I have found that traditionally people this time of year, will wait for the January to look for help and I thought I would write this blog about choosing the right therapeutic approach and how hard it is to know which one is the right one.
The internet has given us the opportunity to browse and research but it has also made making a choice so much harder. How often have you said you were just going to buy something quickly online and before you know it an hour or so has gone past? And probably had several tabs open, looking at reviews, prices, availability?? Sound familiar? I know I do this all the time, it took me months to buy a pair of trainers in the summer as I kept coming back to it and finding more choice!!
It can be very stressful and we become so easily overwhelmed, which is why many of my clients may have either come across me, or been recommended to me up to a whole year before they make the initial contact . And that is such a long time to continue suffering, whilst making a choice!
As you may know, there are hundreds of therapies out there that make claims and promises of what they can do for you. Each individual therapy, as long as it is evidenced based, will be something for you to consider. However, therapists can learn lots of different approaches and make their own Therapy Cocktail Recipe, which is not evidenced based.
In my opinion, look for something that is a pure therapeutic evidenced based approach, the one I know most about is the one I have had extensive training in, which is Solution Focused Therapy.
Solution Focused doesn’t mean problem phobic! In fact quite the reverse, as most clients come to see me because of a particular problem(s) and if talking about is helpful, that absolutely fine.
An easy way to describe the Solution Focused Approach is to a journey. Firstly we establish where you want to go, your destination, then you get into a car and begin making your way to your destination. Just ONE vehicle, not getting off, not getting on a bus, a boat or walking for a bit, just staying in the car.
There may be unexpected obstacles on the journey which need very careful navigating, or the car may need refuelling or servicing. In each session we look how far you have driven, how you navigated and coped with those difficult spots along the way, thus helping you learn that if you come across something similar along the way you are equipped to cope and solve with the problems which may lie ahead.
Solution Focused Therapy- ONE CAR…. ONE JOURNEY to reach YOUR destination!
