Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a collaborative therapy that helps to identify and explore the link between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Often, unhelpful ‘vicious’ thought cycles develop, which serve to maintain your problem(s). CBT mainly focuses on the ‘here and now;’ while past events and experiences will be considered during therapy, overcoming current difficulties are at the root of the sessions. Working with your therapist, you will use CBT to help change unhelpful behaviors, thinking patterns, or both of these. This approach will also help you to develop practical self-help strategies to manage and reduce your current difficulties.
You can learn more about CBT here:
Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT)
CAT is an integrative therapy that draws upon different psychological models and theories. This combined approach results in an individualized therapy with an emphasis on the therapeutic relationship and working together to make sense of the difficulties you are experiencing. CAT helps to identify current problems and explores their origins, often about your early life experiences and relationships. This approach develops your understanding of learned roles and unhelpful patterns of relating to yourself and others. During therapy, ‘exits’ from these current patterns are created that explore how to make positive changes in the present and also move forward following therapy.
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Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is an integrative therapy that uses a mix of techniques such as CBT and mindfulness-based approaches. DBT explores and makes sense of dialectics (opposing beliefs) that often result in people feeling ‘stuck.’ A common dialectic discussed in DBT relates to accepting yourself as you are while also considering how to change to improve your wellbeing. One of the core aims for DBT is to help you better understand and cope with emotions often found to be overwhelming. DBT utilizes a variety of techniques to help balance opposing views, reduce overwhelming distress, and develop skills to achieve a ‘life worth living.’
You can learn more about DBT here:
Narrative Therapy
Narrative Therapy is a respectful and non-pathologizing therapy. It views the person as separate from the problem and helps to identify ways to reduce the impact, the problem has on your life. Narrative Therapy is collaborative and creative approach, with therapeutic conversations guided by you and what you need. Together, you and your therapist will explore stories about your life, their meaning, and the impact they have had. These conversations will include positive stories and difficult stories you have experienced, and will also explore alternative stories where the problem’s influence has been reduced.
You can learn more about Narrative Therapy here:
Solution Focused Therapy (SFT)
SFT is a goal-focused and solution-building approach that focuses on your future hopes rather than exploring your problems and how they have developed. SFT will help you to consider your current strengths and the successes you have had in reducing the impact of the problem(s). SFT aims to help you feel more hopeful about the future. During therapy, you will be encouraged to focus on your ‘preferred future’ and supported to strengthen the strategies you have to ensure you achieve your goals.
You can learn more about SFT here:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT is a form of cognitive behavior therapy that utilizes a number of different techniques to enhance psychological wellbeing. Key messages in ACT relate to accepting what cannot be changed and committing to action to make a life worth living. The objective of ACT is not to eliminate or alter difficult feelings but instead encourage people to develop a more accepting and compassionate relationship with their experiences. Mindfulness techniques are an integral part of ACT and help to be present with the moment and promote more awareness and control over negative thoughts and feelings.
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