Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is one of the third wave of mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral therapies and has accumulated a huge scientific evidence base demonstrating its effectiveness. ACT was originally devised by Steven C. Hayes when he was seeking relief from his own panic disorder. He tells the moving story of […]
Sweaty palms, racing heart, and erratic thoughts – feeling anxious can be debilitating and overwhelming. Once we recognize the experience and when it happens, we can put in place techniques that allow us to regain control. Grounding practices can be particularly helpful due to their potential for use anywhere, at […]
Humans are excellent problem-solvers, born with an innate ability to find solutions to day-to-day challenges. Cognitive science tells us that we regularly face not only well-defined problems but, importantly, many that are ill defined (Eysenck & Keane, 2015). Sometimes, we find ourselves unable to overcome our daily problems or the […]
Is the miracle question as good as it sounds? Well, possibly. For the therapist, the intervention has the power to explore clients' hidden resources and find solutions to their existing problems (Yu, 2019). The miracle question opens the door to the client's possibilities for therapy. It does this by simply […]
Offering Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in groups benefits participants by providing support when clients realize they are not alone with their struggles. Working in groups also facilitates learning healthy ways of relating to others and keeps clients accountable when learning new skills and better ways of coping. The ACT […]
To be successful and run a thriving practice, therapists need to be strategic with their marketing. Over the last 10 years, it has become increasingly apparent that practitioners must develop their marketing skills to strengthen their businesses and attract new clients (Gottlieb, 2012; Schofield, Ponzini, & Becker, 2020). Potential clients […]
Schema Therapy promises to help clients deal with psychological problems that have failed to respond to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The treatment aims to reduce symptoms and create a high-quality, satisfying life (Arntz & Jacob, 2013). Central to the therapy is the idea of healing early maladaptive schemas, formed during childhood, […]
Measurement and analysis are crucial to successful treatment in Schema Therapy. Having an awareness of the client’s schemas, needs, and the childhood experiences that underpin them enables the therapist to better apply appropriate interventions and identify positive changes when they occur. Understanding is central to the therapy’s goal that the […]
When was the last time you picked up a paintbrush or a colored pencil? Maybe it’s been a while, but what about the last time you doodled on your notebook during a meeting? For many of us, when we think of art, we tend to think it’s not for us. […]
Suffering from anxiety generally involves worry, fear, and rumination about the future. Such anticipatory anxiety makes enjoying each moment a difficult endeavor. Unfortunately, anxiety disorders represent a serious and prevalent problem for children and adults worldwide. The lifetime prevalence rate for anxiety disorders is estimated at 33.7% of the population—an […]
With stress, anxiety, and depression at epidemic levels across the world, therapy has become more commonplace. Therapy is available in schools, hospitals, and even churches. Many modalities are finding preventive therapy to be helpful in preventing high-risk behaviors (Singla, 2018). In order to help spread good therapy practice, this article […]
The idea of Post Traumatic Growth, or PTG, is a popular one – that survivors of traumatic events cannot only heal from their trauma, but may actually grow into a stronger, more driven, and more resilient person because of their trauma. According to the Posttraumatic Growth Research Group at the […]
Sometimes, good coffee and good music are all that we need to unwind. Music touches all aspects of our lives - physical, emotional, psychological, and behavioral. As a therapy, music is a proven way to reduce stress and to get into a mindful state of consciousness. Music therapy includes listening, […]
Traditional therapy has historically been problem-focused. It has analyzed a person’s problems from where they started and how those problems have an effect on that person’s life. Out of years of observation of family therapy sessions, the theory and applications of solution-focused therapy developed. Let’s explore the therapy, along with […]
Positive psychotherapy: the term almost seems self-contradictory. The word “psychotherapy” often evokes images of nerve-wracked patients reclining on couches, a stern therapist with furrowed brows and a notepad, and a deep uneasiness linked to the identification and analysis of every childhood trauma you have suffered, whether you remembered it before […]
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a “third-wave” cognitive behavioral intervention aimed at enhancing our psychological flexibility (Hayes et al., 2006). Rather than suppress or avoid psychological events, ACT is based on the belief that acceptance and mindfulness are more adaptive responses to the inevitabilities of life. By experiencing our […]
Recent years have seen self-therapy become much more of a talking point in international media. The concept refers very broadly to the idea of treating one's own emotional or psychological problems, without the help of a therapist. But what does it really mean? In this article, we look at the […]
If you’re like most people (including me!), you were probably not familiar with the concept of drama therapy before landing on this page. That’s a real shame, and you’ll see why by the end of this piece. Drama therapy is an established and validated form of therapy that can be […]
Here are the 11 worksheets for self-expressive writing: The Benefits Of Writing Motivation For The Client Instructions For The Practitioner Working With Writing Therapy Fear Setting Healing From Trauma Through Writing Reflection Prompts Self-Reflective Writing Exercises Working Towards Your Ideal Self Writing About Intensely Positive Experiences Further Writing Resources […]
Psychotherapy is a type of treatment for a variety of mental disorders that has been used in psychology for decades. This article will cover what psychotherapy is and how it can benefit people with various disorders. This article will also discuss some ways that psychotherapists can improve their own practice […]
The push towards Evidence-Based Therapy is a movement in psychology that aims to track the efficacy of treatment plans, with the goal of providing clients with treatments that have solid evidence backing their effectiveness. This article will cover what Evidence-Based Therapy is, how it relates to the idea of evidence-based […]
Albert Ellis noticed a gap in therapy work and hypothesized that the thoughts people have and the way they think could be much more vital for understanding and treating clients than current therapies assumed. His work left a marked impact on the therapy world and introduced a new type of […]
“How does that make you feel?” This question is probably quite familiar to you. It is the question most often used in pop culture to indicate or reference therapy. It is also the hallmark of psychodynamic therapy. Ironically, this phrase that immediately calls to mind the practice of therapy is […]
Play therapy is a type of therapy that, as the name suggests, involves playing. It has been around for a long time, even in an academic context. Recently, play therapy has been refined and targeted to a variety of different disorders, from autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder […]
It can be easy to slide into isolation when we’re feeling down, especially for those suffering from an invisible illness or problem, but this is the exact opposite of the action that is most likely to help us climb out of that pit. Loneliness and isolation tend to breed more […]
The idea of client-centered therapy might seem redundant – after all, when is therapy not centered on the client? This term seems redundant now, but when it was first developed, it was a novel idea. Before the humanistic therapies were introduced in the 1950s, the only real forms of therapy […]
We all start this life with a family, whether that family is composed of blood relatives, adopted parents, a close-knit neighborhood, or a foster family. This family that we acquire when we are born influences every aspect of our lives, from our first moments to our last. Our family affects […]
