Types of Counselling

Group Therapy

Group therapy involves one or more therapists working with several people at the same time. It is often focused on a particular issue, such as anxiety, depression, or substance abuse. Participants can benefit from the shared experiences of group members, providing mutual support and encouragement. The dynamic of group therapy allows individuals to develop communication skills, self-awareness, and socialization techniques, contributing to their healing process.

Person-centred Therapy

Person-centred therapy, developed by Carl Rogers, emphasizes the importance of the individual's ability to develop in a conducive environment. It operates on the principle that individuals are inherently good and capable of self-awareness and self-directed growth. The therapist offers unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness, helping clients to understand their feelings and aiding them in finding their own solutions to their problems.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a relatively new, nontraditional type of psychotherapy that's growing in popularity, particularly for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It involves the patient recalling distressing experiences while receiving one of several types of bilateral sensory input, such as side-to-side eye movements or hand tapping. EMDR is thought to be effective because recalling distressing events is less emotionally upsetting when your attention is diverted, allowing the brain to reprocess the experience in a more adaptive way.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic therapy focuses on uncovering and understanding the unconscious motives that drive behaviours. This approach is based on the theories of Freud and others and seeks to delve into an individual’s past to uncover unresolved conflicts. It is a depth-oriented therapy aimed at bringing the unconscious into consciousness, helping individuals understand the roots of their emotional distress.

Art Therapy

Art therapy integrates psychotherapeutic techniques with the creative process to improve mental health and well-being. It allows individuals to express themselves through art-making, facilitating self-exploration and understanding. This form of therapy is used for a wide range of mental health conditions and situations as it transcends language barriers and taps into the non-verbal aspects of therapy.

Family Therapy

Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy that aims to resolve family issues through family counselling. In a safe space, family members explore their relationships with each other and work on communication and conflict-resolution skills. The therapy is based on the belief that problems exist between people, not within people, which means changing the family dynamics can resolve individual issues.

Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing is a counselling method that helps people resolve ambivalent feelings and insecurities to find the internal motivation they need to change their behaviour. It is a practical, empathetic, and short-term process that takes into consideration how difficult it is to make life changes.

Integrative Therapy

Integrative therapy, or integrative counselling, is a combined approach to psychotherapy that brings together different elements of specific therapies. Integrative therapists take the view that there is no single approach that can treat each client in all situations. Each person needs to be considered as a whole, and counselling techniques must be tailored to their individual needs and personal circumstances.

Substance Abuse Counseling

Substance abuse counselling is a comprehensive mental health treatment that addresses the facets of an individual’s addiction, including psychological, physical, and social aspects. Counsellors in this field work with clients to identify behaviours and problems related to their substance use. Through therapy, individuals learn coping strategies, gain insights into their behaviours, and develop recovery plans.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is a goal-directed collaborative approach to psychotherapeutic change that is conducted through direct observation of clients' responses to a series of precisely constructed questions. Based upon social constructionist thinking and Wittgensteinian philosophy, SFBT focuses on addressing what clients want to achieve without delving into the history of their problems. This approach is future-focused, and goal-oriented, and works on building solutions rather than dissecting problems.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)

Emotional Freedom Techniques, or EFT, is a form of counselling intervention that draws on various theories of alternative medicine including acupuncture, neuro-linguistic programming, energy medicine, and Thought Field Therapy. It is often referred to as "psychological acupressure" and uses fingertip tapping to apply pressure to specific energy points on the body while thinking about a particular problem or aiming for a particular emotional state.

Couples Therapy

Couples therapy is a type of psychotherapy in which a therapist with clinical experience working with couples, most often a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), helps two people involved in a romantic relationship gain insight into their relationship, resolve conflict and improve relationship satisfaction utilizing a variety of therapeutic interventions. Although the practice of couples therapy may vary depending on the therapist’s theoretical orientation, it is ideally a structured, time-limited form of treatment that identifies and treats specific problems within the relationship.