5 mins
How does therapy help anxiety?
Starting therapy
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to therapy. We’re all different and we all come to therapy for different reasons. Some people come to therapy because they want to work on a specific goal. Others come because they want to delve deeper into their past and understand how it might be impacting them today. Others simply because they feel like something’s “up” and they can’t put their finger on it.
This is why our approach is tailor-made.
From the moment you reach out to us, we’re focused on finding you the right support. Good therapy is all about finding the right match – both in terms of the connection you have with your therapist but also the issue you’re looking to work on and the approach to therapy they take.
We take great care in matching you to the right psychologist, according to a variety of different factors – such as your needs, goals and learning style. And this tailor-made approach continues once you start therapy too. All of our psychologists are trained in multiple modalities which means they adapt their approach according to what they think you’ll most benefit from throughout your therapy.
What are the benefits of therapy?
Learn healthier coping strategies
Coping strategies are actions we take – consciously or unconsciously – to deal with stress or difficult feelings. While unhealthy coping strategies may provide some relief in the moment, they often have negative consequences longer term. In therapy, you’ll learn new tools for dealing with problems which provide positive outcomes for you in the long-term.
A therapist provides a non-judgemental, objective lens
A therapist offers a uniquely objective viewpoint which means personal feelings never influence the wider picture. Having spent years learning about the mind, they can quickly pick up on areas that might be holding you back and help you build tangible steps to change and grow.
Physical symptoms also improve
Our bodies respond to unresolved trauma as well as our minds. For this reason, when therapy is successful, we’ll often find that our headaches lessen, digestive issues ease and our sleep improves.
Build your confidence and self-esteem
Therapy helps you break out of any negative and unhelpful thought patterns that might be holding you back. With time, you’ll reshape these thoughts into positive, helpful thoughts which build your confidence and self-esteem.
Improve your relationships
Therapy doesn’t just help you understand yourself but it helps you understand other people too. As you start to build more self-awareness, you’ll become more aware of other people’s vulnerabilities as well. This helps you cultivate empathy and become less reactive.
The benefits are long-lasting
The changes you make in therapy will also change the way you respond to any curve balls that are thrown your way in the future. Over time, these changes in thinking and behaving literally rewire your brain, protecting you from falling into the same traps again.
Break the cycle
When you go to therapy, you’re not just going for yourself, you’re going for all the people before and after you too. Whether it’s conscious or unconscious, unresolved trauma can end up getting passed down from one generation to the next. By working through your own issues, you break the cycle for future generations to come.
What happens in therapy?
When you first contact the clinic, you’ll speak to one of our assistant psychologists over the phone who will ask you a few questions about yourself and what you’re looking to get out of therapy.
From there, they will match you with a psychologist or psychiatrist for your initial assessment. In the assessment stage, we’ll look to explore any issues you might be facing, your past, recurring themes or patterns, alongside what you’re looking to get out of therapy. On the basis of this information, you’ll be matched to the psychologist who we believe to be the best fit for you and your needs.
Your ongoing sessions will look different depending on the type of therapy you have. Some approaches to therapy are more direct and goal-orientated and others are more exploratory and open-ended. But broadly speaking, the first phase of therapy is typically focused around gathering information about your past and the difficulties you’re currently facing and, importantly, looking to see what might be maintaining those difficulties.
From here, your psychologist will develop a formulation for treatment. This will look different for everyone. For some people, this may involve some behavioural tasks or work around breaking specific relationship patterns. For others, it might involve identifying unhelpful thought patterns and where they stem from, and then practising new ways of thinking and being in the world. The course of therapy often shifts and changes over time as new things come up and you develop a new understanding of yourself.
Frequently asked questions
How long does therapy take?
It depends on your needs and what you’re looking to get out of therapy. We would consider 3 months to be short-term therapy and this would be focused around working on a specific problem. But if you’re looking for in-depth change, therapy tends to be longer term – around 6 – 12 months. Clients very often end up staying long-term because something else comes up and they find that they benefit from therapy in different ways at different times.
Do I need to prepare anything in advance?
It can help to have a bit of an idea around what you’re looking to get out of therapy as this can help steer the direction and make sure the focus rests on the areas that are most important to you. That said, it’s also fine if you’re not sure. Lots of people seek therapy because they’re lacking that clarity so it’s also completely fine if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Just making it through your psychologist’s door is enough.
Is it confidential?
Yes, consider therapy your safe space. Everything you talk about is completely confidential. The only exceptions are if your psychologist or psychiatrist thinks that you are a risk to yourself or others, in which case they may contact other professionals involved in your care, such as your GP.
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