Our Services
Rather than trying to fit everyone we work with into the same box, we prefer to fit the therapy to the person. This attitude helps us to perceive our clients as unique individuals and to focus our attention on their real needs, and not on agendas dictated by any theoretical frames or diagnostic labels. We are firm believers that you do not need to be in therapy for years. Working at a pace that suits you, it is our job to empower you to overcome your difficulties and handle things differently; so that in the end you have the knowledge and skills to deal with the things that used to trip you up.
WHAT WE OFFER TO OUR CLIENTS
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is based on evidence of what works. As a treatment it has been subject to rigorous applied research and major research reviews over decades and has been shown to be the most effective treatment for a range of common psychological and emotional difficulties. For these reasons it is the treatment of choice approved by the government’s official health watchdog the National Institute of Clinical Health Excellence (NICE).
CBT is a practical, ‘solution-based’ treatment that helps you to identify irrational thoughts, assumptions and beliefs and learn how to challenge them. Further, you are guided through the process of replacing them with more reasonable thoughts, which will give rise to more positive emotions, and healthy behaviours.
If you suffer from anxiety or depression you are likely to experience persistent negative or self-critical thoughts. These thoughts can be overwhelming and can aggravate a problem that you’re already struggling to deal with. Among most common critical thoughts are “you’re not good enough”, “you’ll make a fool of yourself”, “this is all your own fault”. These thoughts hold you back from taking actions in your life. Avoidance usually leads to ‘bottling out’ negative emotions, and it reinforces your sense of failure.
CBT tends to be of shorter duration than some other talking therapies. Typical course of treatment may involve between five and 20 hour-long weekly sessions, depending on the severity and the complexity of the problem. It is not a quick-fix, however. As every other form of psychotherapy, in order to be successful, it requires a lot of motivation, commitment and work. CBT works best for people who can identify the main problem they want help with. If you don’t have troubling symptoms, and instead feel vaguely unhappy or unfulfilled, more general psychotherapy may be more suitable for you.
- Groups allow people to express themselves in front of others without feeling judged
- Groups allow participants to develop skills of altruism and compassion
- Groups help in the sharing of knowledge
- They encourage people to develop an understanding, through observation of how adverse past experience may have impacted on their function
- Groups may enhance social interactions
- Patients can model healthy behaviours and healthy attachments
- Participants may be encouraged to own their feelings, learn from each other and develop better understanding of how they interact
What Can You Expect?
I currently offer three different kinds of therapy groups which are designed to target specific problems, namely depression, anxiety, and anger. Group therapy sessions are composed of four to 9 people and typically, meet for an hour and a half each week. Both depression and anxiety therapy groups are open groups which means that new members can join at any time. Anger Management group is a closed 8-week group – all members begin the group at the same time.
Groups are currently offered at a low cost. You can also pay for your groups through your private insurance provider. I accept clients with private insurance from: Aviva, AXA PPPHealthcare, Simplyhealth, PruHealth, Cigna, Vitality
In some cases people attend individual therapy in addition to groups, while others participate in groups only. Participating in both types of psychotherapy can boost your chances of making valuable, lasting changes. If you’ve been involved in individual psychotherapy and your progress has stalled, joining a group may jump-start your personal growth.
If you would like to join the group therapy for depression, the group therapy for anxiety, or to sign up for the next edition of the Anger Management group please contact me for further details.
How much should I share?
Confidentiality is an important part of the ground rules for group therapy. Participants are invited to share their personal stories and groups work best where there is open and honest communication between members. Even though group members will start out as strangers, in a short amount of time, they’ll most likely view others as a valuable and trusted source of support.
In psychotherapy I help my clients to establish links between their past and the present in order to identify relationship patterns in the current, past and future. Each person learns how to be aware of their feelings towards others and understand the meanings and importance behind their interactions and experiences. As well as identifying patterns from the past, in the process of therapy I use techniques that focus on gaining an awareness of emotions and behaviours in the present moment. These can range from cognitive analysis, Socratic questioning, empty chair work, to more specific techniques, such as, dream analysis. I work together with my client to help them understand their inner conflicts, and to help them improve the quality of the relationship they have with themselves and other people around them.
