Web-Psychs Services
What is cognitive behavioural therapy?
Clients and therapists work together, once a therapeutic alliance has been formed, to identify and understand problems in terms of the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviour. The approach usually focuses on difficulties in the here and now, and relies on the therapist and client developing a shared view of the individual's problem. This then leads to identification of personalised, usually time-limited therapy goals and strategies which are continually monitored and evaluated.
The treatments are inherently empowering in nature, the outcome being to focus on specific psychological and practical skills (e.g. in reflecting on and exploring the meaning attributed to events and situations and re-evaluation of those meanings) aimed at enabling the client to tackle their problems by harnessing their own resources. The acquisition and utilisation of such skills is seen as the main goal, and the active component in promoting change with an emphasis on putting what has been learned into practice between sessions (homework).
Thus the overall aim is for the individual to attribute improvement in their problems to their own efforts, in collaboration with the psychotherapist.
Does CBT work?
The effectiveness of CBT is supported by evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs), uncontrolled trials, case series and case studies. It is both highly structured (although always based on a formulation of the relationship between the client's presenting problems and underlying cognitive and/or behavioural processes) and flexible due to the constant evaluation of the outcome of the interventions.
Cognitive therapists do not usually interpret or seek for unconscious motivations but bring cognitions and beliefs into the current focus of attention (consciousness) and through guided discovery encourage clients to gently re-evaluate their thinking.
It is a form of therapy that addresses problems in a direct and targeted way.
What about Medications?
Certain psychological conditions often respond positively to a combination of medication and approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy. Depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar disorders and others may require conjoint therapy. This can be organised either through continuation of medication you are already taking or through a prescription from your family practioner or qualified GP at your location. Web pharmaceutical suppliers are possible once you have been properly assessed individually.
Who will I work with?
Web-psychs's primary therapist is Dr Mark Laskin, an experienced medical/clinical psychologist a member of the American Psychological Association as well as the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, the International Association of Marriage and Family Counsellors, and the American Counselling Association was trained at the Medical College of Virginia in the USA.
From time time and based on workload and availability other qualified therapists will be used on a referral basis with the consent of the client and based on the specific skills required. Once a therapist has been mutually agreed, you will continue to work with that individual throughout the course of your sessions. If for some reason that relationship is found to be unsatisfactory by either party, a discussion with Dr Laskin will be undertaken to find a more suitable match. Different therapists have different personalities and different approaches. It is important you feel comfortable both with skills, gender and approach of the therapist with whom you will work in partnership. All therapists are fully qualified in their specialty field and have long experience in clinical practise.
