As a Counselling psychologist, I have worked with many different individuals who all have different personalities and different presenting problems. No mode of therapy has ever been exactly the same for each individual because we are all different, we function in different ways and come to therapy for different reasons.
I have worked solely within the respective CBT, person-centred and psychodynamic therapy approaches if appropriate for the clients need. However, I am also able to work within an integrative therapy approach.
As an integrative therapist I use specific techniques and key concepts drawn from the various therapeutic approaches spoken about above. This integration of various approaches is tailored to each specific client and their need and way of working. It is a flexible therapy approach and allows me to focus on the whole of the client.
For example, if I am working with a client who has been feeling acute depression and doesn’t feel like doing much, we could undertake some cognitive work to gain a deeper understanding of his/her low mood and set tasks to encourage him/her to incorporate into his/her life things s/he enjoys (CBT). We would also do some work looking into his/her past to try and understand where his/her depression started and acknowledging any unconscious processes s/he displays in the session but may be unaware of (psychodynamic). The foundations of an integrative approach would be to continuously utilise Rogers core conditions. To facilitate personal growth for the client so that s/he would feel empowered to lead a more positive life (person-centred).
