TREATMENT
TREATMENT PROCESS
At Suzi George Psychology, clients can expect to receive a safe,
confidential service. The initial session will involve comprehensive
history-taking so that a clear, common understanding of the client’s
presenting problem and its origins is developed. Assessment measures
may be administered to obtain objective information on aspects of the
client’s current psychological functioning e.g., mood, anxiety. A
treatment plan will be collaboratively formulated and goals will be
worked toward using evidence-based frameworks. At all times, therapy
will be tailored to meet the individual needs of the client and
regular review of progress will occur. The duration of therapy will
vary among clients depending on the nature of the presenting problem
and its severity. While some problems may lend themselves to a brief,
solution-focused approach, other problems may require longer-term work
in order to achieve and maintain therapeutic gains.
TREATMENT APPROACH
Suzi uses evidence-based therapies to help people overcome their
mental health problems. While she draws upon different therapeutic
frameworks when delivering psychological care, Suzi is a steadfast
proponent of acceptance-, compassion-focused, and mindfulness-based
therapies. Her predominant treatment approaches are Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Suzi is committed
to helping people develop a deeper understanding of themselves and to
respond to their symptoms in a different way.
ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY (ACT)
ACT is an evidence-based therapy that has shown to be effective in
treatment of depression, anxiety, and other psychological problems.
A primary purpose of engaging in ACT is to learn how to lead a rich
and meaningful life, while developing the capacity to accept the pain
that life can bring. Through the process of increasing psychological
flexibility, a number of core processes and skills are learnt that
help clients engage with their thoughts and feelings in a different
way. By learning how to be present through the development of
mindfulness skills, as well as through the clarification of values,
clients can learn how to commit to actions in their lives that are
important to them while also being able to respond to difficult
thoughts and feelings.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY (CBT)
CBT has a robust evidence base for the treatment of depression,
anxiety, phobias, and other mental health problems. At its core,
CBT recognises that clients’ feelings and behaviours are influenced
by their perceptions, or thoughts, of a situation. Through the
development of damaging or unhelpful thought patterns, the lens
through which clients’ see the world is impacted and painful feelings
and unhealthy behaviours ensue. By recognising unhelpful thought
patterns and their relationship with maladaptive behaviours, clients
are able to challenge and replace their thoughts, through strategies
such as identification of faulty reasoning processes and behavioural
experiments. New behaviours can be learnt through and problem-solving
skills can be developed to cope with difficult situations.
FEEDBACK INFORMED TREATMENT
At Suzi George Psychology, ‘Feedback-Informed Treatment’ is adopted in
order to monitor clients’ progress and satisfaction. This is to
ensure the effectiveness of the therapeutic approach and provides
valuable information on the ‘fit’ of therapy, the therapeutic
alliance, and progress across sessions. When therapeutic fit and
progress are systematically monitored, research suggests that this
may lead to better outcomes in psychotherapy for clients. Feedback
will be used to further tailor therapy to meet clients’ specific needs.