I am a clinical and counselling psychologist and a BABCP fully accredited CBT therapist who specialises in all kinds of trauma. This means I have additional training and many years of experience of delivering a specific type of cognitive behavioural therapy called Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. TF-CBT is one of evidence-based talking therapy for PTSD and complex PTSD, recommended by NICE guidelines.
TF-CBT is always tailored to the specific trauma you experienced as there are many different types of traumas and, as human beings, we also react to trauma in different ways. Therefore, the treatment always starts with a thorough assessment of the symptoms and problems that are specific to you.
For instance, some people experience dissociation and numbness, whilst others may feel anger or even rage; some people may be plagued by intrusive memories or nightmares which relate to their trauma, whilst others may experience amnesia or a sense of depersonalisation or derealisation.
The treatment will be individualised to you and your symptoms, depending on your trauma presentation.
However, just to give you an idea of the work involved, here is an overview of what typical treatment of TF-CBT looks like:
~ van der Kolk, 2014, p. 1
Through EMDR and brain spotting with Maja, I have felt a huge positive shift in just a few sessions. She has helped me to process significant traumatic experiences in a creative and safe enough way, as well as supporting me to trust myself along the journey. I appreciated the focus on post traumatic growth and I no longer feel defined by the trauma I have experienced. I am extremely grateful for the experience and would highly recommend Maja.
CBT focuses on current problems (although we acknowledge the past and explore how the problem developed) and strategies to change things in the here and now.
This means that your thought processes are constantly being improved and you are equipped with lifelong skills, enabling you to continue to grow and enhance your sense of wellbeing.
Within the course of CBT therapy, we aim to collaboratively explore your individual circumstances and help you understand how your problem has developed and what maintains it.
We work together on mutually agreed goals, and we design and test strategies to reduce the difficulties and disrupt the vicious cycles that keep the problem going.
CBT explores the connection between
thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
It emphasises the fact that we often fall into
patters of thinking (C: cognitive) and
responding (B: behavioural), which can be
unhelpful and lead to worsening of our mental
and physical state.
Hence, the aim of CBT is to help us break the
patterns that no longer serve us and change
the way we think, behave and respond to our
problems or challenges in life, so we can feel
better.
CBT therapy is an ‘umbrella’ term – within CBT
there are different protocols designed to
tackle depression and a range of anxiety
disorders. For instance, there are well
researched and tested protocols such as:
Trauma-Focused CBT, CBT for OCD, CBT for
generalised anxiety, CBT for health anxiety, CBT for panic disorder or CBT for phobias.
Although these protocols exist, please rest
assured that therapy is always individualised
to you and driven by our conceptualisation of
your problem/s.