Approaches to Treatment
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
CBT and its derivative, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), are based on the idea that the way someone thinks and feels drives their behaviour. CBT aims to help clients to identify, challenge, and change their irrational beliefs or negative thought patterns and emotions in order to change their corresponding behaviour. CBT has been found to be effective for a wide range of mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, insomnia, relationship problems, anger issues, stress, or other common concerns that negatively affect mental health and ultimately quality of life.
Family Systems Therapy
Family Systems Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that helps individuals work through their problems in the context of their family as a whole unit. A central tenet of this approach is that individual actions affect one another and the family as a whole. What happens to one member of the family unit happens to the whole family; individuals are influenced by their family but each person can also influence their entire family. For that reason, the strength and stability of the family can provide balance and support when one family member is struggling. This approach to therapy also considers how generational, community, social, and cultural aspects influence individuals and families. This approach is meant to help individuals and families recognize the dynamics in their relationships and work to develop healthier ones. In addition to family conflict, this approach has been found to be effective for substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and coping with physical disorders and disabilities.
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
Culturally Sensitive Therapy is an approach that emphasizes the therapist's understanding of a client’s background and belief system as it relates to their ethnicity, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, culture, religion, and other important elements that make up someone’s identity. Therapists incorporate cultural sensitivity in their work to respect differences in opinions, beliefs, values, and attitudes of different cultures and take steps to communicate and interact with clients using treatment plans that are personalized for them.
Positive Psychology
Positive Psychology highlights thought patterns, traits, behaviours, emotions, and experiences that are healthy and constructive that can improve the quality of a person’s life. It focuses on identifying what is going right in people’s lives and how to use this knowledge and skill set to help individuals thrive in different avenues of their life. This may include harnessing optimism, hopefulness, spirituality, ingenuity, gratitude, perseverance, meaning, and purpose. It involves exploring the client’s strengths rather than focusing on weaknesses.
Solution Focused Therapy (SFT)
Solution Focused Therapy, also called Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), is focused on finding solutions instead of analyzing past problems. It is goal-directed and future-focused with goal setting building its foundation. Therapists help clients change by developing incremental goals together to help them problem-solve to reach their ultimate goal for change. It is aimed to treat clients of all ages and with a variety of issues including behaviour problems, abuse, family dysfunction, addiction, and relationship issues.