Person Centred Therapy

Person Centred Therapy created by Carl Rogers is a humanistic approach based on empathy, respect and unconditional positive regard. This form of therapy offers care and support, putting the client at the centre of the session and treating them with dignity and respect. 

It is an empathic approach that empowers and motivates clients to be confident in managing their own decisions and choices. 

Person centred therapy deals with the ways in which the client perceive them self.

The therapist works to understand the client’s experiences from the clients perspective.

And then the therapist helps the client to reconnect with their inner values and sense of self worth. 

 

Internal Family System

Internal Family System (IFS) therapy created by Richard Schwartz, is used with clients as a Talking Therapy. It is a positive strategy used to explore our human tendency to undermine and damage our own self-esteem.

 Through IFS we look at the ‘Parts’ of our personalities that keep us trapped in an unhappy way of living. 

For example;

●      The part of us that needs to be in control in order to maintain some form of safety for ourselves.

●      The part of us that is fearful and feels trapped in our own inner torment.

●      The part that’s impulsive and leads us to self-destructive habits and behaviours in our life.  

 

So what do we know about these ‘Parts’.

Through therapy we begin to explore and look at why we do what we do, why we criticise ourselves and inhibit our own self worth. 

As a psychotherapist I work with these parts to help lead my clients to a life free from the confines of their past. 

I work to show clients that these old patterns and beliefs can be more self destructive rather than productive.

This enables clients to create new awareness and understanding of their own inner world, which can empower them to move forward to a much more fulfilling way of living.

 

Polyvagal Theory 

Polyvagal Theory created by Stephen Porges is an interactive process that engages with our social nervous system. As humans when we experience a threat our nervous system automatically goes into self-protection and responds in either fight (attack) or flight (run) mode. 

But if there is no way to escape the threat we may immobilize (freeze) into stillness. These are automatic body responses when it comes to dealing with frightening and traumatic situations.

They are our survival mode looking for safety. 

Applying Polyvagal in psychotherapy involves the therapist working with the client to help the client to observe and recognise the moment to moment actions of their nervous system and track their habitual patterns of response.

The therapist uses techniques which can help the client self regulate to a calm state.