Psychotherapy comes in various formats such as; integrative, person-centred & psychodynamic, with therapists offering one-to-one support, working with you and a partner or family member, or conducting sessions in a group setting. The objective is to provide you with the opportunity to delve into the specific issue or concern you want to address, and different therapists employ various approaches to facilitate this exploration. While some therapists encourage open discussion about feelings, behaviours, and thoughts, others may incorporate specific exercises into the process. The emphasis is on fostering self-discovery rather than dictating solutions.
Sessions typically occur once a week for 50 minutes, and active involvement from both the patient and therapist is crucial. The trust and relationship established between the individual and their therapist are essential for effective collaboration and deriving benefits from therapy. Psychotherapy can be either short-term, addressing immediate issues in a few sessions, or long-term, delving into longstanding and complex matters over months or years. The treatment goals and the frequency and duration of sessions are planned jointly by the patient and therapist.
While therapy does not involve opinions, advice, or medication prescription, a counsellor will assist you in finding your own solutions to the issues that concern you.
CBT directs attention to the thoughts and behaviours that sustain problems. It empowers individuals by imparting skills to evaluate the logic, helpfulness, or truth of their thoughts and assess the helpfulness of their behaviours. As a collaborative problem-solving therapy, CBT equips individuals with lifelong skills. It stands as the most extensively researched therapy, demonstrating high effectiveness in addressing anxiety and mood-related issues. Explore more about CBT through the BABCP.
EMDR works on the principle that the mind can often heal itself naturally in the same way as the body does. Much of the information we take in during each day is processed whilst we are asleep but sometimes, in certain situations such as when we are under a lot of stress or when we feel under physical or emotional threat, this information does not get processed in the normal way. When this happens memories and feelings are stored in a different part of the memory system of the brain in a ‘raw emotional form’ and are not ‘filed away’ and put in the past. Because of this, painful or emotional feelings that relate to these memories are easily triggered by situations which remind us of what happened and evoke the same feelings, as though it is happening all over again. EMDR therapy helps to reprocess painful memories which have been properly stored by recreating the natural process of REM sleep. This is done by bilaterally stimulating the brain using eye movements, sounds or pulses. The bilateral stimulation lasts for about a minute (called a ‘set’) after which there is a pause when the therapist asks about any experiences that have been noticed during this time. These experiences may include changes in thoughts, images, emotions and body sensations. Repeated sets of bilateral stimulation during a therapy session update old memories according to new perspectives and beliefs. For instance, a traumatic or distressing incident experienced as a child may have created a negative belief from a child’s perspective which can be seen very differently as an adult if the incident is reprocessed using EMDR. People report that memories feel different, that they are in the past now and that they no longer have the emotional charge they carried before. During a session of EMDR, the patient remains alert, awake and in control at all times. It is NOT like being hypnotised. It is not a talking therapy like most traditional psychological treatments and tends to be quicker than many other forms of therapy. A normal session of EMDR processing takes between 60 and 90 minutes. It normally forms part of a longer-term therapy plan but in particular cases (such as phobias) it can require as few as 4 – 6 sessions to achieve treatment goals. For more complex issues a minimum of 12 sessions would be recommended. After the initial assessment which is a standard fee of £80, EMDR treatment is charged at £70-£90 per session regardless of whether it lasts 60 or 90 minutes. This can be paid either at each session or in monthly instalments.
Hypnotherapy has been shown to help psychological conditions, such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and addiction as well as functional disorders such as IBS, headaches or backaches which may have a significant psychological component. It has also been shown to help medical conditions, often by reducing anxiety but also by reducing other symptoms such as pain, cancer treatment side effects, dental procedures and childbirth. In addition, warts and other skin conditions can be improved through the positive effects hypnosis has on the immune system. Hypnotherapy should only be performed by qualified health professionals who are accountable to a professional body. For example, they should be a medical doctor, psychologist, nurse, occupational therapist or physiotherapist. Hypnotherapy is also offered by non-professionals with little training, so you should always check your therapist’s qualifications. Untrained professionals might use suggestions inappropriately, or not be able to tell if another treatment is more suitable for you. Learn more from the Royal College of Psychiatrists
It is developed through the practice of specific methods of meditation and bodywork and has been shown to bring about a sense of increased calmness, improving our ability to cope with the challenges which life inevitably throws at us from time to time.
You don't require a referral from a medical professional to access therapy, but you may wish to discuss things with your GP or another professional who can make a referral on your behalf. Silver Street Clinic operates as a private therapy service without funding from the NHS or any other public body. However, we accept referrals from Employer Assisted Programmes (EAPs) and some private healthcare insurance providers. Additionally, we have agreements with certain charitable organizations that may fund or subsidize treatment costs for specific populations, such as military veterans.