Therapies
What happens in therapy? What can it do for you?
What is therapy?
There are many different types of therapy: Therapy is any type of treatment intended to relieve or improve a disorder. Depending on the problem, it could be medical (e.g. surgery, drugs), talking therapy (psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, etc.), body treatment (think of a spa), or even the much-maligned placebo. Even some non-therapies, e.g. art or life coaching, can be therapeutic!
The large range of different problems, theories and research have resulted in a large number of different types of therapy.
This article is only about non-medical problems, in particular emotional and psychological.
Different types of therapy
Every therapy has its unique strengths, and works best with different circumstances, people and conditions.
People respond differently, so while one person might respond superbly to one treatment, someone else might need something quite different.
So much so, that nearly all therapies “borrow” from each other. For example, you’ll find that counselling, life coaching, hypnotherapy and NLP (to mention just a few) share techniques with each other. Hardly any therapist will use a “pure” single-therapy approach, because it’s simply more effective to mix-and-match.
This is exactly what I do in my sessions. I switch between therapy types, or mix them together, depending on what’s needed right at that moment. Sometimes I’ll work with you as a life coach, sometimes we’ll do hypnotherapy, or play with NLP, or do something else altogether.
Who needs therapy?
In my personal opinion, everyone needs therapy!
Why?
Because every person in this world has had trauma in their life. Some have been extremely lucky, and their traumas were rare and mild, along with a great upbringing, so their therapy needs are trivial. Regular massage therapy might be the most that they need their entire life.
Some are extremely unlucky, having had extreme trauma in their childhood, which then continues into adulthood with major disordered thinking and behaviours in a vicious cycle.
Most people lie somewhere in between these extremes.
Not everyone who needs therapy recognises it, and so they might feel that they don’t want or need it. Such people might even be afraid of therapy, perhaps in case they feel like they’d be mocked (some cultures can be like that); or because they are afraid of reopening old wounds, which is a reasonable fear for some traumatised people, and why there are therapies that prefer to avoid digging up the past.
Which therapy is right for me?
Medical problems
If yours is a medical problem, your first call is your GP or, for minor problems, a nurse or pharmacist (in the UK, you can call 111 for free advice).
A non-medical therapist can sometimes complement your medical treatment, maybe by giving you motivation to follow a difficult regime that your GP has advised, or helping you to deal with stress and fear.
Non-medical concerns
If your concern is non-medical, the right person to call depends on a number of factors.
Frequently, a mix of therapies is advised. For my own traumatic background, I’ve made use of several therapies. Each one was valuable, and they all complement each other.
That is why, in my practice, I use a mix of therapies, plus life coaching, to give you the best possible result.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy works with your hidden (“subconscious”) mind, delving into the parts of your brain that you usually can’t directly access, or maybe even don’t know are there. It is a way to access the part of you that makes you do or think things that you’d rather do differently.
Read more about hypnotherapy.
Life Coaching
Although not a therapy per se, life coaching can at times feel therapeutic. It’s valuable in therapy because it helps to uncover details about your personal difficulties, and even helps you to discover the solutions that fit you and your circumstances best. Because everyone is unique; everyone is an individual!
Read more about life coaching.
Everyone is unique;
everyone is an individual
NLP
NLP (neurolinguistic programming) is just a fancy name for saying, “Let’s change the way that your brain works for the better.”
Your brain is the most incredible known computer in the universe. We are a long, long way from being able to duplicate its extraordinary abilities in the laboratory. But we do know that your brain, just like a computer, can be “programmed” to behave one way or another.
This usually happens without conscious awareness. Inputs from your upbringing, peers, teachers, mass media, social media, and life experiences shape the way that you think and behave. In effect, these have all “programmed” you and your brain to think, respond and behave in certain ways — and in many ways they continue to program you!
NLP works directly with this programming, giving you the tools to reprogram those negative thoughts, dysfunctional behaviour, and unwanted emotions, into helpful and useful ones.
Read more about NLP.
EFT
Although NLP includes so-called “tapping” therapy, it’s worth mentioning here as it’s really a separate therapy altogether.
EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) was derived from a more complicated therapy, TFT (Thought-Field Therapy). The developer, Gary Craig, refined TFT to remove its complexities and increase its effectiveness. EFT is simple enough that once you have learned how to use it in a therapy session, you can use it by yourself at home. Some of my clients do exactly this, as they find that regular use can make dramatic changes over time.
It is interesting that EFT includes some NLP tools, while NLP itself now includes tapping therapies.
In summary
Everyone needs a personal approach that fits them best.
So, if you feel that you are holding yourself back, are achieving less than you are capable of, or have a challenge that you would like help with, call me in complete confidence to discuss your unique personal situation.