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DARE TO DREAM, DARE TO BELIEVE, WHO KNOWS WHERE IT WILL LEAD.....
THERAPIES
'ACTIV8 YOUR LIFE' offers a diverse range of non-confronting therapies used by Nadine to help you navigate daily challenges & address trauma with a gradual boost in self-esteem, confidence, & personal resources.
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To make these therapies effective, we must approach them with an open mind & actively participate in the healing process, committing to the work. Progress is not always linear, & it's okay to step back to move forward. When faced with setbacks, be kind to yourself & acknowledge how far you've come.
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Remember that therapy has no absolutes; what works for one person may not work for another. Instead of judging, remain open & curious about different modalities. Some may resonate with your values & beliefs more than others, but every approach has merits, contributing something valuable to your mental health toolbox.
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Choose what aligns with your values & creates a more positive life. Don't hesitate to ask questions & seek understanding if needed. It's essential to evaluate what works for you & why & identify areas for improvement.
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Remember that feelings & emotions are transient & don't define your reality. Be gentle, kind, & compassionate with yourself during this process, as change & growth take time & patience. Dedication & willingness can empower you to create a better life.
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'A key idea of therapy is to listen & develop your own wise mind rather than the version created by your therapist.
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That you set limits based on your own wisdom.
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REMEMBER: Your feelings & emotions are, indeed, VALID. However, they are not facts.'
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NOTE: 'ACTIV8 YOUR LIFE' is not meant to replace therapy, counselling or medical treatments agreed upon with medical practitioners or specialists.
BEHAVIOURAL BASED THERAPY
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​Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) & Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT).
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Behavioural therapy suggests that since old learning led to the development of a problem, then new understanding can fix it.
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Behavioural therapy is a term that describes a broad range of techniques used to change maladaptive behaviours. The goal is to reinforce desirable behaviours & eliminate unwanted ones.
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Behavioural therapy is rooted in the principles of behaviourism, a school of thought focused on the idea that we learn from our environment. This approach emerged during the early part of the 20th century & became a dominant force in the field for many years. Edward Thorndike was one of the first to refer to the idea of modifying behaviour.
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Unlike the therapy types rooted in insight (such as psychoanalytic therapy & humanistic therapies), behavioural therapy is action-based. Because of this, behavioural therapy tends to be highly focused. The behaviour itself is the problem & the goal is to teach people new behaviours to minimise or eliminate the issue.
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CBT relies on behavioural techniques but adds a cognitive element, focusing on the problematic thoughts behind behaviours.
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DBT is a form of CBT that utilises both behavioural & cognitive techniques to help people learn to manage their emotions, cope with distress, & improve interpersonal relationships. DBT is a cognitive behavioural treatment originally developed to treat chronically suicidal individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) & it is now recognised as the gold standard psychological treatment for this population. In addition, research has shown that it is effective in treating a wide range of other disorders, such as substance dependence, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), & eating disorders.
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ACT is an action-oriented approach to psychotherapy that stems from traditional behaviour therapy & cognitive behavioural therapy. ACT works by focusing on accepting life experiences as they come without evaluating or trying to change them. Stop avoiding, denying, & struggling with your inner emotions, & instead, accept that these deeper feelings are appropriate responses to certain situations that should not prevent you from moving forward in your life. Doing this can free you from obsessive negative thinking to have peace of mind and healing.
NARRATIVE THERAPY
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Narrative Therapy - an approach to therapeutic recovery from trauma &/or brain injuries that empower the individual to be an active contributor in re-authoring a new narrative about themselves & continue purposefully. This allows those in recovery to focus on positive life narratives rather than negative ones.
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http://www.sxf.uevora.pt/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Nochi_2000.pdf
In a study titled, Reconstructing self-narratives in coping with traumatic brain injury by Masahiro Nochi at the Department of Psychology, self-identifying narrative categories found in the study represented individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) as having either a positive or neutral self-image & “are what the informants with TBI actually constructed, not what professionals tenaciously pressed upon them from outside.” These self-narratives can assist people in minimising, avoiding, or overcoming self-devaluation. This would provide a basis for considerable rehabilitation practice, supporting the client's motivation for future planning.
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http://www.sxf.uevora.pt/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Nochi_2000.pdf
In a study titled, Narrative therapy with an emotional approach for people with depression: Improved symptom & cognitive-emotional outcomes, published by M. Seo, H. S. Kang, Y. J. Lee, S. M. Chae in the Journal of Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing Volume 22, Issue 6, pages 379–389, August 2015, There were significant differences in hope, positive & negative emotions, and depression between the experimental & control group. The results established that NTEA could be a helpful nursing intervention strategy for people with depression by focusing on positive experiences & by helping depressed patients develop a positive identity through authoring affirmative life stories.
