Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based approach that explores the relationship between our thoughts, emotions and behaviours. It can help us recognise patterns of thinking or responding that may contribute to distress and understand how these patterns influence the way we feel and behave.

CBT combines greater awareness of these patterns with practical strategies for responding differently. This may involve examining unhelpful thoughts and beliefs, developing alternative perspectives, changing behavioural patterns and building skills for managing difficult emotions and situations. CBT can be helpful for a range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, stress and other emotional difficulties.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based approach that focuses on developing greater psychological flexibility. This is the ability to make space for difficult thoughts and emotions while continuing to engage with what matters to you. Rather than trying to eliminate uncomfortable internal experiences, ACT helps you develop a different relationship with them.

ACT incorporates mindfulness, acceptance and values-based strategies to help you identify what is important to you and take meaningful action in that direction. It can help you become less caught up in difficult thoughts, respond more flexibly to emotions and make choices that are guided by your values rather than by avoidance, fear or self-criticism.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based approach that combines strategies for change with an emphasis on acceptance. Originally developed for people experiencing significant difficulties with emotion regulation, elements of DBT are now used more broadly to help people understand and manage intense emotions and respond more effectively to challenging situations.

DBT includes skills in four key areas: mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills can help you become more aware of your emotions, manage distress without responding impulsively, communicate more effectively and navigate relationships and difficult situations with greater flexibility.

Schema Therapy is an integrative approach that draws on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), attachment theory and other therapeutic models. It focuses on understanding longstanding emotional and relational patterns, known as schemas, which often develop through early experiences and unmet emotional needs.

Schema Therapy can help you recognise recurring patterns in how you think, feel, cope and relate to others, while developing a deeper understanding of where these patterns may have come from. Therapy may involve exploring underlying emotional needs, challenging longstanding beliefs and developing healthier ways of responding to yourself and others. It can be particularly useful when you find yourself repeatedly experiencing similar difficulties despite understanding them intellectually.

A strengths-based approach focuses on recognising and building upon your existing strengths, abilities and resources, rather than focusing only on difficulties or problems. It acknowledges that even during challenging periods, people bring their own capabilities, experiences and resources that can support them in navigating difficulties and creating change.

Therapy can involve identifying strengths that may be overlooked, recognising what is already working and exploring how these resources can be drawn upon in different areas of your life. This collaborative approach can support greater confidence, self-awareness and a more balanced understanding of yourself, while helping you develop practical ways of responding to challenges and working towards your goals.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy originally developed for the treatment of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is based on the understanding that distressing or traumatic experiences can sometimes remain insufficiently processed, contributing to ongoing emotional distress, unhelpful beliefs, or patterns of responding in the present.

EMDR uses a structured therapeutic process that involves recalling aspects of distressing experiences while engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements. This process aims to support the brain in processing and integrating difficult memories so they become less emotionally distressing over time. EMDR may be used to address traumatic experiences and other distressing memories, beliefs, and emotional responses that continue to affect a person’s wellbeing.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic approach that understands the mind as comprising different “parts,” each of which may hold particular emotions, beliefs, roles, or ways of coping. These parts often develop in response to life experiences and may attempt to protect us from emotional pain, even when the strategies they use are no longer helpful in the present.

IFS helps clients approach these different parts with curiosity and compassion rather than judgement. Therapy may involve exploring protective patterns, understanding the experiences and emotions that sit beneath them, and developing a more compassionate relationship with different aspects of oneself. This approach can support greater self-awareness, emotional understanding, and flexibility in how a person responds to difficult thoughts, feelings, and experiences.