CFT (Compassion Focused Therapy)

Compassion focused therapy (CFT) was developed by Paul Gilbert and aims to promote mental and emotional well-being by helping clients to be compassionate towards themselves and others. Showing compassion to ourselves and others is an integral part of good mental well-being. It can help to soothe the inner critic that many of us have developed in our lives. Many psychological difficulties are rooted in social relational problems especially in feeling cared for by others, having a caring interest in others, and having a caring, affiliative orientation to oneself. This model of therapy can help clients in these domains to address problems related to mood, problematic behavior and a range of shame and self-critical linked difficulties.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy and is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that combines trauma and emotional focused approaches with strategies such as, mindfulness, acceptance and distress tolerance. 

The approach was developed by Dr Marsha Linehan who developed the program in response to her own mental health problems and an inability to find an approach that worked. Dialectics in DBT involve bringing together opposites and considering what’s being left out by teaching patients how to engage the wise mind in balancing the logical mind and the emotional mind. For those who access DBT, the emotional mind is often dominant and clients find it difficult to tolerate strong emotions and may have developed harmful coping strategies and behavior patterns. 

In DBT, there are 3 categories of targets: life-threatening behavior, therapy-interfering behavior, and quality-of-life-interfering behaviors (including self-harm). DBT is an evidenced based approach and has been found to be effective in helping people with with a range of concerns. These include; borderline personality disorder, self-harming and suicidal behaviors, anxiety and depressive disorders, bi-polar and many more presenting difficulties.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy consists of individual sessions and group work. There are four modules that include group work within which distress tolerance, emotional regulation, mindfulness and interpersonal skills are taught. At Reverse Psychology we run the full DBT program for both adolescents and adults.

No man is an island and we are all connected to a family in some form or another. The dynamics and patterns of relating within our family deeply influences every aspect of our lives and our psyche, from our first moments to our last. In many ways, psychological challenges are often as symptomatic of the family as they are of the individual. Family therapy is a psychotherapeutic intervention which focuses on treating the family system. Instead of addressing people on an individual level only, treatment also focuses on people in their relationships, dealing with interactional patterns and dynamics. The process can assist family members build stronger relationships, improve communication, and manage conflicts within the family system. Some of the primary goals of family therapy are to create a better home environment, resolve family issues, and understand the unique issues that a family might face.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is an evidenced based, talk therapy. An emphasis is placed on developing a warm, connected relationship with your therapist where you feel heard, validated and supported.

The psychodynamic process aims to help individuals recognize influences that are affecting their current emotional well-being and behavior. These influences can sometimes be hidden or illusive to grasp and by bringing these unconscious patterns of relating, behaving, feeling and thinking into awareness, we are able to reduce symptoms and improve our quality of life.

In other words, individuals frequently develop characteristic ways of responding to the world around them without being fully aware of these tendencies. By learning to spot these (often knee jerk) responses in psychotherapy, individuals can develop new ways of being in the world or patterns of relating. This can help to diminish symptoms, discomfort and interpersonal conflict. The approach also helps individuals learn to acknowledge, bear, and put into perspective their emotional lives. 

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

is an evidence-based psychotherapy originally developed for the treatment of trauma and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). 

EMDR Psychotherapy has been approved and recommended by the World Health Organization as one of the most effective methods for treatment of post-traumatic symptoms. Research has shown that EMDR Psychotherapy is useful treating a wide range of traumatic experiences, also back in childhood, such as

·        Bullying

·        Difficult and harsh family systems

·        Mental and physical abuse

·        Accidents

·        Assaults

·        Adverse life experiences

Its effectiveness in healing psychological stress goes far beyond PTSD and has been proved to be helpful for:

·            Anxiety

·            Depression

·            Self-esteem problems

·            Performance anxiety 

·            Eating disorders

·            Emotional regulation problems

·            Addictions

·            OCD

·            All realms of phobias. 

EMDR can also help to ease somatic symptoms, like pain or muscle tension.

EMDR can help to identify where these problems have come from by helping the brain to identify past events and heal itself. 

Please contact Amelia Simpson for a consultation to see if EMDR could be an effective therapy approach for you. 

Mindfulness meditation is increasingly included in the treatment of both physical and mental health conditions and it’s frequently mentioned in the news media, on the Internet and in health news circles. 

Mindfulness meditation is the practice of purposefully focusing our attention on the awareness of the present moment as it relates to our thoughts, feelings, sensations in our body and our sense of the environment around us. This practice is rooted in eastern meditation practices. However, today this secular practice has been introduced all over the world showing scientific evidence of its benefits.

