HHMP offers specialists in the psychological treatment of depression, anxiety and many other psychological issues.
Depression and anxiety are the most common psychological conditions.
Depression is a condition which has both physical and psychological symptoms. Some people develop depression early in life, but more frequently, it results from exposure to excessive, prolonged or unexpected stress which gradually overwhelms the body's usual neurological resilience. The result brings feelings of being overwhelmed by hopelessness, helplessness or unworthiness. Relationship and sexual problems usually increase, as do difficulties with concentration and memory. Physical symptoms include extreme lethargy and fatigue in the absence of exertion, weight changes and problems with sleep. People seriously affected sometimes express wanting to die. Where this occurs, medical help should ideally be sought immediately. The condition's cause lies in imbalances occurring in a depressed person's central nervous system. Depression can range from being a minor issue, to having major impact on daily functioning. Less serious forms of depression respond very well to changes in lifestyle and thinking habits, which alone will help regain a more normal balance. The more serious forms of depression can require use of various medical prescriptions, to help correct the imbalance biochemically.
Anxiety is a term which refers to common symptoms experienced in a range of psychological disturbances. These include generalised feelings of being anxious and fearful frequently, but may also include problems with frequent panic attacks, obsessional thinking and compulsive behaviour issues or problems returning to normality after exposure to a life-threatening traumatic event. Symptoms of anxiety usually include restlessness, agitation or edginess, feelings of tiredness, concentration problems, increased muscle tension and problems with waking frequently or falling asleep due to worrying thoughts and feelings.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is used to treat many psychological issues including depression, anxiety, phobias and compulsions. Participants learn new cognitions ('thoughts') and new behaviour strategies ('activities') after learning to recognise previous patterns maintaining their unwanted feelings. Negative thoughts and experiences 'program' certain nerve networks in the brain to automatically launch negative emotions like fear, or sadness too often. Encouraging new types of thoughts helps the brain learn to bi-pass networks involved in troubled feelings. New connections between less-used brain areas also grow, helping change responses to more positive ones.
The process has been likened to a computer (ie the brain) self-correcting its own malfunctioning programs. CBT therapeutic techniques are practised by the client, usually after learning them in therapy sessions guided by a psychologist, over a period between 3 and 6 months. Better stress resilience, feelings of self-control and more positive and stable moods are usual outcomes of successful treatment.
Gestalt Therapy (GT)
Gestalt Therapy (GT) promotes personal wellbeing by building increased awareness of physical sensations, mind states and orientation to surroundings. It is most often used with less verbally or visually orientated people who are more 'kinaesthetic' (physical) in the way they learn and express themselves. GT has proven very effective for helping release repressed emotional stress 'stored' characteristically in areas of frequent bodily tension. It heightens self-awareness and perception. It focuses on understanding emotional aspects of inter-relational dynamics between people and their social environments, such as power, aggression, frustration, personal stress limits, fear and anger. Participants work at identifying physical/emotional fields where their past suffering is still maintained. This awareness gradually promotes subtle changes in patterns of relating to others. The experience of re-sensitising to and visualising physical-emotional tension areas helps free blocked sensory areas for new experiences. Gradually understanding is gained about how old responses have helped misinterpretation of present surroundings.
Narrative Therapy (NT)
Narrative Therapy (NT) is a 'psycho-social' healing method emphasising telling personal stories. Participants become reacquainted with sharing and discussing feelings with trusted others in a connected, intimate way. They verbally re-experience their lives while relating to a uniquely new person (the therapist) who listens intently and cares about their story. Some people, particularly if living in large cities, may become disconnected, withdrawn and isolated from others. Others have always been discouraged from openly verbalising and sharing their feelings in certain families, cultures or communities. Learning to trust a supportive confidante is an important challenge for these people. Increased feelings of social and interpersonal connectedness are a key aim of NT, as is feeling 'heard' supported and recognised by someone else for having experienced something important. NT often proves very useful where people are having difficulty verbalising their feelings after experiencing bereavement or other loss, past or recent traumatic events or serious breakdowns in communication in close relationships.
Psychotherapy - see also Psychodynamic Therapy (below)
Psychodynamic Therapies
Psychodynamic Therapies are healing traditions which include both "psychotherapy" and "psychoanalysis".
They use prescribed methods originating in the work of Sigmund Freud early last century. The techniques include free association, exploring change resistance, dream interpretation and examining hidden needs and expectations effects on relationships. Participants unresolved conflicts are brought to therapy, after originating in earlier life stages. Personal growth obstacles are defined and new goals identified, eg. more mature love, learning trust, or finding meaningful work. "Defences" are also defined, being unconscious impulses, caused by repressed internal conflict/anxiety, that motivate self-sabotaging actions. Removing defences helps resolve emotional blocks, allowing new insights and eventually bringing emotional "catharses" ('release') and better wellbeing. Psychodynamic techniques follow a long-term therapy course of many years, ending only when client goals are achieved. Psychodynamic skills are still used by psychologists, but most often are combined with other psychological techniques which work more rapidly, such as CBT,GT or NT. Recently, psychodynamic therapies are also offered increasingly by clinically untrained counsellors, who study the therapy methods before adopting the title "psychotherapist".
Guided Imagery
Guided Imagery techniques tap into the visual mind, based largely in the brain's right lobe. Participants are encouraged to visualise peaceful scenes or thematic patterns, shapes or other visual ideas and combine these with their "imagination" to help bring about positive, relaxing and pleasurable responses in the body, emotions and mind. Guided imagery can follow a script or be done in a more spontaneous way with participants, based on their own needs. Psychologists may often talk with clients first about their preferred images before taking the participant into a deep relaxed state and commencing visualisation. Some more successful practitioners record less individualised exercises on to CDs, while others may record actual sessions as they are undertaken and give these to participants to take home and re-use. Improving visual imagination can have positive impact on rehabilitation from all manner of psychological disturbances from minor stress to major mental health disorders. Guided imagery is increasingly accepted as an evidence-based holistic healing technique.
Relaxation training
Relaxation training involves applying an individually tailored combination of techniques to assist relaxation, based on personal learning and interaction style. Participants undergoing personalised relaxation training usually start by communicating with their therapist about the type of person they characteristically are Some people use some psychological modalities more frequently than others. For example while some people communicate more verbally, or more physically through their physical senses, others are more visually or spatially attuned to their surrounds. After identifying the way people prefer to interact, the relaxation process initially begins with teaching deep diaphragmatic breathing, to evoke slower heart rate and heightened oxygen intake, reducing capacity for anxious or 'stressed' responding. This followed by particular combinations of guided imagery visualisation, open-ended visual imagination or internal dialogue verbalisation. The focus may also adopt more or less application of 'kinaesthetic' or bodily techniques, including progressive muscle relaxation and/or sensory awareness retraining depending on personal needs.
