CBT is the most well researched psychotherapy, it is considered the gold-standard for many challenges including most types of anxiety, depression, stress, and some of the less common mental health issues. The research tells us that it works for most people, most of the time. That, of course, means that for some people, some of the time, a different therapy might be more suitable. That’s the philosophy we take at Unburden Psychology. We tend to use CBT in conjunction with other therapies depending on the issue and the person. 

​

Essentially, CBT looks at practical strategies to change our thinking and our behaviour. This helps to rewire our brain and make us feel better, more in control, and more contented over the long term. There are a HEAP of tools within the CBT framework, so don’t be put off if you’ve tried CBT before, you may not have found the right tool for you – we’ll help you find it!

Schema Therapy is best known for those who have had crappy childhoods, and feel the ongoing legacy of that experience. Whilst it does delve into the past experiences, it is in fact a very practical therapy which is initially based on reflection and insight. It is a bit of a journey, but it is well worth it.

​

Sometimes Schema Therapy is used for those who think their childhood was happy and can’t identify any issues. This is because the therapy isn’t about judging your parents, it’s about working out how you learnt to interpret the world, so that we can see what situations trigger an unpleasant response as an adult.

​

Michelle is particularly helpful with taking clients through Schema Therapy.

EMDR is a gold-standard therapy for trauma, recognised by the World Health Organisation, the Australian Psychological Society, and others. It is a highly effective and efficient way to help the brain process traumatic memories. It is not a “talk therapy” as such, in fact, it can be done without saying much at all about the trauma! Instead, we give the brain two tasks to do at the same time (working on the trauma, and the “eye-movement” component). It can be quite tiring for the client.

EMDR requires specialist training for the psychologist. It does not need to use eye-movement, and in fact Dr. Michelle usually has a different technique so that eyes can be rested. Michelle and Phillippa are fully qualified EMDR therapists.

ACT is a wonderful therapy for those who are in the midst of situations over which they have no control. It focuses on self-reflection to help make decisions that are going to be most helpful and satisfying for you. ACT also helps with those who are over-thinkers or with racing or obsessive thoughts.

​

Vicki is particularly good with ACT.

A strongly behaviour based therapy, DBT is like the psychologist acting as ‘coach’ and the client needing to take the instructions into their own life. The techniques are particularly helpful for those who find they can at times be too impulsive, feel overwhelmed with emotional pain, quick to anger, take risky behaviours and/or have difficulty with maintaining friends and relationships. Whilst at Unburden Psychology we don’t offer the full DBT program, we have found that many of the techniques are useful for a range of our clients.

​

All our psychologists utilise DBT strategies for our clients as required.

Interpersonal Therapy is particularly useful for people who are struggling with their own relationships, whether personal, social or work related. The therapist is able to work with the client to help develop skills and trust, confidence in themselves and the ability to accept others.

​

All our psychologists utilise Interpersonal Therapy with our clients where required.

Particularly used for those with specific phobias or obsessions, exposure therapy helps to break the anxiety link and calm the nervous system. It is a solution focused therapy that is effective and efficient.

​

Our psychologists will work with clients to support them through this therapeutic approach should it be appropriate for their recovery.

Not to be confused with psychoanalysis (which is a more intense, traditional therapy), Psychodynamic Therapy is great for those who need to talk. It gives the opportunity to get all those racing thoughts out of your head and be heard. The psychologist provides empathy, insights and patterns observed, and through this process, the client will gain more self-understanding to help find their own path forward.

For those who are not great at tapping into their emotions, this therapy helps make the connection between suppressing emotion and how it is, in reality, impacting on your life. Unburden Psychology are about practical outcomes for a better life. We would use this therapy not to just say “let’s talk about your emotions!”, but instead when the reality is, suppressing emotion has had a direct and negative impact on life – whether with your relationships or with your physical health.

This therapy is particularly useful for those whose minds do their own thing, and it causes distress – or at the least, is quite frustrating and stressful. It may be that burnout from work is making thoughts catastrophise or ruminate, it may be that anxieties regarding chronic health conditions are not giving your brain a break. It may be that you are hearing voices, putting together links that are not there, or other such things. MBCT aims to “give your mind a rest” and focus instead on what you need right now.