Therapy

Engaging in therapy can assist with issues such as anxiety, depression, behavioural problems, sleep issues, chronic pain, grief and loss, caregiving issues, relationship difficulties, significant life transitions, managing health-related behaviours, stress, and developing positive wellbeing behaviours.

Therapy services provided at the Clinic cater to individuals, couples, and families and are provided by provisional psychologists or counselling students. We offer short to medium-term therapy. Should you require long-term therapy and intervention, we encourage you to speak to your treating health professional to explore other suitable support options.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a psychotherapeutic approach based on the idea that the way we think effects the way we feel and subsequently the way we behave in certain situations. People can interpret the same life event very differently, leading to many and varied emotional and behavioural consequences. Some of these consequences can be helpful and some not so helpful in our day to day lives. CBT is about learning specific strategies to think more realistically about life and to modify behaviours to achieve more positive outcomes. It works on the principle that negative, unhelpful beliefs need to be identified and then tested to determine whether they are accurate, realistic, and helpful. In most cases, the thoughts are actually unhelpful, which only helps to maintain an unhelpful belief system, leading to distress and increased difficulty coping. The focus of CBT is therefore to modify or change patterns of thinking that are causing or contributing to problems in peoples’ lives. CBT has been found to be useful in a range for a range of issues including depression, anxiety, sleep issues, and stress.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

The goal of ACT is to help individuals create a rich and meaningful life, while learning to accept the pain that inevitably goes along with living. ACT views psychological suffering as being caused by experiential avoidance (an unwillingness to experience any negative thoughts or emotions by taking action to avoid or eliminate these experiences). In ACT, there is no attempt to try to reduce, change, avoid or control these negative thoughts or emotions, instead the individual learns to reduce the impact and influence of these experiences through a variety of therapeutic interventions. These interventions focus on developing acceptance of unwanted negative experiences and commitment and action towards living a valued life. In place of avoidance, ACT teaches psychological flexibility, which includes a willingness to experience the present moment as it is and to act in accordance with one’s own values and beliefs. Acceptance and commitment therapy has been used to treat a variety of problems including chronic pain, anxiety, and stress.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is based on Eastern meditation practices and involves an individual directing their attention to an experience occurring in the present moment. The attention is nonjudgmental, meaning that any thoughts, sensations, or emotions that are experienced in that moment are observed but not evaluated as good or bad.

Mindfulness uses meditation techniques to help individuals focus their attention on the present. An important consequence of this technique is the realisation that negative thoughts and emotions are not constant and will eventually pass. This realisation can help people deal with their negative thoughts and emotions.

Mindfulness is a core exercise used in mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive behaviour therapy and is also used in dialectical behaviour therapy, as well as acceptance and commitment therapy. It can be used in the treatment of a variety of problems including depression, stress-related disorders, generalised anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and binge eating.

At the UQ Psychology Clinic we are currently reviewing our offering of brief Mindfulness Training Groups and so will update the website when more information on these groups becomes available. At this stage, however, we do not have groups planned yet for 2019.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

MBCT was developed to help prevent the relapse of major depressive episodes. The therapy uses mindful meditation techniques that involve an individual directing their attention to an experience occurring in the present moment. The attention is nonjudgmental meaning that any thoughts, sensations, or emotions that are experienced in that moment are observed but not evaluated as good or bad. The emphasis of the program is on being aware of negative thoughts and emotions, and developing an understanding that they are transient mental states that will pass. This enables individuals to be better equipped to deal with their negative thoughts and emotions. A growing evidence base has supported the use of MBCT for reducing the relapse of major depression episodes.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

IPT is a brief psychodynamic therapy that focuses on the connection between the development of clinical problems and current interpersonal problems (with friends, partners, or relatives). IPT considers four areas that may be causing social problems and contributing to clinical issues. The first is grief over the death of a significant other. The second is role dispute, or struggles with a significant other. The third issue is role transition which includes life changes such as a geographic move, the start or end of a relationship or career, and the onset of physical illness. In the absence of any significant life events, the final area is interpersonal deficits such as social isolation. IPT treatment involves the client and therapist working together to identify problematic relationships in the client's life and then addressing the relationships and social encounters that are contributing to the client's clinical problems. IPT has been used to treat a number of different clinical problems including depression, substance abuse, and eating disorders.

Schema Therapy

Schema therapy was developed to treat patients suffering from persistent chronic problems. It is based on the idea that negative or traumatic experiences (often occurring in childhood) create schemas, which are beliefs and values that impact on the way we think, feel, act and relate to other people throughout our lives. In adulthood, schemas are triggered by life events that the person perceives as being similar to their earlier traumatic experiences. These events often illicit strong negative emotions, thoughts, and maladaptive coping behaviours that interfere significantly with the person’s daily living. Schema therapy involves the therapist helping the client to identify their schemas and deal with their traumatic experiences. Cognitive techniques are used to challenge the schemas and disprove the accuracy of them, while behavioural techniques involve the patient working to replace maladaptive coping behaviours with adaptive ones. The ultimate goal of schema therapy is to help the client eliminate negative schemas to improve client outcomes and coping styles and develop more positive personal and professional relationships.

Couples Therapy

The Clinic offers evidence-based approaches to couples therapy, which may include:

Integrative-Behavioural Couples Therapy: assists couples in understanding the recurrent and unhelpful interaction patterns that may be occurring in their relationship, as well as understanding each partner’s individual vulnerabilities and responses to relationship events. Therapy focuses on the development of relationship skills and expectations, with the aim of enhancing couple satisfaction and improving dysfunctional relationship behaviours.
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT): focuses on identifying and modifying dysfunctional interaction styles and negative emotional responses as a means of improving relationship satisfaction. Therapy allows couples to better understand their own, as well as their partner’s, emotional needs, and how these needs can be fulfilled within positive interactions. Therapy attempts to interrupt the cycle of negative emotions and interactions to create more positive ways of relating between partners.

Services not offered by the UQ Psychology Clinic

It is important to note that we do not provide services for the following issues . We recommend consulting your local doctor or other suitable health professional for more appropriate referral options to avoid unnecessary delays in obtaining appropriate assistance for your needs:

Walk-in, crisis, or emergency services
Medico/legal, worker’s compensation, family court, or other legal matters
Criminal-related behaviours or concerns
High risk of suicidality or self-harm
High risk of violence to self or others
Current psychotic behaviours
Issues requiring long-term treatment options. As our training clinicians are on rotation from March to December only, we focus on providing short-term therapy designed to assist clients address their immediate concerns.
Students undertaking postgraduate psychology or counselling studies at UQ (undergraduate UQ students, including those from the School of Psychology, are welcome to be seen at the Clinic)

If you are uncertain as to whether our service is suitable for you, please contact the clinic directly.