Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a well researched, evidence-based, form of psychological therapy. CBT is about finding out what is keeping you ‘stuck’ and making changes in your thinking and actions in order to improve the way you feel. It is a collaborative therapy and needs your active participation in order to be helpful. Skills training (e.g. stress management, social skills training and effective communication) can also be important components of CBT.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps individuals build acceptance towards a range of personal experiences, including distressing thoughts, beliefs, sensations, and feelings, in an effort to promote desired changes. A key principle is that attempts to control unwanted subjective experiences (e.g. anxiety) can sometimes prove ineffective and can result in an increase in distress. ACT aims to create a rich, full and meaningful life, while accepting the pain that inevitably goes with it.

Solution-Focused Therapy focuses on clients’ strengths and previous successes. There is a focus on working from the client’s understandings of her/his concern/situation and what the client might want to change. It is based on exploring solutions to the problem rather than emphasising the problem itself.

Mindfulness is about being aware of what is happening in the present, moment-by-moment, without making judgements about what we notice. Mindfulness strengthens our ability to pay attention in the present moment, but also increases our awareness of how our minds fluctuate, often in unhelpful ways. Practising mindfulness teaches us to accept more of our experience.This has been shown to help people live more fulfilling lives.