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The Change it psychology approach
 We use a range of techniques in our work including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), mindfulness, solution focused therapy and the latest developments in the positive psychology field. We pride ourselves on keeping up to date with the latest research in these fields.
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)
What is CBT?
CBT is about changing the way you feel by changing the way you think.
It is
- based on scientific research
- goal oriented
- practical
- effective
- present focussed
- for people suffering from a number of problems
It involves identifying and addressing the behaviors and thinking patterns that cause and maintain problems. It looks at how thoughts and behaviours contribute to feeling down, anxious, stressed or otherwise unhappy. The goal of CBT is to help people overcome emotional problems and reduce unhelpful behaviours. CBT can give you the tools to think more realistically and feel better.
Cognitive behaviour therapy helps you:
1) observe the way you think about things
2) decide if you want to change the way you think
3) work out solutions that are sustainable in the long term
What is treated by CBT?
Depression, anxiety, panic, stress, social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), health anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bulimia, anger, marital distress, chronic pain, and more! Recent books by Dr Judith Beck explain CBT for weight loss too.
How effective is it?
In a psychological review in 2006 in the academic journal “Clinical Psychology Review”, which included 9995 subjects in 332 studies, cognitive behavioural therapy was found to be “highly effective” for adult depression, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social phobia and PTSD. Many other studies have found it to be useful for a range of other conditions.
The effects of treatment last well beyond the end of treatment, and specifically long term effectiveness was found for depression, generalized anxiety, panic, social phobia, and OCD, with relapse rates half those of pharmacotherapy. This is thought to be because CBT’s focus is on modifying thinking and transferring the skills learned in therapy to everyday life. Thus treatment effects persist following the end of treatment.
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References
- Andrew C. Butler, Jason E. Chapman, Evan M. Forman, Aaron T. Beck (2006). The empirical status of cognitive-behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Findings from Clinical Psychology Review, 26,17– 31.
Mindfulness
What is it?
Mindfulness means paying attention to life in a particular way:
- Just as it is
- On purpose
- In the present moment
- Without judgement
Another definition of mindfulness is “learning to be in control of your mind, instead of letting your mind be in control of you.”
Mindfulness is about experiencing the world in the “here and now” – it offers a way of freeing oneself from automatic and unhelpful ways of thinking and responding. It teaches us how to control our attention to be more effective in our lives.
What is treated by mindfulness?
There have been studies showing the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions for a range of conditions including depression, anxiety, stress, OCD, chronic mental illness, eating issues, diabetes, cancer, chronic pain and more!
How effective is it?
Although there have not been a large number of randomized control trials for mindfulness interventions, the research that is available shows that it is effective especially with depression, anxiety, and stress. This is why our groups integrate both cognitive behavioural and mindfulness theories.
Why do mindfulness?
- Stepping back from the situation gives you the opportunity to reflect and respond differently.
- It can make life more meaningful because you notice each small moment and can benefit from participating in things you might otherwise miss
- Increased feelings of relaxation and calmness can result
- increased self-awareness, self-trust, and self-acceptance can result
- You may develop an accepting attitude toward life and its challenges
Mindfulness is a skill that takes time to develop. It is not easy, and like any skill requires a certain level of effort, time patience and ongoing practice.
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Positive psychology
What is it?
The term “Positive psychology” was coined in 1998 by the then president of the American Psychological association, Professor Martin Seligman.
He identified 3 areas to study:
- positive emotion, basically the study of happiness (how we feel; joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe, and love.),
- positive traits (strengths, virtues and abilities) and
- positive institutions (democracy, strong families, free inquiry).
The term provided researchers and practitioners with a common identity and since then the number of research articles exploring some element of wellbeing has grown dramatically and the number of professionals using positive psychology techniques with clients has also leapt forward.
Seligman argued that the field of psychology had unduly focused on the negative aspects of our life experience. The number of categories of illnesses in the book that psychiatrists and psychologists use to diagnose mental illness (the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM) grew from 66 categories to 250 from the 1st to the 4th edition.
Seligman and another positive psychology researcher, Chris Petersen, wrote what they called the anti- DSM, “Character Strengths and virtues: a handbook and classification,” which classifies 24 specific strengths under six broad virtues that consistently emerge across history and culture: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance and transcendence. It looks at “what’s right about people.”
Why is it important?
Since the field began there has been an explosion of happiness books onto the shelves by leading researchers. It might be tempting to dismiss working on our own happiness as naive, hedonistic, or trying to solve complex problems by being simple-minded, and many of my clients wonder if it is selfish to pursue their own happiness even saying that it feels wrong to focus on it.
What’s interesting is that research has shown that being happier has many benefits including
- health and physical benefits
- social, and
- mental and
- emotional benefits
Studies show that happy people are
- more healthy, energetic, have stronger immune systems, physically healthier, and live longer
- more charitable and co-operative, better liked by others, have richer networks of friends and social support, contribute more to society, get married and stay married
- more flexible and show ingenuity in their thinking
- more resilient in face of hardship, better leaders /negotiators
What is treated by positive psychology?
Positive psychology is about finding out what making people lastingly happier. It is not about saying that we should never experience so-called ‘negative’ emotion, as that would not only be unrealistic but would also rob us of some of our deepest experiences, which we ultimately learn from and may even come to see as a crucial element in our growth.
As stated in a 2005 article by Seligman and others, “Research findings from positive psychology are intended to supplement, not remotely to replace, what is known about human suffering, weakness, and disorder. The intent is to have a more complete and balanced scientific understanding of the human experience—the peaks, the valleys, and everything in between.”
How effective is it?
The same article reports that writing about three good things that happened each day and why they happened, and using signature strengths of character in a new way—made people happier (and less depressed) up to six months later. Many more proven happiness interventions have been written about in the 4 years since that article was written and if you’re interested in this field, check out the Change it Top 7 positive psychology books in the resources section.
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Solution focused therapy
Like CBT solution focused therapy is a short term and goal oriented therapy.
This therapy is about discovering solutions and identifying what is already working, so you can do more of it, as well as identifying what doesn't work so you can do less of it!
The emphasis is on the future, not the past. In common with many therapies the client is believed to be the best expert about what it takes to change his or her life. Creating a detailed picture of what it will be like when life is better creates a feeling of hope, and this makes the solution seem possible.
Evidence for Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
 In a review of 15 studies that have used Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) in 2000, the authors found there was preliminary support for its effectiveness, as positive outcomes were shown by the majority of participants.
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