What is your integrative approach?

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

IFS is a more holistic and human-centred form of therapeutic working – it expands on the “5 Areas” of CBT.
IFS combines the “minds” tha were created past learning and experience and explores them in more detail than the “challenging thoughts, reframing thoughts, reframing experiences”
IFS can be extremely effective in working with all parts of self and the human condition, but in particular tends to be much more effective when it comes to difficulties with
Low Self-Esteem, Shame and Anger
CBT places an overemphasis on the “logical” aspect of these difficulties and wrongly assumes that emotions just need to be beaten into submission with logic
For example, if it comes to forgiving someone, you might hear yourself say “Part of me wants to forgive… but another part of me wants…”

If it comes to putting yourself before others (often shame and/or perfectionistic roots) you might hear “there’s a part of me that can make allowances for other people… but another part of me that doesn’t allow me to…”
If it comes to shame “the me now understands that I was just a child/I made a mistake BUT that doesn’t make me feel any less ashamed” – this is an example of where logic isn’t resolving the core pain
Here is a wonderful, short but informative video on IFS

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

[[What is ACT]]?
[[How does it differ from CBT/NHS TT?]]
ACT is a person-centred approach insofar as it is based on personal values and aspirations and places those front-and-centre of life.
ACT works on the assumption that “life is suffering”, but that meaning to be added by us, for us, to enhance our lives
ACT can be particularly effective for people who want a more holistic (complete) approach to well-being that far expands the limitations of CBT-only treatment packages.
ACT incorporates aspects of Mindfulness, CBT and Acceptance

Unhooking (Cognitive Defusion) is a key aspect of ACT – and helps you to acknowledge that words are not “absolute truths” or “commands to follow” in life.
It can be particularly effective for people that have struggled with “Cognitive Restructuring” (challenging thoughts) which can often be very resource-heavy (takes time, sheets of paper) and can take you away from your life and
the moment – for example, imagine you’re having self-critical thoughts at the gym – do you have the resources to challenge thoughts, evidence for, against? Reach a conclusion based on logic? Can you do that, write it down, when
you are using a rowing machine? Well, if you can, you’ve found the perfect tool for you! But if you answered “no”, ACT can be an effective, quicker way to “unhook” you from your thoughts.
This is usually done in a playful way, such as “why is this thought here now? It’s probably important that I forgot to do my car MOT – but how does this help me to connect to my kids during quality time?”
“I notice I’m having thoughts that I’m a horrible person” ACT can help you say “Okay, thanks for telling me that brain – can I go back to enjoying my Friday evening now?”
Here is an excellent, short and informative video on Unhooking

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is widely considered the “gold-standard” and is the main therapy offered by NHS Talking Therapies. NHS Talking Therapies offers a “one-size fits all” approach which produces fantastical data to justify government spending and make its promoters look successful – but ultimately this has been simplified into treating “disorders” by “treatment protocols” in an attempt to offer clients less personalised therapy which is often considered “paint by numbers” by the overwhelming majority of therapists as well as those in therapy.

“Not everything that is countable counts, and not everything that counts is countable”

Additionally, in order to squeeze clients into CBT boxes, an excess of pre-established “worksheets” are used which clients often feel places them “back at school… with homework… an overemphasis on rigidity with CBT and SMART goals… like I’m trying to ‘get through a programme’, not feel better”.

“I regularly felt like my clients and I were stuck on an endless treadmill… a horribly predictable one!” as my ex-colleague commented.

Conversely, I routinely received amazing feedback from my clients as I believe in validating, supporting, creating space for emotions and life events rather than working in a pre-defined formula.

In terms of my specialisations in CBT, I have seen extraordinary success for people wanting to reduce frequency and intensity Panic attacks, flashbacks and high emotion recall “like I’m back there, reliving it” of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress), Phobias (including Emetophobia)
OCD (ERP)