What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is the use of listening and change techniques in a safe and supportive environment. it is generally considered more proactive and directive than classic counselling. Psychotherapy itself has a number of different styles, including person centred, humanistic, pastoral, spiritual, motivational, psychoanalytic, Cognitive Behavioural, Transactional Analysis, Hypno-analytical and eclectic. Counselling and Psychotherapy are very similar. Indeed some people argue that they are one therapy, just different approaches.  We have a network of professionals providing Hypnotherapy and NLP in locations throughout the UK including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Carlisle, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Harley Street London.

There are many kinds of Psychotherapy:

• Person Centred: This is the classic style of counselling and psychotherapy that most people associate with a counsellor. The therapist is a "mirror", listening to the client and then using a variety of techniques to help the client understand the deeper meanings of what they have said. Thus understanding and eventually healing and change can come about.
  

• Psychoanalytical: The original form of psychotherapy associated with Freud and Jung. The client is assisted to work through uncompleted stages of development, helped to identify and disarm defence mechanisms and led into a state of understanding and forward momentum. Originally a long term therapy, combination with other forms of psychotherapy provide faster results, while still benefiting from comprehensive work on underlying issues.
  

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: A very scientific and proactive form of psychotherapy where the client is taught to understand their perceptions and beliefs (cognitive), their resulting behaviours, and how to change them. There is an emphasis on client experimentation, self evaluation and "homework" exercises. A very proactive approach which preempted the development of Life Coaching and NLP. Very effective when combined with psychoanalytical methods so that beliefs, behaviours, actions and underlying causes are all addressed.
  

• Humanistic: Closely related to person centred counselling. The major focus of humanistic therapy is on the positive. Thus the person is assisted in addressing positive outcomes and desires more than dwelling on past events.
  

• Transactional Analysis: Often viewed cynically as a "pop up book" therapy, this evaluation is probably unfair. Transactional analysis may not have much in the way of lasting depth, but it has certainly provided very accessible models for analysing and changing interpersonal relationships. Very useful in dealing with assertiveness, anger management and confidence. Combines well with CBT.
  

• Grief and Bereavement: This is a specialist area of therapy dealing with the specific issues associated with loss, bereavement and grief.
  

• Gestallt: A specialist form of psychotherapy, similar in many ways to types of NLP. Deals with patterns of behaviour. Through analysis, understanding, goal setting and change, new outcomes can be chosen.
  

• Motivational (drug and addiction): The use of positive thinking and honest appraisal of the pros and cons of habits and addictions in order to help a client overcome addictions, habits and activities that required change.
  

• Lifestyle: A new hybrid of techniques that frankly has more similarity to life coaching than to counselling. It deals with positive change and planning to attain goals.
  

• Pastoral and spiritual: The specific use of religious or spiritual models, depending on the background of the client, to deal specifically with faith and spiritual issues. The great therapist C Jung developed much of the understanding that contributes to spiritual psychotherapy. Unlike pastoral counselling, spiritual psychotherapy uses many of Jung's discoveries such as archetype analysis and dream analysis.
  

• Eclectic: The combination of a variety of different styles, and possibly other therapies such as psychotherapy and life coaching, to create a flexible model tailored to the needs of the client.
  

• Clinical psychotherapy: The use of a range of psychotherapy styles (especially CBT) to deal with medical or clinical conditions. This should not be treated as an alternative to medical treatment, indeed it should be provided in conjunction to conventional medical support.
  

• Specialised: Gay issues, Female or Male issues, Couple or marital issues, Bisexual issues, cultural issues, lesbian issues, carer issues, learning disability issues, Autistic Spectrum Disorder issues. 
  

The above is not a comprehensive list, as there are many variations on the theme. This includes specialist work such as pain management and post traumatic stress counselling assistance.

As you can see from the list given, there are close links between Psychotherapy and other well established therapies, and it is essential, and long standing good practice, to be well qualified in the other therapies too. Avoid any therapist who is insufficiently qualified. Many organisations (including the much publicised BACP) have a large number of unaccredited counsellors (indeed the BACP added the "P" for psychotherapy without additional development, merely after a vote by members!). Always ensure appropriate accreditation.

What can Psychotherapy help with?

A huge range of issues can be assisted to some degree or another. Most emotional issues and disturbances can be helped to some degree with psychotherapy. 

More complex cases such as deep lack of self esteem, severe phobias, depression, anxiety, emotional problems, anger management, severe stress and so forth respond well, especially when combined with CBT methods of psychotherapy.  Of course all medical / clinical issues must be in conjunction with support from a medical doctor.

Psychotherapy is a more proactive method of therapy than the counselling that people often think of. It tends to challenge clients more, is more directive and often looks deeper.

Qualifications. What do I look for in Psychotherapy?

Until recently this has been a difficult area. Psychotherapy has no statutory body of registration. Many so called "registers" exist, all claiming to represent the industry. 

There is NO ONE REGISTER of Psychotherapists. Some are very good, and quality ranges from very good to hopeless. Size is also not always an indication. The well known BACP is very large, but boasts a high proportion of UNACCREDITED members ( and was never originally a psychotherapy organisation).

There are National Occupational Standards for Counselling and Hypnotherapy which are closely related therapies, as well as a range of other related NOS standards, and these are the true measure of the quality of service.

There are two main vocational qualification routes for non medical qualification in counselling (some university courses also exist, of varying quality). :

NVQ Accreditation via the Advice and Guidance and other NVQ awards Awards
ASET accreditation via Counselling, Hypnotherapy, NLP, Counselling Speciality and Psychotherapy Awards

University courses often provide a good qualification in counselling and psychotherapy, although their primary accreditation is often via the BACP, which is a purely independent body with a large proportion of unaccredited members.

You are strongly advised to look for adherence to National Occupational Standards, ASET / NVQ accreditation and membership of a substantial professional body such as an appropriate Royal Society, the UKCP, NACHP. Being registered with a professional body ensures ongoing monitoring and adherence to a code of conduct and ethics.

You can check our NVQ, ASET and National Occupational Standard policies and qualifications here: ABOUT US

Assistance is not just for individuals. Assistance is available for couples, families and those who care for others.