Types of therapy techniques at TMH

There isn’t one way to do therapy. Different therapists use different approaches and, just as importantly, adapt the way they work to the young person. A therapist might also focus mainly on one approach, or a blend of several.

Technique

Talking Therapies

Talking therapy doesn’t always mean sitting opposite a therapist and simply talking, as we might traditionally imagine. Whatever the approach, talking therapy gives someone space to explore what’s happening in their life, understand themselves better and begin to find ways forward.

Children and young people may find it easier to talk while drawing or painting, working with clay or sand, playing a game such as Uno or doing something else that takes some of the pressure off the conversation.

Technique

Psychotherapy or Psychodynamic Counselling

Psychodynamic therapy explores how past experiences and relationships influence the way we think, feel and act.

It might focus on a particular struggle, but can also look more widely at relationships, experiences and patterns that keep appearing in someone’s life. Over time, it can help a young person understand themselves more deeply and find different ways of responding to situations in their life.

Technique

Integrative Therapy or Counselling

Integrative therapists draw on more than one therapeutic approach, often combining several of the approaches described on this page.

This allows the therapist to adapt the therapy around the individual, taking into account their age, experiences, relationships, personality and what they need from therapy. The different approaches a therapist uses may also change over time.

Technique

Trauma-Informed Therapy

Difficult or frightening experiences affect people differently. What matters isn’t simply what happened, but how the experience has affected the individual and continues to affect them.

A trauma-informed approach takes this into account throughout the therapy, with particular care given to safety, trust and working at a pace the young person can manage. Therapy can help them make sense of what they’ve experienced and understand some of the ways they’ve learned to cope with it or protect themselves.

Technique

Play Therapy

Children don’t always have the words to explain what they’re thinking or feeling. Play gives them another way to communicate.

Through toys, games, stories, creativity and imagination, children can express things that may be difficult to talk about directly. The therapist pays attention to what the child communicates through their play. This can be particularly helpful for younger children and those with SEND.

Technique

Attachment-Focused Therapy

Attachment-focused therapy looks at how early relationships influence the way we see ourselves, relate to other people and experience closeness and trust.

The therapy provides a safe and consistent relationship in which someone can begin to explore these patterns and understand how they are affecting their relationships and experiences today.

Technique

CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy)

CBT looks at the connections between our thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and how they can sometimes develop into patterns that make a struggle harder to manage.

It can help a young person recognise these patterns, understand what triggers them and try different ways of responding to difficult situations. CBT is often focused on practical strategies, giving young people techniques they can use in everyday life.