What is Clinical Psychotherapy?
When you have an appointment with our innovative Clinical Psychotherapist, Dianne West, your appointment may include one or all of these modalities. This is a brief introduction to Clinical Psychotherapy and if you have any questions before your appointment please do not hesitate to contact the clinic on 9339 1999.
Clinical psychotherapy is a “broad” term for modalities and techniques associated with changing the negative attitudes and beliefs of the subconscious mind. The modalities that can be facilitated by a Clinical Psychologist can include: hypnotherapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, neuro-linguistic programming, and emotional freedom technique to name a few. A brief description of each technique is outlined here.
Hypnotherapy uses guided relaxation, intense concentration, and focused attention to achieve a heightened state of awareness and relaxation. The person’s attention is so focused while in this state that anything going on around the person is temporarily blocked out or ignored. In this naturally occurring state, a person may focus their attention—with the help of a trained therapist—on specific thoughts or tasks. The person is in full conscious awareness at all times and cannot get “stuck” in this sleep-like state.
Hypnotherapy can be used in two ways:
- Suggestion therapy — The hypnotic state makes the person better able to respond to suggestions. Hypnotherapy can help people change certain behaviours, such as to stop smoking or stop nail-biting. It can also help people change perceptions and sensations, and is particularly useful in treating pain.
- Analysis — This approach uses the relaxed state to find the root cause of a disorder or symptom, such as a traumatic past event that a person has hidden in his or her unconscious memory. Once the trauma is revealed, it can be addressed in psychotherapy.
Hypnotherapy is not a dangerous procedure. It is not mind control or brainwashing. A therapist cannot make a person do something embarrassing or something the person doesn’t want to do.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that helps a person to change unhelpful or unhealthy thinking habits, feelings and behaviours. CBT involves the use of practical self-help strategies, which are designed to bring about positive and immediate changes in the person’s quality of life.
The core philosophy of CBT is that thoughts, feelings and behaviours combine to influence a person’s quality of life.
CBT aims to teach people that it is possible to have control over one’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours. CBT helps the person to challenge and overcome automatic beliefs, and use practical strategies to change or modify their behaviour. The result is more positive feelings, which in turn lead to more positive thoughts and behaviours.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is an incredibly powerful discipline that enables people to unblock the structures of human communication and human excellence. By doing so people can think, communicate and manage themselves, and others, more effectively. NLP explores the relationships between how we think (neuro), how we communicate (linguistic) and our patterns of behaviour and emotion (programmes).
By studying and learning from these relationships people can effectively transform the way they traditionally think and act, adopting new, far more successful models of human excellence. (This activity is called modelling and is a key feature that distinguishes NLP from psychology).
In effect, NLP is a powerful change management tool that transforms the way people think and act to have the greatest impact both personally and professionally.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) In simplest terms, EFT is an emotional form of acupuncture except that needles are not used. Instead, we tap with the fingertips to stimulate certain meridian points while the client is "tuned in" to the problem.
The subtle energies that circulate throughout the body have been largely ignored (until recently) by western scientists. With EFT, however, we consider these subtle energies to be the front running cause of emotional upsets. EFT generates results that are FAR beyond those of conventional methods, such as psychiatry. EFT often provides relief for a very wide range of physical and emotional symptoms. Evidence of a link between our physical ailments and our emotional issues are well documented.
We at Behaviour Changes have been using EFT as a simple but effective energy / meridian therapy for resolving most psychological problems.
Phobias, depression, panic attacks, controlling pain, fears, addictions, traumatic memories, guilt, grief and physical ailments have been elegantly relieved with EFT therapy. Even though EFT violates just about every conventional belief out there, the results remain remarkable. EFT isn't perfect, of course. We don't get 100% results all the time. But it usually works well and the results are sometimes spectacular. It often works where nothing else will.
These techniques can be used individually or in conjunction with each to improve many conditions and have a range of applications including:
- Phobias, fears, and anxiety
- Sleep disorders and insomnia
- Depression
- Stress
- Post-traumatic stress and anxiety
- Grief and loss
- Anxiety, Panic Attacks or Social Anxiety
- Depression
- Low self-esteem
- Uncontrollable anger
- Irrational fears
- Substance abuse, like smoking, drinking or other drug use
- Eating disorders
- Marriage or relationship problems
- Certain emotional or behavioural problems in children or teenagers.