Therapy
How can therapy help me?
Most of us will experience times in our lives when we need support. You may feel overwhelmed, lost, stuck or as though you are not right in yourself. You may have noticed that you feel particularly anxious or low in mood. Maybe you find yourself preoccupied by unresolved past experiences and losses, which are intruding into your present life. You may be struggling with significant pressures and stresses at work or in your home life. Maybe you have noticed that some of your behaviours feel harmful or destructive. Any of these would be good reasons to seek out therapeutic support.
Therapy can provide a non-judgemental, emotionally safe and confidential space to help you explore your problems and gain insight into the way you feel and behave. Your therapist will have no agenda other than your support and emotional wellbeing and seeking support from someone outside your circle of family and friends can mean it feels easier to open up and be honest. Therapy can help you to deepen your awareness of who you are and better understand your relationships with family, friends, colleagues and romantic partners. Engaging in therapeutic work can also enable you to reflect on the challenges you are currently facing and to either find a way to resolve them, or to accept them and move forward.
What to expect
After you have sent a message via the contact page, we will get in touch to offer an initial phone call to discuss your availability and main concerns. This is an opportunity for you to ask any questions or discuss any fears you may have around beginning therapy. After this we will arrange the first session.
The first session will be an initial assessment session, which will allow you and your therapist to talk through your current needs and reasons for attending therapy. At the Belgravia Psychology Practice, we understand that meeting a therapist for the first time can be a daunting experience, as it means allowing yourself to be vulnerable and open up about experiences which may be painful or distressing. We acknowledge the courage it takes to begin this process and your therapist will do their best to put you at your ease. You will also discuss which model of therapy might work best for you and whether short term or long term therapy might be most appropriate to address your needs.
It is essential that you feel comfortable with the person you choose as your therapist, so an important part of this initial session will be for you to determine whether you are a good fit as therapist and client and whether you both think that working together will be helpful for you.
There is no obligation beyond this first session, so if you feel that you and your therapist are not a good fit or that on reflection this is not the right time for you to engage in therapy and you no longer wish to attend, then this is entirely fine and you can let us know via email.
Person-Centered Therapy
Person-Centered Therapy is a humanistic approach that can help you to reconnect with your inner values and sense of self-worth and foster self-belief and self-compassion. This process facilitates self-understanding, self-acceptance, healing and positive growth. This approach can very particularly useful for those experiencing difficulties related to anxiety, low mood, bereavement, stress or abuse.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a more structured approach that explores negative thinking patterns and can help you recognise links between your thoughts, emotions and actions. Challenging these unhelpful thinking patterns can enable us to change the behaviour that may be maintaining the problem. This approach can be particularly useful for managing anxiety, depression, addiction and eating issues.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
The aim of ACT is to learn to embrace your thoughts and feelings, rather than avoiding, denying or feeling guilty for them. Through exploring your values, this approach can allow you to move forward by making choices in line with those values. This approach can be effective for those going through a period of adjustment, managing long term health conditions and anxiety.
COMPASSION FOCUSSED THERAPY (CFT)
CFT aims to facilitate growth and healing by supporting you to be compassionate towards yourself and others. CFT works from the belief that compassion is vital for developing emotional wellbeing and uses specific techniques to foster a sense of self-appreciation, balance and boundaries. This approach can be useful for those with low self-esteem and anxiety.
PSYCHODYNAMIC THERAPY
The Psychodynamic approach works from the understanding that we inherit patterns of thinking and behaviour from our families and that when we are children we develop our emotional reactions to various situations and our ways of coping. By exploring these early experiences, Psychodynamic therapy aims to understanding your current patterns of thinking and behaviours.
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is a therapeutic technique that aims to help you focus in the present moment, and to recognise and accept thoughts feelings and physical sensations. This approach focuses on linking the psychological work with the body and breath, aiming to help you feel more connected and taking a holistic approach to wellbeing. This approach can be useful for a variety of different presentations.