Counsellors are usually only trained in a single therapeutic model and are therefore limited to working with the same approach with each client. Psychotherapists and counselling psychologists are generally required to be graduates and have a longer, more intensive training. Whilst psychotherapists also usually train in a particular approach, counselling psychologists are required to train in at least three therapeutic approaches so that they can combine aspects from each in their practice.

Often referred to as 'talking therapy', psychological therapy involves focussed discussions between therapist and client, exploring the ways in which past experiences, current difficulties or concerns about the future might be affecting the client's life. You may be unsure what the problem is but feel that you need to talk to someone, or you may have a specific issue that you would like to address. I will listen to you and help you understand how you respond to life events and reflect upon the ways in which you see yourself and others. I will not tell you what to do or give you advice, but will guide you in understanding what might be happening in your life and support you so that you can make your own choices and begin the process of change.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

CBT works on the premise that changing the way that you think and behave will change the way that you feel. CBT aims to identify unhelpful or inaccurate beliefs and thoughts and help you challenge and modify them. It is a structured approach where specific focussed goals are agreed for each session and tasks or assignments are carried out between sessions to test new thoughts, beliefs and behaviours. Depending on the nature of the difficulty, CBT typically involves between 6 and 24 sessions of psychological therapy.

Psychodynamic therapy

This approach involves exploring how present feelings and behaviours are connected to past events and earlier relationships. It can be especially useful in helping people with long term or recurrent problems to get to the root of their difficulties. It is a less structured approach and is usually longer term. Regular reviews are carried out during the therapy, and therapist and client jointly agree when goals have been reached and it is time to end therapy.

Person-centred therapy

This approach places much of the responsibility for the treatment process on the client, with the therapist taking a nondirective role. The therapist listens and then mirrors back what clients disclose, helping them to explore and understand their feelings. The Person-Centred model stresses that the therapist adopts an attitude that includes empathy, positive regard and being "real" in the therapeutic relationship. These are qualities that I consider fundamental in all the work I undertake with my clients.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a powerful psychological treatment method which uses eye movements to assist in the processing of emotional trauma. When an individual experiences a highly distressing or traumatic event, the strong emotions experienced can prevent the experience being processed as it normally would. As a consequence the individual may repeatedly experience the distressing event in the form of intrusive thoughs or flashbacks, and it can have a lasting negative effect on all aspects of their lives such as in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and some phobias. EMDR assists in the processing of the experience by appearing to mimic what the brain does naturally during REM sleep.