Apart from the foundational skills that counsellors are trained in (empathy, compassion, deep listening skills, etc.), here are some therapy modalities that I draw from.
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EFT/EFCT: Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (Couples)
This approach is known best for increasing emotional intimacy and understanding between partners through the development of secure attachments. It has been shown to be effective for a good number of couples in various stages (new partners, long term relationships, and in between), circumstances (lack of intimacy, lack of separateness, critical incidents including infidelity) and relationship structures (all iterations of monogamy and non-monogamy).
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Discernment Counselling (Couples)
This approach is best suited to couples where the relationship is nearing collapse. It helps them make decisions about whether to engage in counselling or whether to separate.
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EFFT: Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (Families)
This approach is known best for increasing a sense of emotional safety and support in families through the development of secure attachments. It particularly supports parents to take on effective, emotionally-supportive roles to their children.
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Triphasic therapy structure for trauma recovery (Individuals)
I. Safety and stabilization
II. Processing
III. Integration
This basic structure of trauma recovery is meant to promote well-being as quickly as possible in the aftermath of a traumatic event or series of events. Establishing safer circumstances and regulating the nervous system is the first aim, and following this, further steps to process and integrate the traumatic events can be taken.
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Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (Individuals, Couples)
This therapy takes a somatic approach, meaning it works with sensations and impulses in the body. It is well understood that many trauma symptoms are felt (and live) in the body and can be released through somatic work. This approach uses the window of tolerance as a guide and helps create possibilities for nervous system regulation. It can also be used in the processing and integration phases.
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EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (Individuals)
This approach is particularly well-known for its use of eye movements, auditory signals, or tapping to support clients who wish to process traumatic incidents and memories. Before processing begins, a client will be supported to develop practices in safety and nervous system regulation, to ensure that the processing is successful.
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Parts-based therapies (Individuals, Couples) e.g., Janina Fisher, IFS
These approaches develop greater understanding and reconciliation of internal psychological conflicts. For example, in a difficult relationship we may have one part of us that desires resolution, and another part of us that is ready to cut and run. With a parts-based approach, we come to accept and understand these opposing impulses, we foster self-compassion and curiosity for them, and we work to gradually to find more effective responses to difficult situations. It can serve to unblock certain parts of us, or to calm parts of us that are overactive and causing us issues in life. Parts-based approaches can be particularly effective in trauma recovery, and with individuals experiencing structural dissociation.
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