Therapy Techniques
~ Adult Therapy ~
Along with a strong client-therapist relationship, evidence-based practices are at the heart of counselling success. At Begin, your clinician will work with you to develop a treatment plan that is right for you.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
When two people react differently to the same stressful situation (think being stuck on an elevator), the difference often comes down to how we think about it...after all, our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours are intricately connected, just like the CBT triangle! In this way, your clinician will help you examine your existing beliefs, and identify unhelpful thought patterns, to change the way you think, feel, and respond to the stresses in your life (What could be more empowering than that?!?)
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
While identifying life's challenges is important, it is even more important to consider possible solutions. By incorporating this strength-based approach, your clinician will help you notice all the good things happening around you, and within you, with the goal of helping you find the right solutions for yourself (the expert is YOU!).
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is an action-oriented approach that blends traditional behavioural therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy. Through ACT (pronounced "act"), your clinician will help you learn to accept that all emotions are part of the human experience (even the uncomfortable ones!), while also helping you find joy in your life by committing to doing things that align with your personal values. Mindfulness is also an essential part of this therapeutic approach.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
When trauma happens, we can become "stuck" by the memories and triggers associated with the traumatic event. Sights and sounds remind us of what happened, to the point where we may be plagued by nightmares or flashbacks, or become debilitated by overwhelming feelings of sadness, guilt, or hopelessness. If you are struggling to manage symptoms of post-traumatic stress, your clinician may suggest EMDR therapy to help you process and resolve your emotional distress. (And it doesn't have to be eye movements; you can choose your type of sensory stimulation as you think about and process these memories, even listening to ocean waves!)