Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based practice founded by Dr Marsha Linehan and her colleagues, intended initially to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). It has four key elements, mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness.
DBT was adapted to treat other mental health conditions, such as eating and substance use disorders, and has resulted in significant improvements for suicidal and self-injuring patients.
For Adolescents
DBT-A is an adolescent version of DBT and comprises the same four key elements delivered in an adolescent-friendly way. Amanda is an experienced DBT and DBT-A facilitator who engages with participants to help them practise living in the moment through mindfulness initially and then guides them to regulate their emotions, develop healthy ways to cope with stress, and improve relationships with others.
DBT can be applied in individual sessions or is offered as part of Integrate Therapy & Consulting group programs.
EMOTION FOCUSSED THERAPY
Emotion-Focussed Therapy (EFT) is a therapeutic intervention aimed at releasing blocked and pent-up emotions, perhaps being repressed or avoided. EFT allows emotions to be activated, expressed, deeply explored and then regulated safely and effectively.
Based on Eastern principles of meridian points, the same places used in acupuncture, your psychotherapist will show you how to use your hands to tap on these energy hot spots gently. This sends new signals to the parts of your brain where the negative or complex emotion is stored, releasing the stress and creating new ways of regulating the emotion. By tapping on the meridians and holding the thoughts in consciousness, healing is promoted through a release of the emotional or physical issues that may have been preventing you from moving forward. The opportunity to gain clarity, shift limiting thought processes, resolve past traumas and support change are frequent outcomes of EFT.