How Therapy Works

A common thing that people think about if they are not sure about therapy is how does this this work? or how can this make a difference? This is understandable. After all, sometimes the feelings that people have in anxiety and depression are deep and complex. for years people were often told (and still are in some cases) that their problem is caused by a "chemical imbalance", or their mother had it so it's hereditory. These are all hopeless statements. Years of dedicated research has shown that without the shadow of a doubt CBT and EMDR therapy has made a positive difference to the lives of countless people around the world, allowing people to recover and move on: allowing people to uncover their own potential, and having new confidence to do what they once thought was beyond them. In short, CBT and EMDR have developed and helped people to recover due to intensive research involving the worlds top universities and researchers as well as the many thousands of people who have taken part in trials. They are not any form of "mystical"approach or "miracle cure". It's all hard based evidence.

Understanding the Problem

At the start, the most important thing is to understand the problem. That is what you and the therapist will begin to do right from the start. Sessions are an hour long and usually take place along with a therapist in a therapy room, a place that is comfortable where you can feel at ease. People usually attend on their own, but sometimes people take someone along that they feel understands their problem and can help explain things. The therapist will introduce themselves and give you an idea about what they do. Together you will discuss how you see the problem(s) and how this is impacting on your life at the moment. Everything is open and transparent. There are no 'secret' analysis or unknown methods from the therapist: no hypnotism, mystacism, and no misleading information. You explore the problem together. Sometimes it can be hard for people to discuss some things. This doesn't have to be done straight away. At Specialist Therapies we understand that trust can be a big issue for some people. Building a trusting relationship is an important part of therapy and therefore recovery. Having a health problem like anxiety and depression can make an individual feel very alone. The truth is that anxiety and depression are sadly very common, and can often be a symptom of other things that are going on inside. The therapist knows this and will understand how you feel. Each person is an individual however, and everyone's individual circumstances will be respected and undersood as you both work out the problems and solutions together.

Useful Things to Think About Before Your Appointment.

It can be helpful and a good use of time before your first appointment if you can take a few notes along. These are for the benefit of both the therapist and also yourself.

Please have a think about:

When did the problem begin? i.e when you first noticed it. This can be either on this episode, or other times in the past when it has came and gone.
How often does the problem occur? it it every day, or just sometimes.
How does it restrict your life?
What things you notice that can trigger it off or make it worse?
what has happened in your life history? If you can reflect on things that have happened in the past, this can be helpful.
What goals do I have (see below for further information)

Think About Your Goals

When you go through therapy it can be very useful to have a sense of direction. This is why we look at goals. It is best if these can be thought of as things you used to do but are restriced by your problem, or things you would like to try but don't feel that you can at the moment.

Goals are specific really, not just things like "just feel better"-that can be a goal in regard to a realistic aim, but it would be hard to measure this, it would be hard to measure from day to day. Think about it like this -what would you notice yourself doing if you were feeling better.

Here are some examples:

I would go shopping at least once per week.
I would be able to meet my friends for coffee.
I would take the children to the park.
I would be able to sleep better at night.
I would like to be able to cope with panic.
I would like to be able to talk to people without feeling overwhelmed.

Privacy and Confidentiality

It is very importand that you feel you can trust a therapist when you talk about things that are important about your problem or your past. Anything you discuss with the therapist is private and confidential. Nobody can access information written or verbal about you without your consent. Information about you will not be given to other parties and organisations unless under circumstances where you personally specifically request this. In these circumstances we will usually ask for a note of signed consent.

*Specialist Therapies do have an obligation and a duty of care to protect vulnerable children and adults at risk where under immediate danger or threat. We would by law have to pass on concerns to the authorities if these were deemed immanent and apparent.