Anger Management therapy can be delivered in both group and individual therapy setting. It is the process of learning to recognise signs that you are becoming angry, and taking action to calm down and deal with the situation in a positive and constructive way. At the same time, Anger Management therapy is equally suitable for those people who have difficulty showing anger, who avoid confrontation and cannot stand up for themselves; those who assume the blame for their feelings of anger and experience guilt and shame instead.
Anger Management therapy includes several steps. In cases of anger prone clients the first step is to help you recognise what makes you angry (triggers or catalysts for anger). Here the following questions about your anger are usually very helpful: “What type of people or situations make me angry?”, “What do I do when I am angry?”, and “How does my anger affect others around me?”. Next part is to teach you how to best respond to these triggers without being aggressive. You achieve this by learning specific skills to help you manage triggers for anger effectively. The next step is a cognitive restructuring process which helps you to identify irrational patterns of your thinking which often lead to emotional outbursts. This is followed by relaxation techniques and Mindfulness training to teach you how to how to stay calm and be peaceful when you feel a surge of anger. Finally, the therapist helps you to learn some problem-solving techniques. Solving problems can make you feel empowered and will reduce the risk of triggering anger or frustration.
In cases when people struggle with expressing anger the most important part of therapy is learning how to trust and express anger, the consequences of “bottling up anger” and healthy ways of expressing anger. Such clients are invited to consider the fact that they are not responsible for how another person feels. People emotionally react to things according to their own personal thoughts and perceptions. Plus, they are responsible for the way they express themselves. they are shown how emotions are not “right” or “wrong.” Emotions arise according to our assumptions about how things are. Our assumptions may be mistaken or skewed, but our emotions will always be true to our assumptions. It is our assumptions that we must question. At the same time early life circumstances are explored. If anger was used as a weapon of fear or manipulation by your caregivers, the anger was misused. This does not mean anger is negative. The main message of the therapy process is that you have as much right to your feelings and emotions, including anger, as anyone else.
Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment—and accepting it without judgment. Mindfulness is now being examined scientifically and has been found to be a key element in happiness. It is a set of techniques that help shift your thoughts away from your usual preoccupations toward an appreciation of the moment and a larger perspective on life. The practice of mindfulness helps people to not to get caught up in worries about the future or regrets over the past, and to be less preoccupied with concerns about success and self-esteem. You are better able to form deep connections with others which contributes to a satisfied life. The practice of mindfulness may be conducted separately, or in conjunction with the process of psychotherapy.
Relationship Therapy Can Help You
In Couples Therapy the therapist helps a couple to build a psychological understanding of themselves, to recognise problems and to work together to effect change. Many different kinds of issues can bring a couple to counselling. Sometimes outside events, such as, a sudden redundancy, heath scare or a new baby can be very distressing and can destabilise even secure relationships. Relationship therapy at The Ark can benefit couples with a wide range of relationship problems. Among them are:
- Difficulty communicating / different communication styles.
- Fear of commitment, for instance, when a couple are together but find it difficult to agree on whether to marry or not, and whether to have children.
- Difficulty managing conflicts, for instance resorting to unproductive, frequent rowing / violence.
- Changes in their relationship triggered by the arrival of children and sense of being overwhelmed by this.
- Difficulties in parenting – difficulties managing children behaviour, or difficulty with agreeing on a parental style may lead to a couple may finding themselves constantly at odds and stressed. This is very likely to have an adverse effect on the quality of their relationship.
- Difficulty coping with a termination or miscarriage – such events can sometimes have devastating psychological effects on a relationship.
- A variety of sexual problems, including one/both partners having lost interest.
