Therapy Support

Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that helps individuals accept difficult thoughts and emotions instead of avoiding or fighting them. This approach not only aligns with the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy but also promotes living in accordance with one's values, even amid emotional discomfort. ACT incorporates mindfulness strategies alongside behaviour change techniques, making it a valuable tool in Trauma-Informed Therapy, enabling individuals to better handle life's challenges.

Brainspotting (BSP) is a brain-body based psychotherapy that helps individuals access, process, and release trauma, emotional pain, and other challenging experiences. It is grounded in the idea that 'where you look affects how you feel'. By identifying specific eye positions—called brainspots—that correlate with stored trauma or emotional distress, BSP allows the brain to naturally process and heal. This approach complements other therapeutic modalities, such as Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, enhancing the effectiveness of trauma-informed therapy.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a widely used, evidence-based form of psychotherapy that focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours. It operates on the principle that our thoughts, feelings, and actions are interconnected, and by altering negative thinking, we can positively influence our emotions and behaviours. Additionally, Acceptance Commitment Therapy is another approach that complements CBT by helping individuals commit to values-based actions while acknowledging their thoughts and feelings. Moreover, integrating Trauma-Informed Therapy can further enhance the effectiveness of CBT by providing a sensitive framework for addressing the impacts of trauma. CBT is structured, goal-oriented, and often short-term, teaching practical strategies such as cognitive restructuring and behavioural activation to help individuals manage emotional challenges and improve daily functioning.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a type of psychotherapy designed to help individuals manage intense emotions and foster healthier relationships. Rooted in cognitive-behavioral principles, DBT combines mindfulness and acceptance strategies, making it particularly effective for those experiencing emotional dysregulation. In addition to DBT, approaches like Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Trauma-Informed Therapy also emphasize emotional awareness and resilience. 

DBT emphasizes teaching practical skills in four key areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. By balancing acceptance and change, similar to concepts found in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, DBT enhances individuals' overall quality of life.

Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that emphasizes the significance of emotional connection in human relationships. Grounded in attachment theory, EFT assists individuals, couples, and families in identifying and transforming negative emotional patterns that lead to distress. Unlike some approaches such as Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which may focus on cognitive processes, EFT encourages clients to explore and express their emotions in a safe, supportive environment. The goal is to cultivate secure emotional bonds and promote lasting change through a deeper understanding and responsiveness. 

EFT recognizes emotions as vital to personal and relational well-being. By directly engaging with emotions, clients can reshape their interactions with themselves and others, facilitating more fulfilling and resilient relationships. This approach complements other methodologies, including Trauma-Informed Therapy, by prioritizing emotional awareness and connection.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy that helps individuals recover from trauma and emotional distress. As a form of trauma-informed therapy, it utilizes bilateral stimulation—such as guided eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones—to activate the brain’s natural healing processes. EMDR enables people to reprocess distressing memories, ensuring they are no longer emotionally overwhelming.

In contrast to traditional talk therapy approaches like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance Commitment Therapy, EMDR does not require clients to describe traumatic events in detail. Instead, it focuses on how the memory is stored in the brain and aims to reduce its emotional charge.

Narrative Therapy is a collaborative, non-blaming approach to counseling that centers individuals as the experts in their own lives. This form of therapy is grounded in the belief that people make meaning of their lives through stories—or narratives—they construct based on their experiences. Similar to Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Narrative Therapy helps individuals examine and re-author the stories they tell about themselves, especially those that are limiting, painful, or shaped by external judgments. By separating the person from the problem, this approach empowers clients to explore alternative narratives that reflect their strengths, values, and preferred ways of being, aligning with principles found in Trauma-Informed Therapy.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a goal-oriented, strengths-based approach to psychotherapy that emphasizes solutions rather than problems. Developed by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg in the 1980s, SFBT focuses on helping individuals envision their preferred future and identify the skills, resources, and strategies they already possess to achieve it. This approach can complement other therapeutic modalities, such as Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and Trauma-Informed Therapy, by focusing on what is working and what is possible. Rather than exploring the origins of a problem or analyzing past experiences, SFBT centers on building on existing strengths in a brief, practical, and highly collaborative manner.

Trauma-Informed Therapy is a therapeutic approach that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and emphasizes physical, emotional, and psychological safety in the healing process. Rather than asking, 'What’s wrong with you?' trauma-informed care asks, 'What happened to you?'—shifting the focus to understanding the root causes of distress. This approach acknowledges that trauma can affect how individuals think, feel, and relate to others. It seeks to create a safe, empowering environment where clients can process their experiences without fear of judgment or re-traumatization. Additionally, trauma-informed therapy can be effectively integrated with other therapeutic modalities, such as Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, to enhance the healing experience. Importantly, trauma-informed therapy is not a specific technique but rather a framework that can be adapted to various therapeutic practices.