What is Therapy?

INTEGRATIVE

Person-Centred

Art Therapy

Hypnotherapy

Core Process

Psychodynamic

Transpersonal

Gestalt

 

 

 

INTEGRATIVE

Integrative counselling and psychotherapy has developed out of a perception that, while accepting the validity of the accumulated wisdom, knowledge and skills of major different systems, no one approach alone contains all truth or solutions. There is little evidence, that any one therapeutic method is superior to all others for all types of problems and all types of clients. Integrative counselling and psychotherapy is a term used to describe the bringing together of ideas from different schools of psychotherapy or counselling, "blending" different parts into a whole. To integrate means "to combine (parts) into a whole" or "to complete (an imperfect thing) by the addition of parts" (DK Illustrated Oxford Dictionary, 1998). One of the characteristics of being integrative is looking at ideas in new ways and through different lenses. If no therapy is superior to any other in terms of overall outcomes achieved, then whatever is effective can be found in all.

The emphasis in integrative counselling is on a dynamic process rather than a finished product, open to change and constantly reflecting on what is the best way to be with and respond to clients, with changing needs. Research has shown, that it is the therapeutic relationship rather than diagnosis or technique, which promotes beneficial effects of counselling or psychotherapy. Recently, evidence is also growing, that different kinds of relationship is required for different kinds of clients. The therapeutic relationship is a central feature common to all forms of therapy. Developing the understanding of its nature and usefulness is being seen increasingly as the single most likely focus for the future process of integration.

Theoretical integration between mainstream approaches is not always possible; but a whole range of techniques may be compatible with a number of theoretical positions and can be used without compromising theoretical integrity. Maybe one role of integrative counselling and psychotherapy is to encourage dialogue and debate between different approaches, facilitating a growing sense of unity within continuing diversity.

Ref: Integrative and Eclectic Counselling and Psychotherapy - edited by Stephen Plamer and Ray Woolfe. Sage Publications 2000.