Have you ever stared into a messy room, unsure where to begin tidying? That’s what searching for therapy can feel like. It can be daunting to decide on the best approach, but one that will help you take the first steps forward to mental decluttering.
The question, ‘What is the best therapy for me?’ may be ringing in your mind, echoing unanswered. You may know about different types of therapies – Psychotherapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy or even EMDR – but which one suits you?
In this article, we’ll explore how personalised therapy matters and why understanding your needs will set you on a course towards mental wellness.
I’ll tell you about the various therapies we offer and the factors you’ll want to consider before selecting the right therapy or therapist for you.
Let’s get started.
Prefer to watch a video than read?
Understanding the Importance of Personalised Therapy
Your mental health journey is as unique as you are. That’s why personalised therapy can be a game changer. It’s not just about tackling symptoms but understanding your needs and personality.
The beauty of personalised therapy lies in its flexibility. Rather than a blanket approach, personalised therapy offers tailored interventions that suit your individual situation. This bespoke nature allows for targeted interventions that address specific issues. For example, if you are suffering from anxiety, we’ll look at your personal context, understand who and what is important and select some goals you care about. We’ll teach you the best strategies to break the vicious cycles that keep your problems going so you can reach your short and long-term goals.
Different therapies work better for different people because we all process experiences uniquely. Hence, finding something tailored specifically towards you; your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours all play into finding the right fit.
Tailoring Your Journey Towards Mental Wellness
Mental wellness isn’t achieved overnight; patience is key. Personalised therapy respects this by considering where you’re starting from and pacing treatment accordingly – no rush. While we aim to help you quickly improve your mental health, relationships and habits, we’ll give you all the time you need. There are no time limits.
A critical aspect of this personalisation involves building trust with your therapist, who guides you through the ups and downs at a comfortable pace while always aiming towards progress. We know from research this approach increases the likelihood of a successful therapeutic outcome.
Understanding Your Needs for Therapy
It’s helpful to think about why now. What has prompted you to seek therapy at this time? Why is it important to get help? Understanding your motivations for therapy and making change is a helpful first step.
Secondly, it’s important to think about what you’re hoping for. What do you want to improve? By exploring these questions, you and your therapist can design a roadmap to help you reach your goals.
If you’re grappling with specific issues like anxiety, OCD, depression, stress or low self-esteem, therapies such as Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Compassion Focused Therapy can change your life.
If you suffer from nightmares and feel easily startled or frightened to go outside, you may be suffering from trauma. Rising quickly to anger or struggling with guilt and shame are also possible indicators of post-traumatic stress. In these circumstances, we often recommend EMDR, a slightly unusual yet highly effective treatment for letting go of upsetting memories.
We offer couples counselling for relationship problems and family therapy for parents and children, and our Autism Interventions Service can support you with helpful coping skills to improve your mental health, well-being and communication.
No matter why you’re considering therapy, the key thing is that it feels right for you. After all, this process involves delving into some of life’s biggest questions about who you are and how you want to live your life.
Different Types of Therapies
Not all therapies are the same. Let me tell you what they mean so you can understand your options.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is an umbrella term for therapies involving conversations with a trained professional. It helps people understand their feelings and how they affect their behaviour. Ultimately, it exists to help you change patterns in your habits to improve your mental health and relationships.
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
In traditional CBT, you learn to spot thought patterns, assess their helpfulness or accuracy and construct new ones based on the evidence and what is more helpful. You learn to test your assumptions through experimentation, build up pleasurable activity and confront your fears through carefully designed exposure and response prevention exercises.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps you to build psychological flexibility. People with high psychological flexibility have better mental health, well-being and relationships. You can build it by learning to be mindful of the present moment, open and accepting of your emotions and committed to leading a life you want.
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
The National Institute for Health Care Excellence (NICE) supports using EMDR in treating Post Traumatic Stress. This therapy focuses on making you feel safe, teaching you settling or stabilising methods, and confronting your memories. Unusually, you don’t need to tell your therapist about your memories, but you do need to recall them. Disturbing and traumatic memories can get stuck in the wrong part of your memory storage and EMDR unpacks it so you can file it away like other memories.
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
Compassion-Focused Therapy, or CFT, teaches you to let go of self-criticism, treat yourself kindly and sensitively and act with courage. Like CBT and ACT, CFT effectively improves your mental health.
What else should you consider When Choosing a Therapy?
Choosing the right therapy isn’t always straightforward. Now that I’ve told you about some different therapies and how to explore your needs, let’s consider some other helpful factors.
Your Personal Preferences
You might be more comfortable with certain types of therapies because they align better with your personality or beliefs. Do you like to challenge your thinking? Then, CBT will be helpful.
Would you prefer to recognise and learn from your emotions while finding more purpose and meaning? Then, I recommend Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
If you tend to be very harsh with yourself, expecting perfection and trying to do everything yourself, I’d recommend Compassion Focused Therapy.
If you suffering from nightmares and a fear of being hurt, I’d recommend EMDR. And, if you want to work through conflicts and communication difficulties with your partner, then I would, of course, recommend Couples Counselling.
Think about the Person as well as the type of Therapy.
Firstly, what qualities are essential to you in a therapist? Would you prefer someone direct and challenging? Or would you like someone empathic and supportive? You can have both; it’s not one or the other. It’s hard to get a feel for a person before you meet them, so we’d be happy to set up a call so you can have a brief chat. However, it’s helpful to consider the personal qualities and style you want in a therapist.
Is there gender or age important? Do you want someone from a similar ethnic, religious or cultural background? What about any other aspects of their identity?
Our list of therapists on our website provides detailed profiles so you can get an idea about their style before meeting them.
Practicalities Matters
Last but not least, practical factors also play into this decision, such as location (if opting for face-to-face), cost per session or whether they’re registered with professional bodies like BACP. Are you looking for in-person or online? What day or time can you do? We have many different therapists to choose from, and we’ll do our best to match you up with someone you want at the most convenient time.
Online vs. In-Person Therapy
Online therapy offers convenience, accessibility, and flexibility. You can have sessions from the comfort of your home at a time that works for you. This is particularly useful for those with busy schedules or mobility issues. Online therapy is just as effective as face-to-face.
In contrast, in-person therapy allows for richer communication – subtle body language cues aren’t lost over video calls. Some people also find they prefer the routine of going to a physical location each week because it helps them mentally prepare for their session.
Online: Offers convenience and ease of access anywhere with an internet connection.
In-Person: Allows deeper non-verbal communication during sessions and gives you a place to escape home life.
Five Ways to Choose the Right Therapy for You
Hopefully, that gives you a better understanding of the type of therapy that’s right for you.
- Start with what you want or need. Why are you looking for therapy now? What are you hoping to gain?
- Choose one of our evidence-based therapies: CBT, ACT, CFT, EMDR, Couples Counseling, Family Therapy or Autism Interventions.
- Think about your personal preference for in-person or online sessions.
- Identify any personal qualities important in a therapist.
- Give us a call or complete our contact form to book a consultation or speak to a therapist.
If you have any other questions about deciding on the best therapy for you, please get in touch.
Want to know more?
Our FREE Booklet will tell you almost everything you wanted to know about therapy.