- Feeling stuck – when it seems the same pattern of behaviour, a discussion occurs frequently happening, and does not seem to be solving problems.
- The psychological impact of an affair – helping a couple to process very raw and powerful emotions resulting from this.
- Infertility and adoption issues.
- Dealing with the psychological impact of chronic or terminal illness in a family.
- Deciding whether or not to separate, for example where children are involved.
- The impact psychological impact of retirement on a couple.
How does Couples Therapy work?
There are several approaches to working with couples. Some of them, CBT for instance, are more structured, and oriented towards discussing thought patterns/beliefs, and finding coping skills. Other approaches, Gestalt therapy for instance, are less structured and focus on couple’s emotions and shared values. In our clinic the practitioner will use one, or more of such approaches. It will depend on what’s best for you and your partner. Our therapist will conduct an initial assessment and tailor the therapy according to your needs. The initial assessment will focus on evaluating your relationship and finding a way to address potentially difficult topics without conflict.
Relationship Therapy for Individuals
Couples therapy is also effective for individuals. It is a common practice that only one partner is ready to explore the difficulties within a relationship. In such cases we can work on problems such as:
- Feeling lonely / unfulfilled / bored despite being in a relationship.
- Feeling stuck in a relationship that seems unhealthy, depressing or destructive.
- Struggling with maintaining stable relationships.
- Feeling frustrated with a partner who is unwilling or unable to change, or to attend couples therapy.
- Discussing aspects of your relationship that you prefer not to discuss with your partner in person.
- Dealing with grief and other difficult emotions after losing your partner through separation, divorce or death.
In such situation, the therapist provides a safe setting to explore painful or distressing issues in a constructive way. Such process is different from talking to a friend because the therapist has been trained to understand and talk about the psychological mechanisms underlying the problem. In many cases our trusted friends or relatives might not understand or know how to respond to what we shear with them.
The therapist will help you to identify patterns of behaviour connected to feelings and worries in your relationship. If necessary, this may be followed by the analysis of more deeply rooted problems, such as patterns of behaviour from childhood. As you begin to understand your own psychology, and your circumstances better, you will be more able to decide for yourself what to do to bring about change.
Spirituality becomes more and more important in many people’s lives, particularly as they grow up and mature. As we get older, we may begin to question the spiritual beliefs that we were taught as a child, and strike out to solidify our own set of beliefs. Also as we get older, we may find that we’ve gotten lost as we tread down our spiritual path and find ourselves in need of guidance. Although the term “spiritual therapy” might bring to mind images of bible toting priests or meditating yoga masters, I don’t follow one specific religious or spiritual path, like Christianity or Buddhism. Instead, I incorporate the teachings of several different religions or spiritual traditions into my spiritual therapy practice.
For some, spirituality does not relate to any kind of belief, but relates more to how they live their life, and their outlook on the world. It can be a path that will lead them towards an awareness of themselves that transcends the day-to-day problems, circumstances, and attitudes. The main goal of Spiritual Psychotherapy is to open the heart and develop the capacity to experience compassion. Spirituality involves experiences of a deeper sense of meaning and purpose in life, and a sense of belonging and a connection with other people and the world. Spirituality can help to achieve inner peace and happiness.
At the same time, existential questions related to freedom and the search for meaning inevitably open up spiritual issues. Whenever a person faces an existential crisis or a close encounter with death, spiritual concerns tend to surface. Thus spiritual psychotherapy addresses such life’s deepest questions and has to profoundly change a person’s core values and beliefs. In the process of Spiritual Psychotherapy the focus is not on discipline and obedience to the therapist/teacher, but on purification of intentions, sincerity of heart, and forgiveness. Such therapeutic work can be accompanied by the activity that reinforces individuality, personal choice, and ego strength as essential basis of true selflessness. Spiritual Psychotherapy is where spiritual discipline meets personal responsibility, and is based on the premise that the demands of our living conditions in the world give us the necessary material for our spiritual development.