Therapeutic approaches
There are many different evidence-based approaches to talk therapy. The approach that works best for you will depend on your unique needs and goals. A lot of therapeutic approaches are also compatible with each other - meaning it’s often possible and appropriate in therapy to draw from elements of different approaches and use them together.
Sang has trained in and uses a range of therapeutic approaches. However, she has particular expertise in EMDR therapy and in CBT – having completed four years of postgraduate training in these two modalities, at the University of Otago.
What is CBT?
CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. It is a goal-focussed and structured form of talk therapy that combines elements of behaviour therapy, cognitive therapy, and psychodynamic therapy.
CBT suggests that mental distress is often due to a combination of problematic core beliefs (i.e., beliefs about ourselves & the world), unhelpful thought patterns, and unhelpful patterns of behaviour that we have learned over time. CBT aims to help you understand the interactions between your thoughts, your emotions, physical sensations you may experience, and your behaviours.
This therapeutic approach often involves the use of practical strategies to improve mental health issues, and it is usually undertaken within a limited number of sessions.
CBT is perhaps the most extensively researched form of talk therapy and its effectiveness is very well-supported by evidence. It is commonly used to treat anxiety, phobias, depression, and stress. It can also help in the management of some physical health issues, such as chronic pain and insomnia.
What is EMDR therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing. This approach is based on Adaptive Information Processing theory, which suggests that the trauma that people experience is stored in the brain’s neural network. When a person’s traumatic memory is triggered, this causes them to reconnect with the negative thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations that are associated with the original traumatic event. EMDR therapy is based on the idea that a person’s current mental health difficulties are the result of distressing life experiences from their past that have not been processed.
EMDR therapy aims to activate the inherent self-healing function that exists in the brain. It does this using a process called bilateral stimulation (which is typically done by way of eye movements). Through this process, stored trauma memories can be reprocessed and the associated trauma responses can be resolved.
EMDR therapy has been extensively researched and its effectiveness is well-supported by evidence. This approach is commonly used to treat symptoms of PTSD, attachment trauma, anxiety, and depression.