THERAPY
Therapy provides an open and non-judgemental space in which a child or young person can be heard. These sessions enable the child to better understand their difficulties, including how they developed and what keeps them going. Sessions are collaborative and guided by individual personal goals.
WHAT CAN THERAPY HELP WITH?
At the Lotus Psychology Practice, we are experienced in working with children and young people of all ages, including children with complex needs due to neurodevelopmental co-morbidities, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. We have particular expertise in supporting young people who have experienced early life adversity, including young people not living with their birth families, and living in foster care or adoptive families.
We are able to treat a range of mental health difficulties. Some of the conditions we work with include:
Depression
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Health Anxiety
Emetophobia
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Panic Disorder
Phobias
Relational difficulties
Social Anxiety
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Developmental Trauma
We are also able to support young people and their parents adjusting and coping with long-term health conditions.
APPROACHES TO THERAPY
Psychologists are trained across multiple therapeutic modalities, and the approaches are often integrated based on an individuals unique needs. The suitability of the therapeutic approach is informed by assessment and individual goals. All therapeutic interventions are informed by scientific research and are and in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
Below are some of the approaches used within the practice.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY (CBT)
ACCEPTANCE & COMMITMENT THERAPY
CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and what we do are all connected. CBT aims to identify and modify unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviours that maintain a persons difficulty. CBT has an extensive evidence base for effectiveness in treating depression, anxiety related problems (including panic attacks and OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder and many more.
ACT aims to change your relationship with your thoughts and feelings, to what is out of your personal control. ACT incorporates acceptance strategies, mindfulness and behavioural approaches to encourage committed action in line with your values and what is important to you in life. ACT has been shown to be effective for a broad range of difficulties, including anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance misuse and chronic pain.
COMPASSION FOCUSED THERAPY (CFT)
CFT helps those who struggle with shame and self-criticism. Shame and self-criticism often arise from difficult early experiences such as abuse, neglect, and bullying. CFT supports people to cultivate skills in compassion and self-compassion, which can help regulate mood and lead to self-acceptance. The evidence base for CFT is transdiagnostic, with improvements across many disorders and difficulties.
SYSTEMIC THERAPY
This approach focuses on relationships between a group of people, rather than solely on an individual’s thoughts and feelings. It is designed for families and couples with the relationship being the key focus. However, it often incorporates larger systems around an individual, such as school. Systemic therapy seeks to identify unhelpful patterns within relationships to improve communication.
BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT
Supporting parents in developing new ways to respond to challenging behaviour or anxiety to promote positive behaviours and family cohesion.
NARRATIVE THERAPY
Stories and personal narratives we carry with us through life are central in NT. As you experience events and interactions, you give meaning to those experiences, which provide us with a framework to understand and make sense of the world, ourselves and others. These personal narratives guide the way in which we live and how we feel. The dominant stories we hold are shaped by our context and personal identities relating to social, cultural and political contexts. NT focuses on deconstructing dominant narratives and developing an alternative narrative that separates the persons identity from the problem.
PSYCHODYNAMIC PSYCHOTHERAPY
EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITISATION AND REPROCESSING (EMDR)
EMDR is a type of psychotherapy that can help people process upsetting memories, thoughts, and feelings related to trauma. It's a recommended treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and can help people heal from other distressing life experiences.
During EMDR therapy, patients recall a traumatic incident in detail while making eye movements, usually following the movement of their therapist's finger. Trauma memories are 'unprocessed' in the brains memory system, and the goal is to help patients briefly focus on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation. This rhythm keeps the patient grounded in their body and focused on the present while accessing things that happened in the past.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy helps you to understand how your current feelings and behaviour are shaped by your unconscious mind and past experiences and relationships. Through the therapeutic relationship, psychodynamic approaches aim to bring unconscious thoughts and unresolved conflicts to the individual's awareness. It further aims to develop an understanding of past and present relationship patterns, to facilitate change. Psychodynamic psychotherapy has a substantial evidence base supporting its effectiveness for a range of mental health conditions for children and adolescents.