to your individual needs. By learning to step back from your difficulties, you can discover new choices that may lead to significant life changes.
Our Therapy Services
Online Therapy
Face-to-Face Therapy
We provide online therapy sessions via Zoom, the most secure video conferencing platform available in the UK.
This allows you to receive therapy from the comfort of your home.
For those preferring in-person sessions, we offer therapy at our Petersfield clinic:
The School Master’s House, 39 College Street, Petersfield, GU31 4AG.
To make an appointment, please fill in our contact form below, email us, or call. We will respond within 48 hours.
Types of Therapies
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is defined as being present in the moment and paying attention to yourself and your surroundings. It aims to help you maintain a moment-by-moment awareness of your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and the surrounding environment. Mindfulness allows us to re-align with our own sensations, thoughts, and feelings. One of the key advocates of mindfulness as a therapeutic approach, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, describes mindfulness using the metaphor of tuning an instrument before playing it. Experiencing the moment recharges us and allows us to reconnect with our being, enabling us to face life with a refreshed outlook.
Rooted in ancient Buddhist principles, mindfulness has been practiced for centuries. However, spirituality is not necessary for its practice. Its effectiveness against a range of clinical problems such as stress, anxiety, depression, and even physical illnesses has been empirically demonstrated in recent decades. Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Although mindfulness does not seek to actively change the environment, it allows us to control our perspective and accept matters that may otherwise cause great discomfort. Many people can benefit from mindfulness, including those with low mood, anxiety disorders, PTSD, low self-esteem, stress, life transitions, anger, insomnia, and loneliness.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), founded by Aaron Beck, is a structured and goal-oriented form of psychotherapy that focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns, behaviors, and emotions. This evidence-based approach helps individuals address a wide range of psychological issues by establishing specific goals and creating a detailed treatment plan. Working collaboratively with a psychologist, individuals engage in a problem-solving methodology that teaches them to react more positively to situations that trigger problematic behaviors. Key techniques in CBT include changing thinking patterns by identifying and challenging distorted or negative thoughts, eliminating negative self-talk, and incorporating mindfulness to increase present-moment awareness and emotional regulation.
CBT is effective in treating various psychological issues, including depression, anxiety disorders, panic, PTSD, OCD, self-esteem issues, stress, phobias, anger, insomnia, and work-related problems. By learning new strategies to change their behaviors and reactions, individuals can achieve significant improvements in their psychological well-being and overall quality of life. The therapy is tailored to meet each person’s unique needs, ensuring that the interventions are both relevant and effective. Through this collaborative and structured approach, CBT empowers individuals to take control of their mental health and make lasting positive changes.
Schema Therapy
Schema Therapy is an integrative approach that combines cognitive-behavioral, experiential, interpersonal, and psychoanalytic therapies into a unified model. Developed by Dr. Jeff Young, Schema Therapy has shown significant success in helping individuals change long-standing negative patterns, even when other methods have failed. Unlike cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which focuses on changing reactions and behaviors, schema therapy emphasizes understanding how early childhood experiences shape current behavioral patterns. Dr. Young, who initially collaborated with Dr. Aaron Beck, identified a need for a different intervention for those who did not benefit from standard CBT. These individuals often had deep-seated patterns or themes in thinking, feeling, and behaving, known as “schemas” or “lifetraps,” that required addressing.
Schema Therapy consists of three stages. The first is the assessment phase, where schemas are identified through initial sessions and questionnaires. Next is the emotional awareness and experiential phase, where patients learn to recognize and understand their schemas in daily life. Techniques like guided imagery help patients recall difficult childhood memories and identify associated feelings in current situations. The final stage is behavioral change, where clients actively replace negative thoughts and behaviors with healthy alternatives. Schema diaries can be used to track experiences between sessions. Many people can benefit from Schema Therapy, especially those who feel stuck despite trying other therapies and those with relationship difficulties and long-standing behavioral patterns. This therapy offers a comprehensive framework for addressing deep-rooted psychological issues, promoting lasting positive change, and improving overall well-being.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping individuals make the most of their potential for a full, happy, and rewarding life. At its core is the principle of learning to accept the things that cannot be controlled and committing to actions that will actively improve one’s life. It is normal to encounter difficult or distressing aspects of life, but trying to avoid them to minimize upset can lead to an unhealthy cycle and poor outcomes. ACT aims to help people create a rich, full, and meaningful life while effectively handling the pain and stress that life inevitably brings. By teaching psychological skills to deal with painful thoughts and feelings in a way that reduces their impact and influence, ACT empowers individuals to live more freely. Additionally, ACT assists individuals in clarifying what is truly important and meaningful to them—their values—and using that knowledge to guide, inspire, and motivate positive life changes. This dual focus on acceptance and commitment ensures that individuals can navigate life’s challenges without being overwhelmed by them.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy emphasizes acceptance, helping individuals address and change negative thoughts, feelings, symptoms, or circumstances while fostering a greater commitment to healthy, constructive activities that uphold personal values. This approach does not aim to eliminate difficult experiences but rather to change the way individuals relate to them, reducing their power and enhancing one’s ability to live a values-driven life. Many people can benefit from ACT, including those who feel stuck in an unhelpful rut and want to learn how to move forward. By embracing ACT, individuals can break free from unproductive cycles and engage in life more fully, leading to a more satisfying and meaningful existence. Whether dealing with chronic pain, anxiety, depression, or everyday stress, ACT provides a robust framework for improving mental well-being and fostering resilience in the face of life’s inevitable difficulties. By integrating ACT into your therapeutic practice, you can help clients achieve lasting positive change and a higher quality of life.
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) integrates elements of cognitive behavioral therapy with insights from various fields, including neuroscience, Buddhist psychology, and evolutionary psychology, to help patients cultivate compassion. CFT is grounded in the understanding of basic emotion regulation systems: the threat and self-protection system, the drive and excitement system, and the contentment and social safeness system. This therapeutic approach aims to promote mental and emotional healing by encouraging individuals to be compassionate toward themselves and others.
Viewing the world and ourselves through a lens of compassion enables us to change difficult behavioral patterns related to negative thoughts and feelings into more positive ones. These negative thoughts and feelings can include a sense of shame, anger, or self-criticism. For instance, when we label ourselves as “stupid” or “lazy” for not achieving goals as quickly or easily as we would like, we reinforce a negative worldview that hinders our ability to make positive changes. People who struggle with self-compassion often find it challenging to feel compassion for others, impacting their ability to form and maintain healthy relationships. CFT can help individuals with various difficulties, including depression, anxiety, panic, perfectionism, high self-criticism, low self-esteem/shame, and traumatic stress.
Contact Us
Fill out this form for a free 30 minute phone consultation.
During the free 30 minute telephone consultation we will discuss what you would like from therapy and I can answer any questions you have.
If you call and I’m not able to answer please leave a voicemail.
Telephone Number:
07943469134
Email:
[email protected]
Address:
SchoolMaster’s House, 39 College St, Petersfield GU31 4AG, UK