Individual therapy
Sandy is trained in a range of psychotherapeutic models including IFS (Internal Family Systems), Interpersonal, Psychodynamic, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing). Existential, Schema & CBT, and she tailors her approach to suit the goals of each client. Each of these frameworks provides a way of understanding and addressing a person’s life difficulties. You can read a little about each of these below.
Types of approaches
IFS (Internal Family Systems) IFS views the psyche as being made up of a multiplicity of sub-personalities or “parts” that evolve in response to our experiences in order to protect us from pain and suffering. These parts can adopt extreme roles that can cause issues in life. At the core of IFS is the concept of the Self that is unbroken with abundant energy but has been obscured by the burdened parts. The IFS therapist facilitates the conversation between the client’s Self and their parts to unburden the protective parts from their extreme roles and heal the wounds of young parts, leading to a release of energy and vitality in the internal system.
Interpersonal Interpersonal approaches use the therapeutic relationship as a means of understanding a person’s interpersonal patterns – how they interact with others and how others subsequently perceive and respond to them. As people become aware of their patterns, they can begin to shift them, supported by the accepting and genuine relationship with their therapist.
Psychodynamic Psychodynamic approaches explore how early experiences (particularly with caregivers) influence the development of our personality and how some of these traits, that were once adaptive, may be contributing to problems as adults. These insights help people to become more self-accepting and provide the opportunity for new choices.
EMDR EMDR has been proven to help people recover from trauma and PTSD symptoms. In EMDR, the client focuses (briefly) on a trauma memory while simultaneously performing bilateral (side to side) eye movements or other bilateral stimulation such as tapping. This structured method leads to a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories.
Existential Existential approaches are based on existential philosophy that values the meaning each individual makes of their own experience. Existential therapists view people’s life difficulties as “getting stuck” as they face the givens of life, and view the therapist as a companion who helps people to realise they have the freedom and responsibility to make choices that will lead them to a fulfilled life.
Schema Therapy Schema therapy proposes that unmet core emotional needs during childhood, contribute to the development of enduring and self-defeating beliefs/patterns – schemas – regarding oneself or one’s relationships. Schema therapy helps to heal maladaptive schemas by “limited reparenting” from the therapist and also “empathically confronting” clients, helping them develop adaptive ways of meeting their core emotional needs.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Cognitive behavioural therapy’s (CBT) main premise is that dysfunctional thinking (thoughts, assumptions, beliefs) leads to dysfunctional behaviours and negative feelings. These approaches seek to challenge and change people’s thinking, and therefore improve their behaviours and wellbeing.
