Integrative Counselling Psychotherapy Benefits

Many people ask me “what is integrative psychotherapy?” that’s understandable.  Seeking help from a psychotherapeutic practitioner can be somewhat confusing as to who it is that can help you with your particular needs.  There are various approaches in psychotherapy, broadly speaking, outside of psychiatrists and psychologists.

Integrative psychotherapy is, put simply, tailored to you.  Integrative therapists recognise that no single therapy works for everyone.  I customise my client’s treatment plan by drawing upon multiple disciplines to fit your specific goals and circumstances.  My holistic blend includes psychology, psychodynamics, person-centred and cognitive approaches.  The overarching approach for me is the Transpersonal.  That is, helping others to find deeper meaning, purpose and self-transcendence by exploring your inner potential and capabilities. 

Throughout my 24 years of psychotherapeutic practice, I have consciously refined the ways that I work, paying special attention to me and my clients therapeutic alliance.  As such, I am able to draw upon many years of expertise, intuitively selecting eclectic methods that are both evidence based, and person centred.  My Psychotherapy in St. Albans remains focused on my clients’ individual and relational needs.  I always try to ensure that my humanistic (transpersonal), psychodynamic, and cognitive methods have a clear theoretical anchor instead of shifting randomly.

Whilst my scheduled sessions are organic and not prescribed, I believe that setting objectives at the very beginning of my client’s therapeutic journey is essential.  In that, they can track their progress and we can discuss as and when is needed by my client(s).  In short, setting clear objectives provides a starting point. It provides direction and focus, enhances motivation, and allows progress tracking.  It can transform presenting distress into actionable targets, if they are realistic goals.  There are various reasons why some of my clients have had unrealistic goals due to underlying self-esteem issues and historical traumatic experiences for example.  That can be part of the therapeutic journey of discovering that there may be other options available that may not have been previously considered.

Integrative therapy can help with a range of short and long-term issues, including anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships and addictive behaviours.  Throughout the process, we will review our work together and look at what’s been working for you and what’s not.  Together as therapist and client we can decipher what is best for you.  No one therapist is the authority when considering the complexities of the human heart and mind.  It is my job to help facilitate you to find the answers within yourself.  Every session is personalised with well-rounded support.

My Counselling in St. Albans includes addressing multiple dimensions of a person’s life, both historically and in the here and now.  We can explore your visions for your future, whilst remaining anchored and present.  One of the reasons why I have refined my integrative practice over the years, is my recognition that no single theory is comprehensive enough to account for the complexities of human behaviour.  My primary goal is to conceptualise my client’s uniqueness and integrate that into my treatment plan, that I share with them.

If you feel that you would benefit from having integrative Counselling Psychotherapy in St. Albans, please contact me today at Penny Glazebrook Counselling and Psychotherapy.  I aim to help a wide and diverse set of clinical needs that includes both individual and couples counselling.