Mindfulness meditation engages the brain, we might think of it as a form of exercise for the brain, just as physical exercise keeps our body fit and healthy, mindfulness meditation keeps our brain fit. Research has shown that just five to 15 minutes of daily meditation is all we need to begin to experience benefits.

We can use Mindfulness as a supportive strategy to help manage many mental health issues. It pairs well with medical treatments and counseling. Communities are increasingly providing retreats, meditation centers and classes on mindfulness meditation.

Mindfulness increases and supports:

• Positive emotions
• Emotion regulation
• Relaxation
• Empathy and understanding for others
• Self-compassion
• Self-esteem
• Positive relationships
• Positive parenting
• Ability to focus and attend
• Immune response
• Cognitive flexibility
• Memory

Mindfulness decreases:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Anger and hostility
• Symptoms of post-traumatic stress
• Physical and emotional pain
• Emotional reactivity
• Addictive behaviors
• Insomnia
• Negative effects of stress
• Use of and need for pain medications

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an evidence based psychological talking therapy, effective with a wide range of conditions, such as anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, eating disorders, ADHD, ASD and others.  

CBT is an approach where scientific evidence has been shown to demonstrate that the methods employed in a CBT intervention are effective in eliciting change and is widely the treatment of choice across many health institutions worldwide.

CBT is based on a core set of principles. Primarily that individuals, through experience or otherwise, can develop unhelpful thoughts and behaviours which create, maintain or exacerbate their psychological distress. Through both cognitive and behavioural techniques, those learnt thoughts and behaviours can be re-balanced in the individual, reducing or removing the psychological concerns present. Likewise, CBT also aims to support the client in learning better coping methods to manage that challenges that life throws us. This would typically include supporting the client in learning to identify unhelpful thinking patterns or cognitions in the future and having effective behavioural techniques to self-manage.

CBT, like many psychological treatments, is based on collaborative working, warmth, empathy and trust. Setting goals are very important in the intervention, and these would be discussed and agreed together by the therapist and client. CBT places emphasis on helping clients learn to be their own therapist.

CBT can help you with the following;

• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• PTSD
• Sleep disorders
• Eating disorders
• Body Dysmorphic Disorder
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Substance abuse
• Bipolar disorder
• Personality disorders
• Schizophrenia
• Sexual disorders

For businesses of any size

Reverse Psychology provides consultancy services to small, medium or large businesses. The clinicians have experience in delivering presentations, providing mental health awareness training and holding workshops to help you get the best of your employees. Some members of the team also provide specific therapy workshops aimed at upskilling mental health practitioners. This would include CBT, DBT, and CFT workshops.

We would also be happy to tailor our approach to your needs and requirements. For enquiries about using us for a corporate service, please fill out the Contact Us form.

Understand and identify

Psycho-Educational assessments (sometimes also known as Cognitive assessments) are conducted by appropriately trained and registered psychologists. They are also sometimes referred to as IQ tests, depending on the reason for having this assessment. The testing would typically take place over 2 separate days, for 1.5 hours each day. The clinician will then need to score, interpret and write the report, which would be completed within 14 days, hopefully sooner.

In most cases, a Psycho-Educational assessment would be recommended when a child or individual is experiencing difficulties with; learning, reading, writing, memory, processing of information and executive function tasks. It may also be recommended where there are concerns relating to ADHD (inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity), either to assess for ADHD, or to have an updated assessment to determine progress. For children, schools will often require a cognitive assessment to have been conducted, as this will help the school understand the needs of the child and develop an Individualised Education Plan (IEP).

Some parents or individuals may request a Psycho-Educational assessment for understanding their IQ. It is always the right of the client to request for this assessment, and does not need to be conducted at the request of a clinician. 

Helping with a different approach

The concept of play therapy is relatively new to the UAE. It has been regarded as a very important therapeutic modality, and is often misunderstood.

If you engage with a play therapist, you should still expect evidence based practice within therapy, and your clinician will be appropriately trained to provide this. It is more of an integrative approach, and may include art or drawing, music or role playing. It is largely a child focused therapy, and is designed to help children to articulate their worries, emotions or challenges in a less direct way than talking. However, play therapy does comprise heavily of talking, and the play based model is used to help children to be more vocal with their concerns. 

Play therapy helps children in many ways, including;

• Learning to express their emotions
• Learning to express their words
• Developing healthier relationships with family and friends
• Building self esteem and confidence
• Reducing anxiety 
• Establishing and understanding their identity

Your therapist will always be able to guide you and your child in identifying if this type of therapy is a good fit for you.