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http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/resolve/doi?DOI=10.1111/jpm.12200
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In a study titled, A pilot examination of the use of narrative therapy with individuals diagnosed with PTSD by Erbes CR, Stillman JR, Wieling E, Bera W, Leskela J. J published in Trauma Stress.
2014 Dec;27(6):730-3. doi: 10.1002/jts.21966. Epub 2014 Nov 10.
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A pilot investigation of the use of narrative therapy with 14 veterans diagnosed with PTSD (11 treatment completers) is described. Participants completed structured diagnostic interviews & self-report assessments of symptoms before & following 11 to 12 sessions of narrative therapy. After treatment, 3 of 11 treatment completers no longer met the criteria for PTSD, & 7 of 11 had clinically significant decreases in PTSD symptoms as measured by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale. Pre- to post-treatment effect sizes on outcomes ranged from 0.57 to 0.88. These preliminary results, in conjunction with low rates of treatment dropout (21.4%) & a high level of reported satisfaction with the treatment, suggest that further study of narrative therapy is warranted as a potential alternative to existing treatments for PTSD.
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https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jts.21966
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Rediscovering My Story: A Journey with Narrative Therapy
STRENGTHS BASED THERAPY​
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A strengths-based approach to therapy is based on the principle that people have internal strengths that can contribute to their recovery following either a traumatic injury or subsequent symptoms, including anxiety & depression. Strengths have been linked to the prediction of positive outcomes.
Strength-based therapy is a type of positive psychotherapy & counselling that focuses on your internal strengths & resourcefulness rather than your weaknesses, failures, & shortcomings. The tenet is that this focus sets up a positive mindset that helps you build on your best qualities, find your strengths, improve resilience, & change your worldview to a more positive one.
In an article titled, Strengths-based Approaches for Mental Health Recovery, a long-term study of 55 participants found that the presence of personality assets significantly predicted improvement trends in disability over 16 years.
The study provided a multi-disciplinary team with evidentiary strength-based data, which resulted in better academic, social & overall outcomes for students with emotional & behavioural disorders as compared to traditional socio-emotive reports that focused on the problems that students were facing. This suggests the possible usefulness of strength-based assessment. Indeed, a further study on children & adolescents living in residential homes found that the level of strength significantly predicted success in reducing risk behaviours. Even in the community, studies have shown the importance of focusing on strengths rather than deficits. Strengths assessments were associated with good behavioural functioning & greater competencies. The strengths-based approach also positively impacted life satisfaction.
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In a study by Rust et al, 131 undergraduates were randomly assigned to the control group with no treatment or to one of the two treatment groups. One treatment group involved participants working on two strengths, while participants in the other treatment group worked on a weakness & a strength point for 12 weeks. The results showed no statistically significant differences in life satisfaction between the two treatment groups, but the treatment groups had significantly higher life satisfaction scores than the control group.
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Findings from the literature have shown that individuals’ strengths are related to mental health improvement. These strengths can bring about positive outcomes in various aspects of life as satisfaction, functional status, or health status, & have the potential to aid mental health recovery.
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POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY THERAPY
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​Positive psychology aims to understand the factors that underlie well-being & positive emotions. Martin Seligman’s positive psychotherapeutic approach focuses on building internal resources that help to reinforce experiences of gratitude & optimism.
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In a study titled, Positive Psychological Factors are Associated with Lower PTSD Symptoms among Police Officers: Post Hurricane Katrina, findings were consistent with past research, which determined that higher levels of resilience, satisfaction with life, & gratitude were associated with lower PTSD symptoms.
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“In summary, the results of this research indicate that resilience, gratitude, & satisfaction with life may be protective or mitigate symptoms of PTSD in some police officers & that clients’ strengths may be important in helping them address trauma symptoms.”
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4676265/
Recovery following traumatic brain injury (TBI) is diverse, with factors related to the injury & neuropathological findings explaining only a modest portion of the variability in clinical outcomes. Additionally, premorbid personality traits & psychological attributes can influence the trajectory of psychosocial recovery. The realm of positive psychology has garnered attention for its potential impact on TBI recovery, drawing on constructs like positive affect, hope, optimism, adaptive coping styles, & resilience. These elements are significant because they could shape treatment strategies, either by alleviating psychological distress & fostering better adjustment or by enhancing existing therapies to enhance engagement.
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Studies exploring these positive psychological factors within the context of TBI have indicated that higher levels are associated with improved psychosocial functioning post-injury. However, TBI itself is linked to diminished levels of many of these positive traits, whether compared to uninjured control groups or pre-injury levels. Suggestions have been made to target these positive traits in TBI rehabilitation, & while more research is necessary, a handful of controlled trials concentrating on enhancing adaptive coping skills have shown promise. Other positive psychological phenomena, such as grit, optimism, & positive affect, merit further investigation as potential targets for interventions in the TBI recovery process.
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29781729​
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