My Approaches
Third wave therapies to enhance the therapy process
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I use a variety of therapeutic interventions within my therapy work with clients. I have completed training in Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) and have training and experience of working with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT).
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
ACT, or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on helping individuals accept their thoughts and feelings rather than fighting against them. The goal is to help people live more meaningful lives by focusing on what truly matters to them, even in the face of difficult emotions.
In ACT, the emphasis is on "acceptance" (letting go of the struggle with distressing thoughts and feelings) and "commitment" (taking action toward values-based goals). It encourages psychological flexibility, which means being able to adapt to situations and live in a way that aligns with your values, despite challenges.
ACT combines mindfulness, behavioural changes, and strategies for creating psychological distance from negative thoughts. The therapy uses six core processes:
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1. Cognitive defusion: Learning to separate yourself from your thoughts, rather than identifying with them.
2. Acceptance: Embracing difficult emotions instead of avoiding or suppressing them.
3. Present moment awareness: Focusing on the here and now, instead of ruminating on the past or worrying about the future.
4. Self-as-context: Understanding yourself as an observer of your thoughts, not defined by them.
5. Values clarification: Identifying what truly matters to you in life.
6. Committed action: Taking steps to align your behaviour with your values.
I use ACT skills in my therapy work with individuals to help with building tolerance for uncomfortable emotions and experiences. These include varying presentations of anxiety, panic, low motivation, chronic fatigue, pain and low confidence, to name a few. By helping individuals tolerate such experiences it helps empower them to pursue the goals important to them in line with their values to bring about purpose, meaning, improve their wellbeing and bring about lasting change, even in the face of difficulties.
Click here to find out more about ACT. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy | Psychology Today United Kingdom
DBT Informed Therapy
DBT stands for Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, which is a type of psychotherapy that was developed by psychologist Marsha Linehan in the 1980s. It was originally designed to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD), but it has since been adapted for a range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders.
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DBT combines traditional cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques with concepts of mindfulness and acceptance. It focuses on helping individuals manage intense emotions, improve relationships, and develop coping strategies. The "dialectical" part refers to the idea of balancing two opposing forces: acceptance and change.
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The therapy involves four main components:
1. Mindfulness – Learning to stay in the present moment and observe thoughts and feelings without judgment.
2. Distress Tolerance – Building skills to cope with emotional distress without resorting to harmful behaviours.
3. Emotional Regulation – Learning to manage and change intense emotions in healthier ways.
4. Interpersonal Effectiveness – Improving communication and relationship-building skills to manage conflicts and assert needs.
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I use DBT skills in my therapy work with individuals to help with a variety of challenges. I use mindfulness skills to help with initially developing awareness of emotions before then helping clients learn and develop distress tolerance skills, emotion regulation skills and interpersonal effectiveness skills for improving communication within relationships.
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Click here to find out more about DBT Dialectical Behavior Therapy | Psychology Today United Kingdom
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It’s a type of psychotherapy used primarily to help people process and recover from traumatic experiences or distressing memories. The therapy involves guiding the person through a series of bilateral eye movements (usually by following the therapist’s fingers as they move back and forth), which is thought to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories in a healthier way.
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EMDR is based on the idea that unprocessed memories from trauma can cause psychological distress, and that reprocessing them can reduce their emotional charge. It's commonly used for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but has also been used for other conditions like anxiety or phobias or other distressing past events, which I use as a treatment intervention to help with reducing emotional distress.
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Click here to find out more about EDMR What is EMDR? - EMDR Institute - EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION AND REPROCESSING THERAPY