Theorectical Approaches
Psychodynamic
The aim of psychodynamic therapy is to bring the unconscious mind into consciousness. Psychodynamic therapy can be used to help clients recognise, experience and understand their true feelings to help them understand how they are being affected today. It is based on the idea that we hide painful experiences and memories in the subconscious, and then create defence mechanisms such as denial and projections to avoid having to face them.
Person-centred
This is a humanistic approach to therapy that believes we each have the ability to reach our full potential given the right conditions. Person-centred therapy is led by the client, with the therapist helping the client to explore their own issues, feelings, behaviours, beliefs and worldview, to allow the client to become more self-aware. To help clients achieve this awareness, therapists provide:
- Unconditional positive regard
- Honesty and transparency in how they experience you and your world
- Empathetic understanding
Internal Family Systems
This is a way of understanding our Self and our parts to understand that all parts of us have good intentions and that whatever ways they have developed to cope and manage, their ultimate aim is of protection and safety. Sometimes parts of us have found ways that may initially appear detrimental, such as addictive behaviours, angry outbursts or avoidance etc., however with curiosity and compassion we find that these ways of coping tend to have developed when we were very young to help us manage and exist in the world and in our environment and in relationship with others. IFS is a very gentle and compassionate way of working that can enrich and widen your ability to feel like ‘you’.
Somatic
Sometimes known as body therapy, somatic therapy places emphasis on what we experience in both the mind and the body, as well as the connection between the two. Somatic therapists explore how emotions appear in the body believing traumatic events and unresolved emotions can become trapped in the body. Somatic therapists help clients to release these damaging or overwhelming emotions using a variety of mind-body techniques.