We offer a variety of psychological therapies to address your varying needs
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a short-term, structured therapy, whereby the client and therapist work collaboratively to identify and change unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaving.
CBT has a strong evidence-base and is the treatment of choice for a wide range of difficulties.
CBT seeks to effect improvement by changing the ways in which we think and behave, gradually replacing maladaptive thoughts and behaviours with adaptive, positive alternatives.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
This is a modified form of ‘Cognitive Therapy’ that incorporates mindfulness practices such as meditation and breathing exercises. Using these tools, clients are taught how to break away from negative thought patterns that can cause a downward spiral into depression or anxiety.
Clients are taught meditation and relaxation techniques as well as basic principles of cognition such as the relationship between the way you think and the way you feel.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance & Commitment (ACT) is described as an empirically based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies, together with commitment and behaviour change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility.
The aim of ACT is to maximise human potential for a rich, full and meaningful life; to cultivate health, vitality and well-being through mindful values-based living.
Family/Systemic Therapy
This approach regards the family as a whole (system) with its own characteristics, rules and particular norms. It emphasises factors such as relationships and communication patterns rather than traits or symptoms in the individual. The assumption of therapy therefore is that problems cannot be successfully addressed or solved without understanding the dynamics of the family group, and the vital role family plays in our emotional, physical and behavioural development, since each individual in the family system impacts, and is impacted by the others.
Family Therapy therefore, is a form of psychotherapy that seeks to reduce distress and conflict, improve communication and deepen relationships, by enhancing the ‘systems’ of interactions between family members. It helps members make positive changes to the health and functioning of the family, develop and strengthen attachment relationships; building on the existing individual and family strengths.
A Family Therapy approach may involve seeing children and their parents, individually and/or in family member groups. Sometimes it only takes a few sessions to help a family find their way. Sometimes difficulties are more long-standing and complicated and may need a longer period to find solutions to move forward.
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
EMDR is an individual therapy typically delivered for a total of 6-12 sessions. It is based on the premise that symptoms of PTSD and other disorders (unless physically or chemically based) result from past disturbing experiences that continue to cause distress because the memory was not adequately processed.
EMDR restarts your natural capacity to self-heal. It does this by focusing directly on the memory and is intended to change the way that the memory is stored in the brain, thus reducing and eliminating the problematic symptoms.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has been extensively researched, and proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders.
Emotional Freedom Therapy
Emotional Freedom Therapy, also known as ‘Thought Field Therapy’ is one of a group of techniques known as somatosensory therapies that can cause a lasting and profound change in a single session.
Developed by a clinical psychologist in 1995, it now has a strong evidence base with over 100 studies demonstrating its efficacy across a wide variety of populations from trauma survivors to athletes to pain patients. It involves tapping specific acupuncture or acupressure points on the upper body while focussing on distressing thoughts and feelings, both past and present. It is considered to alter neural functioning.
It is used to remove unwanted emotions and memories and the physiological symptoms that accompany these. It is recommended in the treatment of PTSD, depression, anxiety, phobias, grief and other strong negative emotions and memories.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is a modified type of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) that was originally intended as a treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and is considered the “gold standard” psychological treatment for this condition. However, DBT can be particularly helpful for people who have difficulty with emotional regulation or those who engage in self-destructive behaviours (such as eating disorders and substance use disorders). It is also used to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Skills and strategies taught in DBT include distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills to reduce intense emotions, interpersonal effectiveness to improve relationships, and mindfulness-based strategies to reduce the emotional pain. The therapist and client work together to resolve the apparent contradiction between self-acceptance and change, to bring about positive growth for the individual in treatment.
Child & Adolescent Therapy
At Millennium Consulting, we also provide child and adolescent therapy.
This may include individual work with a child, their parents, or together as a family group.
Goals of child and adolescent therapy may include assessment of children and their behaviour, parenting support, evidence-based interventions to improve a child’s mood and behaviour or focus on helping the family function in more positive and constructive ways,
by exploring patterns of communication and providing support and education.
We meet with the parents or caregivers first to gain an understanding of the presenting difficulties and obtain relevant background history. Following this a treatment plan will be discussed that is tailored to meet your child and family’s needs.
Psychodynamic Therapy / Trauma Focused Therapy
Psychodynamic Therapy is a form of talk therapy that focuses on the psychological roots of emotional suffering. Its hallmarks are self-reflection, increasing insight and the use of the therapeutic relationship to better understand one's attachment patterns, emotional blind spots and problematic relationship Issues. Establishing a trusting therapeutic relationship can help with emotional containment and with developing a healthier attachment style. The approach helps the client to gain a deeper understanding of their emotions and mental processes and promotes personal growth. It also focuses on the thoughts, feelings, conflicts and unconscious motivations that can influence a client’s behaviour. Its goal is not only to alleviate the most pressing symptoms but to help people lead healthier lives.
Like other forms of therapy, psychodynamic approaches are used for a variety of mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, relationship issues, psychological distress or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Clients who experienced adversity either in childhood or later in life that continues to affect their adult functioning might benefit from therapy based on psychodynamic principles. Such trauma-based therapy usually includes deepening understanding by receiving information on the neurophysiology of trauma, and learning self-calming/distress tolerance strategies which are used when becoming aware of expressions of disturbing trauma memories while maintaining a safe therapeutic relationship.
Supervision
Supervision – a number of Millennium practitioners offer supervision to psychologists, counsellors and other professionals. It is central to the delivery of high-quality psychological services.
Supervision is considered to be essential for all registered psychologists/counsellors/social workers/psychotherapists throughout their working life. Supervision offers the opportunity to discuss and reflect on all aspects of clinical work, including the clinician’s personal responses to clients. It also offers an opportunity for development and support, optimising professional growth, professional competence, resilience and work satisfaction as well as enabling the development of ethical, effective and reflective practice."
Addiction & Substance Abuse
Substance use problems include alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, stimulants, hallucinogens and opioids. They occur from a very mild to a very severe level, but all levels benefit from assistance.
Addictive behaviours are frequent behaviours; they cause harm but continue despite that. Someone with an addiction can feel “It is driving me” rather than “I’m making the decision here.”
As clinicians, we are concerned about what else is going on in your life as there may be other issues requiring attention. We work with you to help you marshal your internal resources and motivation for change. We help you reflect on what is important to you and find within yourself the strength, resources, motivation and wisdom to move in the direction that feels right for you.
Psychiatry
A psychiatrist is a medical specialist in mental health, including substance use disorders. Psychiatrists assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological problems. People seek psychiatric help for many sudden reasons such as panic attacks, frightening hallucinations, thoughts of suicide, or hearing "voices." Or they may be more long-term symptoms such as feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or anxiousness that never seem to lift or problems functioning, causing everyday life to feel distorted or out of control.
Because they are physicians, psychiatrists can order or perform a full range of medical laboratory and psychological tests which, combined with discussions with patients, help provide a picture of a patient's physical and mental state. Their education and training equip them to understand the complex relationship between emotional and other medical illnesses and the relationships with genetics and family history, to evaluate medical and psychological data, to make a diagnosis, and to work with patients to develop treatment plans.
Psychiatrists use a variety of treatments – including various forms of talk therapy, medications, psychosocial interventions and other treatments (such as ElectroConvulsive Therapy or ECT), depending on the needs of each patient.”
