Skills. Knowledge. Experience.
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy
Explores the intrapsychic connection between events in early life and current disturbances and distress. Particular attention is given to the developing relationship with the analyst / therapist as it is through this relation that the person is able to re-experience relationships from their early life and explore new ways of relating, freer of the characteristics that previously caused distress.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy
Explores the interpersonal relation between self and other/s with emphasis given over to the qualities of emotional attachments formed in early life, and how those objects and attachments have impressed upon us a view of the emotional world. By combining mentalization techniques with attachment-based thinking, psychodynamic work helps us make sense of our relationship with ourselves and others.
Cognitive / Behavioural psychotherapy
Based on empirical principles the person and the therapist work together to identify and understand problems in terms of the relationship between thoughts, feelings and adaptations of behaviour. These approaches often focus on difficulties in the here and now, and rely on the therapist and the person developing a shared view of the individual's adaptations to beliefs and behaviours.
Humanistic / Constructivist psychotherapy
Based on a conceptual frame that individuals socially construct their realities. These lenses are person-centred. For a person badly treated, the world may be seen as cruel or unreliable, whereas for one well treated, it may appear a good place. The first task in these approaches is to assist the person to clarify the meaning of narratives they use to represent the world to themselves and others.
Systemic Family psychotherapy
Based upon diverse resources drawn from cybernetics and systems theory to structuralism and narrativity, systemic thought evolved from an ecology of mind freed from undue recourse to individual psychopathology. Contemporary systemic thought relies heavily upon social constructionist thought – where meaning and realities, in the social realm, are seen to be co-constructed. Systemic therapy garners from a very broad corpus of literature concerned with how families, couples, children and groups are structured and function. Difference is seen as information, and information of difference is viewed as knowledge about a system. Therapy sessions use interventive questioning techniques to stimulate individuals, couples or family groups towards lasting change. Systemic thought is composed of many relational sub-disciplines, for example: structural therapy, strategic therapy, solution-focused therapy, Milan therapy, post-Milan therapy, emotionally focused therapy, narrative therapy and attachment-narrative therapy.
Trauma-informed psychotherapy
Drawing from an appreciation of the benefits of different therapeutic approaches and seeking to integrate each of the above different psychotherapeutic modalities when it might be necessary to do so. The trauma-informed therapeutic experience leads people towards a greater appreciation and use of rational thinking, increased tolerance of life's emotional experiences, increased self-awareness, behavioural regulation, containment, creativity and choice. Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) is used for overcoming trauma.
Clinical supervision
The BACP’s Ethical Framework defines supervision as: ‘A specialised form of mentoring provided for practitioners responsible for undertaking challenging work with people. Supervision is provided to ensure standards, enhance quality, advance learning, stimulate creativity, and support the sustainability and resilience of the work being undertaken.’ Supervision offers supervisees a reflective space in which to develop practice and so benefits client safety. All aspects of a clinician’s practice should be open to supervision.