Bespoke Therapeutic Approach

All too often people feel they need some form of therapy but don't know where to start. Psychological therapy is the application of scientific understanding of the human mind with the art of counselling and psychotherapy. A powerful, supportive, and effective treatment. The most effective treatment combines many different therapies to create a bespoke therapeutic approach:

• Client centred therapy
• Cognitive behavioural therapy
• Family therapy
• Psychodynamic therapy
• Gestalt therapy
• Personal construct therapy
• Transpersonal analysis
• Cognitive analytic therapy

This list is not meant to be exhaustive as there are many different types of therapies available particularly in cities like London. I will now explain very briefly about each type of therapy. This explanation is intended to be a brief explanation, it is not an in depth analysis.

Client centred therapy

This is based on the principle that the client knows what they need to become psychologically healthy, and self actualise ( become the best version of themselves). Client centred therapy is designed around the therapist really listening. Listening in order to understand the problem, and from the problem find the solution to facilitate the required changes. A key theoretical underpinning to client centred therapy is that the therapist is not the expert on the client, the client is.

As a therapist working in London I really value this client centred principle. The client remains the expert on themselves, and when they come to see me I help them to access this self awareness so that therapy with me really is an empowering experience. My therapy is also based on the therapeutic notion that the best way to understand a client's presenting issue is to listen to them talk about themselves, and their life, in the safe therapeutic context of my consulting room.

That said, I think therapy works best if it is client centred in principle, and approach, while simultaneously offering some scientifically proven healing therapeutic techniques.

Cognitive behavioural therapy

This therapy is based on the fact that our thoughts affect our behaviour, which in turn affects how we feel, which clearly affects how we think. A circle within our minds of continuously impacting thoughts, behaviours, and emotions. The therapy is designed around the concept that we have the most conscious control over how we think and behave. Therefore, this is where the therapeutic work should start. Cognitive behavioural therapy always starts with working on identifying thought patterns and really analysing internal thinking working models. Thereby maladaptive, unhealthy or irrational thoughts are identified. We also work to understand core thinking scripts, scripts about yourself and life that influence all of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. We then work to gain control of our thoughts and replace irrational thinking or scripts with healthier more rational and more self empowering styles. When a more positive sense of self is present in your thinking style, we then work on behaving in a way that reflects this more empowered thinking. This work on thought and behaviour should make you feel happier. CBT will result in healthier and happier: thoughts, choices, actions, and emotions.

Family therapy

However, therapy also needs to recognise that we are not simply products of ourselves as individuals but of our wider families, cultures, and experiences. This is why therapy with me will always be influenced by the principles of family therapy, even when working individually or as a couple. Family therapy really considers family scripts, and assumptions. We are all influenced by how we feel perceived by family and friends. All too often we assume we cannot change these scripts or influence how we are perceived, but we can. Therapy with me helps you to assertively and appropriately consider how you want to perceive yourself, and then function in such a way that reflects this identity and encourages others to recognise it to. You start to live the changes you crave. This can be helpful within the family context but also professionally, if you function with confidence and impact you are much more likely to be successful.

Psychodynamic therapy

In order to really consider the impact of familial scripts on one's developmental history, their past needs to be analysed in the sessions. This is why therapy with me, will always include some psychodynamic principles. These really reflect upon the impact of past experience on present. Psychodynamic work also considers the reality of the experience within therapy, focusing on how you feel in therapy as you discuss painful issues. This helps us to make therapy as healing a process as possible for you, but also gives more information on how you felt in the past. Feelings from the past will certainly be impacting upon your feelings in the present. In order to be happy now, we have to ensure you can move on from past sadness.

Gestalt therapy

Effective psychological treatment needs to simultaneously empower the client and listen to them. In order to be completing healing the therapy needs to consider, past, present and future as well as the impact of the client self- belief and their relationships with others. In other words the clients whole life experience needs to be perceived as a whole and not a series of fragments. The main point of Gestalt therapy is to treat the client as a whole and consider the impact of all these factors in a holistic non fragmented way. Gestalt therapy is a very useful influence in any form of integrated therapy.

Personal construct therapy

Focusing on the individual as a whole needs to include consideration of their personal constructs. Personal construct therapy really reflects on the individual's internal working models (Bowlby), which is basically the filter through which they perceive themselves and their surroundings. This is vital if the therapy is to help people make their views of themselves and their place in the world happier and healthier.

Transpersonal analysis

In order to feel happier we have to relate to others with assertiveness and happiness. This is why transpersonal therapeutic work is so important to successful therapy. Transpersonal analysis considers how people communicate from the standpoint of 3 main ego states. We can communicate to others as though we were a: child, (rebellious, or compliant), parent ( nurturing or authoritative), rational adult. It is this last ego state which encourages the most happiness. However, communicating as a rational adult is not always easy, especially if we don't feel particularly rational or assertive. This is where therapy helps.

This has been an incredibly brief overview of most therapeutic approaches, but hopefully it has stressed the importance of each of them. Incorporating the best of each approach makes my therapy powerful and effective. My therapy will always be designed and delivered to be in your best interests.

From my private practice in London I work with individuals, couples, and families in integrative therapy.

Confidentiality and meeting your aims in the most effective way are always prioritised in our therapy.

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