Talking Therapies at Newcastle Psychologist

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

In Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) the therapist and client work together to interrupt negative thoughts, feelings and behaviour cycles that cause distress.

CBT is a structured approach and aimed at a particular problem. Intervention can be fairly brief or take place over a longer period (2-20 sessions) depending on the nature of the problem.

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy has strong evidence for effectiveness and the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends CBT for depression, anxiety, panic, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) among other problems.

Solution Focused Therapy

Solution focused therapy looks at the differences in situation and behaviour when the problem both is and isn’t present.

This enables the client and therapist to work together to identify triggers, behaviours and patterns that increase the problem and solutions to reduce the problem. From there, the therapist and client can develop a plan to do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

Solution focused therapy is a therapy in itself though can also be used in conjunction with other approaches. It is particularly helpful for difficulties such as depression, anxiety, relationship problems, and anger-related difficulties.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy that focuses on helping people live full and meaningful lives in spite of the pain, suffering and stress that often occurs.

It teaches skills to deal with difficult thoughts, feelings and physical sensations (including pain) to live a full and meaningful life in spite of ongoing difficulty.

With ACT, people often learn to minimise the impact of their problem if it cannot be changed (such as chronic pain), and to develop flexibility in their thinking, unstick from unhelpful thinking patterns as well as making changes to increase pleasure and meaning in life.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness and Mindfulness Meditation helps to manage difficult thoughts and feelings through meditation and developing awareness of your thoughts, feelings and behaviours in everyday life. This can help you learn to develop choice in how to respond and to live in the moment.

It involves learning to refocus and retrain the part of the cognitive process that causes us to accept and believe negative thoughts. Mindfulness has been recommended by NICE for people with recurrent depression and is helpful in relapse prevention.

It has also been used effectively with a range of other difficulties such as pain, anxiety, and stress.

Couples Counselling and Family Therapy

Couples counselling and Family therapy both focus on the problems that occur within families, couples and relationships. Sometimes it can also be a helpful approach in supporting parents whose child is going through therapy or children’s counselling.

Family, relationship and couples therapy help to explore and settle differences and conflict. It focuses on helping people to feel heard and understood, reducing breaks in trust and helping families/relationships move on from difficulties.

You don’t have to bring your whole family to counselling or therapy, and all issues are discussed in a confidential and non-judgemental way.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)

CBT-I is a specialist form of cognitive-behavioural therapy that helps clients develop better sleeping patterns and reset their sleep mechanism for better sleep. This approach has been proven to work for recent and insomnia that has been present for years.

Techniques might involve using sleep diaries to monitor progress and spot patterns, modifying elements of the bedroom, developing better sleep routines, and learning techniques to stop your racing mind.

CBT-I is particularly helpful for difficulties related to falling asleep (insomnia), night time or early morning waking, and stopping nightmares.

Counselling

Counselling is based on helping people cope with past or current difficulties without the need for a fully structured therapy.

The active ingredient in counselling is often the enhanced processing and support that comes from talking through problems or difficulties. Problems helped by counselling include anger management, bereavement or loss, stress and anxiety (including work based or relationship stress), adjustment to illness, and making sense of difficult experiences.

Counselling is also suitable for those seeking emotional support, rather than therapy, during a difficult time. Counselling is available for children, adults and couples.

Eye Movement Desensitation and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is based on models of neuroscience and psychotherapy, including Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

EMDR techniques include eye movements, hand tapping, and/or audio stimulation to unblock processing that has been stuck due to distress or trauma (including PTSD) Through EMDR you can begin to heal from the fear, pain and repeated memories associated with trauma and emotional distress.

Additionally, EMDR may allow you to gain improved self-esteem and enhance your personal beliefs about your capabilities.

Psychosexual Therapy

The aim of psychosexual therapy is to help you overcome and manage intimacy problems that might be causing difficulty in your relationships or sex life.

Psychosexual Therapy integrates elements of several approaches (such as psychotherapy and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy) to provide a professional therapy to help you overcome your difficulty. Your therapy might involve identifying any stress, anxiety & other problems that might be affecting, learning to understand physiology and the sexual response and techniques to help stop negative thoughts about sex before and during.

Whatever your gender, sexual orientation or relationship status, psychosexual therapy can support you to work through your problem as an individual or with a partner.