While people come to see a psychologist for a variety of reasons and may end up doing a variety of different therapies, the best place to start is usually with a good old-fashioned chin wag. Talking confidentially to a psychologist allows you to get all that’s bothering you out into the open in a professional environment that is safe, non-judgmental, and supportive. It may come out all at once or in fits and starts and it may not be pretty, but it will usually be cathartic. You will most likely feel a great sense of relief and know that you have been heard, understood, and accepted. And it’s at that point, with everything out in the open, that you and your psychologist can together plan a way forward.

In many ways it’s like tipping a jigsaw puzzle onto the floor and then sitting there in the midst of it all. Did I get it all out? Are all the pieces present? What a mess! It may seem overwhelming but when shared with another who is familiar with the wily ways of jigsaw puzzles it doesn’t seem so bad after all. Working together piece by piece, everything is turned the right way up and placed in groups as familiar images and patterns begin to emerge. Sections start to fit together and hint of something bigger. It may take some time but eventually the complete picture is revealed.

Once that bigger picture is fully envisioned, a strategy for transformation can be planned and implemented. It may involve quantitative EEG brain mapping to see what impact your experiences have had on your nervous system. It may involve neurofeedback to better regulate your thoughts and emotions. It may involve EMDR to deal with traumatic memories. It may involve all, some, or none of these things. But it will almost certainly involve some kind of counselling or talk therapy.

Psychological counselling may utilise a variety of different therapeutic approaches, often moving between them based on the present need, but always with the wellbeing of the client as the centrepiece. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), psychodynamic approaches, mindfulness, solution-focussed therapy, and a variety of other techniques may be implemented in the process of transformational talk therapy. Regardless of the types of therapy or techniques used, however, the guiding principal will always be about selecting the approach that is best for the individual. Therapy, therefore, is person centred and tailored to your specific needs with the ultimate aim of supporting you through the process of achieving the goals you have established for yourself.