"Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is based on a contextual theory of language and cognition known as relational frame theory. It makes use of a number of therapeutic strategies, many of which are borrowed from other approaches, including CBT. However, ACT focuses on the context and function of psychological experiences (e.g., thoughts, feelings, and sensations) as the target of interventions, rather than on the actual form or frequency of particular symptoms. In ACT, individuals increase their acceptance of the full range of subjective experiences, including distressing thoughts, beliefs, sensations, and feelings in an effort to promote desired behaviour change that will lead to improved quality of life. A key principle is that attempts to control unwanted subjective experiences (e.g., anxiety) are often not only ineffective but even counterproductive in that they can result in a net increase in distress, result in significant psychological costs, or both. Consequently, individuals are encouraged to connect with their experiences fully and without defence while moving toward valued goals. ACT also helps individuals to identify their values and translate them into specific behavioural goals." - Psychological Interventions in the Treatment of Mental Disorders: A Review of the Literature. Fourth Edition (2018); Australian Psychological Society (APS)

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) assists you in becoming aware of the ways in which you think and act effect your emotions. CBT helps you to recognize unhelpful patterns, and develop more adaptive strategies. CBT can include techniques such as cognitive interventions, behavioural interventions, psychoeducation, relaxation strategies and skills training.

"Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a focused approach based on the premise that cognitions influence feelings and behaviours, and that subsequent behaviours and emotions can influence cognitions. The clinician works with individuals to identify unhelpful thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. CBT has two aspects: behaviour therapy and cognitive therapy. Behaviour therapy is based on the theory that behaviour is learned and therefore can be changed. Examples of behavioural techniques include exposure, activity scheduling, relaxation, and behaviour modification. Cognitive therapy is based on the theory that distressing emotions and maladaptive behaviours are the result of faulty patterns of thinking. Therefore, therapeutic interventions such as cognitive restructuring and self-instructional training are aimed at replacing dysfunctional thoughts with more helpful cognitions, which leads to an alleviation of problem thoughts, emotions, and behaviour...Skills training (e.g., stress management, social skills training, parent training, and anger management) is another important component of CBT."

- Psychological Interventions in the Treatment of Mental Disorders: A Review of the Literature. Fourth Edition (2018); Australian Psychological Society (APS)

"Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is designed to serve five functions: enhance capabilities, increase motivation, enhance generalisation to the natural environment, structure the environment, and improve clinician capabilities and motivation to treat effectively. The overall goal is the reduction of ineffective action tendencies linked with deregulated emotions. It is delivered in four modes of therapy. The first mode involves a traditional didactic relationship with the clinician. The second mode is skills training which involves teaching the four basic DBT skills of mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Skills generalisation is the third mode of therapy in which the focus is on helping the individual to integrate the skills learnt into real-life situations. The fourth mode of therapy is team consultation, which is designed to support clinicians working with difficult clients." - Psychological Interventions in the Treatment of Mental Disorders: A Review of the Literature. Fourth Edition (2018); Australian Psychological Society (APS)

"Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) combines a client- centred therapeutic approach with process-directive, marker-guided interventions derived from experiential and Gestalt therapies applied at in-session intrapsychic and/or interpersonal targets. These targets are thought to play prominent roles in the development and exacerbation of disorders such as depression. The major interventions used in EFT (e.g., empty-chair and two- chair dialogues, focusing on an unclear bodily-felt sense) facilitate creation of new meaning from bodily felt referents, letting go of anger and hurt in relation to another person, increased acceptance and compassion for oneself, and development of a new view and understanding of oneself." - Psychological Interventions in the Treatment of Mental Disorders: A Review of the Literature. Fourth Edition (2018); Australian Psychological Society (APS)

Grief is not something to be fixed or moved through quickly—it’s something to be met. Together, we create space to stay with what has been lost, to understand how it lives within you, and to slowly integrate the experience in a way that honours both your connection and your ongoing life.

Interpersonal Neurobiology (INPB) as a framework for therapy. IPNB is an interdisciplinary field which explores what happens between us (inter) and inside of us (personal). In other words, we explore how others behavior influences our biology, emotions, behaviours and mind, or, how we are who we are because of our relationships. Within this framework, neuroscience or neurobiology, which is the study of how the brain supports mental processes, attachment theory, which is the study of the impact of our early attachment relationships, and trauma theory and therapy, which is the study of the impact of adverse experiences or complex trauma (cumulative, interpersonally generated trauma) on the mind and brain, inform the therapeutic process.

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) focuses on your interpersonal context, and aims to enhance your interpersonal skills and your relationships.

"Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is a brief, structured approach that addresses interpersonal issues. The underlying assumption of IPT is that mental health problems and interpersonal problems are interrelated. The goal of IPT is to help clients understand how these problems, operating in their current life situation, lead them to become distressed and put them at risk of mental health problems. Specific interpersonal problems, as conceptualised in IPT, include interpersonal disputes, role transitions, grief, and interpersonal deficits. IPT explores individuals’ perceptions and expectations of relationships, and aims to improve communication and interpersonal skills. - Psychological Interventions in the Treatment of Mental Disorders: A Review of the Literature. Fourth Edition (2018); Australian Psychological Society (APS)

Internal Family Systems (IFS) builds on the assumption that symptoms and unresolved issues reflect disowned and un-integrated parts of the self. IFS assumes that we each have an internal system, which is experienced as paradoxical thoughts, feelings and behaviours, for example “a part of me is angry and wants to say something, but another part of me doesn’t care, and wants to run from the conflict.” IFS also assumes that we each have a [wise] Self, and that the Self can and should lead the system. The aim is to achieve balance and harmony within the internal system, and to differentiate and elevate the Self to be an effective leader, while listening to and being resourced by our other parts. Treatment helps clients move safely toward integration.

"Medication assisted psychotherapy has shown promise in the treatment of chronic depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Clinical trials have demonstrated that these therapies are safe and effective treatment options for individuals experiencing treatment-resistant depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Participants may report benefits such as an increased sense of connection to themselves, others, and the world, greater self-compassion, shifts in perspective on long-standing problems, and new insights to resolve their mental health challenges." Monarch Mental Health Group

Enhance your capacity to bring your attention to a variety of experiences, such as bodily sensations, posture, thoughts, and feelings, without judgment, with the aim of learning to process and integrate. Mindful awareness practices enable you to become better able to notice thoughts, emotions, and sensations that may be present, often before they become too overwhelming. By becoming more aware of your internal experience, you improve your capacity to reflect, integrate split off emotions and sensations, regulate your attention, emotion, thoughts and mood, make choices, resource yourself and change.

"Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) are treatments that emphasise mindfulness meditation as the primary therapeutic technique. MBCT and MBSR are used to interrupt patterns of ruminative cognitive- affective processing that can lead to depressive relapse. In MBCT and MBSR, the emphasis is on changing the relationship to thoughts, rather than challenging them. The aim is to raise awareness at a metacognitive level so that an individual can fully experience cognitions and emotions that pass through the mind that may or may not be based on reality. The goal is not to change the dysfunctional thoughts but to experience them as being real in the present time and separate from the self." - Psychological Interventions in the Treatment of Mental Disorders: A Review of the Literature. Fourth Edition (2018); Australian Psychological Society (APS)

Neuroaffirming psychological support is an approach to therapy that understands neurodivergence (e.g., ADHD, autism, and AuDHD) as a natural variation in human neurology, not a disorder to be fixed.

Therapy centres identity, helping people make sense of their neurotype in a way that reduces shame and supports a more integrated sense of self. Instead of focusing on adapting to neurotypical norms, it prioritises context—adapting environments, expectations, and supports to fit the individual. The therapeutic relationship is collaborative and transparent, valuing lived experience and working alongside you rather than positioning the therapist as the expert who fixes.

This approach also recognises that attention, executive functioning, and social engagement are state-dependent, placing regulation before performance. It supports sustainable functioning by working with capacity, not against it, and addresses the long-term impact of masking, including exhaustion, anxiety, burnout and identity strain. In practice, this often involves flexible structure, validating psychoeducation, and supports that scaffold daily life, allowing you to function in ways that are both effective and authentic.

"Psychoeducation involves the provision and explanation of information to clients about what is widely known about characteristics of their diagnosis. Individuals often require specific information about their diagnosis, such as the meaning of specific symptoms and what is known about the causes, consequences, and implications of the problem. Information is also provided about medications, prognosis, and alleviating and aggravating variables, as well as early signs of relapse and how these signs can be actively monitored and effectively managed. Individuals are helped to understand their disorder to enhance their therapy and assist them to live more productive and fulfilling lives." - Psychological Interventions in the Treatment of Mental Disorders: A Review of the Literature. Fourth Edition (2018); Australian Psychological Society (APS); Relaxation Strategies: Progressive Muscle Relaxation (Pandiculation) and controlled breathing, and other relaxation and grounding strategies.

Skills Training:

• problem solving skills and training

• anger management

• social skills training

• communication training

• stress management

• parent management training

Somatic and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy blends theory and technique from neuroscience, attachment theory, cognitive approaches and somatic awareness and movement interventions, to heal psychological issues, in particular trauma and early attachment issues, and promote integration, empowerment and competency.

I have 20 years of experience in trauma therapy, including PTSD and complex and developmental PTSD. Trauma therapy involves understanding the adaptive survival patterns you learnt sub-conciously, making these concious, moving towards them with compassion and regulation, some emotion focused exposure, and liberating from these patterns that persist in the present.

"Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) is a brief resource-oriented and goal-focused therapeutic approach that helps individuals change by constructing solutions. It aims to increase optimism and positive expectancies along with the experience of positive emotions to improve outcomes. SFBT includes using specific techniques such as miracle and scaling questions to draw on clients’ strengths and resources to create new meaning for clients that provides a more positive future outlook." - Psychological Interventions in the Treatment of Mental Disorders: A Review of the Literature. Fourth Edition (2018); Australian Psychological Society (APS)