Therapies
One of the privileges of being psychological therapists is that we are uniquely trained and practice in a range of psychological theories and therapeutic models, allowing us to tailor therapy in a very bespoke way.
Here are some of the therapies we draw on. Depending on circumstances, we may use one model, or draw on multiple models. Our decisions are based on gold-standards in the research literature, and an assessment of your individual needs.
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Cognitive and Behavioural Approaches
There are a wide-range of CBT therapies. Most involve identifying patterns of beliefs (cognitions) and coping strategies (behaviours) that may be keeping problems stuck, and supporting families to experiment with new ways forward. Tends to be somewhat focussed on practical strategies in the 'here and now', though can benefit from looking at the past, and relationships too. CBT can be adapted to a wide range of difficulties, and can be good if you are looking for quite a pragmatic therapy.
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Trauma-Focussed Therapies
Building a foundation of safety and stabilisation, and systematically reprocessing the memories using Cognitive Therapy for PTSD (CT-PTSD) and Eye-Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). Depending on the situation and personal preference, this may or may not involve talking in depth about the traumatic event/s. These approaches can be used where trauma memories seem to be underlying the difficuties.
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Parent-Infant Psychotherapy
In Parent Infant Psychotherapy we are working with parent and baby to understand the patterns in the relationship (including those that may have been passed down through generations) and how this may be affecting their wellbeing. Sessions are gentle and often involve observing your baby’s behavior together, reflecting on what it might mean, and finding ways to respond more confidently. This therapy can help if you’re struggling to connect, worried about your baby’s emotions, or feeling overwhelmed.
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Narrative Therapy
Narrative Therapy explores the stories people develop about themselves and their experiences. During the perinatal period, difficult events can sometimes lead a parent to see themselves through the lens of fear, guilt, shame or failure. Narrative Therapy helps make sense of these stories with compassion, while reconnecting with strengths, values and a broader sense of identity.
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Relational Therapies
There are a range of therapies focussed on understanding patterns in your relationships with yourself and others, including Couples Therapy, Compassion-Focussed Therapy, and Interpersonal Therapy. These tend to look at relationships in the past and present, often including a focus on how we are communicating with ourselves (the inner voice), and with others. These can be good therapies if members of a family are looking to attend sessions individually, and work on difficulties such as self-criticism or anger.
Our Specialist Areas
We work across the range of perinatal difficulties and understand that experiences tend not to fit into neat boxes. The following list is not exhaustive and most often a person’s experience may sit across more than one category, however we hope it gives some idea of areas we support.
