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Clinical Psychologist in Newcastle - Dr. Mariam Majid
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FAQs

FAQs

Deciding to seek therapy is a really positive step to take but, understandably, you may have some questions. Gaining an understanding of therapy, the different types of therapy available and what you can expect in a session can help you feel more comfortable about the process.

Here we take a look at some of the common questions you may have:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one type of ‘talking therapy’ which predominantly focuses on the present moment so that together we can help to identify any current unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviours. The basic premise of CBT is that our thoughts, behaviours and emotions are all connected and interlinked and aims to teach you ways of challenging unhelpful thinking patterns and introducing helpful coping behaviours to improve the way that you feel. CBT is change-focused and goal driven therapy and therefore requires you to practice techniques between your therapy sessions.

Therapy sessions can vary depending on individual circumstances and need so it can be over a relatively short period or it can be more long term. The number of sessions you have is usually based on what you initially contract and agreed by you and your therapist, the type of therapy you are seeking and the nature and complexity of the problem(s) you want to work on.

The first session is an opportunity to meet with your therapist (face to face or online) to see if you are a good ‘match’ and to get a sense of how you might start to think about addressing your difficulties. You are likely to be asked some questions and also to hear more about how you are managing with the issue(s) you are seeking help for. This first session is usually an ‘assessment’ of your difficulties to ascertain whether psychological therapy is the most appropriate course of action and by the end of this appointment you will be in a better position to decide if this is something you might benefit from. You may be asked to complete some general and standard questionnaires to gather more information to help with treatment planning. You can ask questions to help you with your decision and may wish to discuss with a family member or friend or GP.
One-to-one sessions are typically 50 minutes long but can be up to an hour.

Therapy can be accessed at any time whether you are wanting to address past issues, manage current difficulties or preventing and reducing the likelihood of future difficulties from occurring, i.e. relapse prevention. Anybody can access therapy to help you deal with any diagnosed or undiagnosed emotional, psychological or behavioural difficulties. The goal starts with gaining an understanding of your difficulties and ultimately achieve relief and resolution of your symptoms and get a better handle on these.

You can get help with a wide range of psychological or emotional difficulties which are affecting your mental wellbeing including:

  • Addictions and Addictive problems
  • Anger and irritability
  • Anxiety and Panic
  • Feeling overwhelmed and burnout
  • Stress and coping
  • Confidence and self esteem issues
  • Depression and depressed mood
  • Emotional regulation difficulties
  • Interpersonal or relationship difficulties
  • Grief and loss
  • Eating difficulties/disorders
  • Pain and long term conditions
  • Health anxiety
  • Self-harm
  • Sexual difficulties
  • Obsessive and Compulsive Disorders
  • Specific Phobias
  • Worry
Anyone can benefit from psychotherapy. Talking to a trained professional can help you to explore your concerns, thoughts and feelings and improve your mental health.

Therapies come in different forms and there are a range of ‘talking’ therapies including CBT, DBT, CFT, ACT, and more experiential therapies such as EMDR, Yoga therapy, hypnotherapy etc. Each has a different focus, goal and outcome. However, the common denominator of all kinds of therapies is the importance of the therapeutic relationship with your therapist as shown in research over the last 50 years in helping you reach your goal and potential.

As well as one to one therapy, there is couple therapy which you can access with your partner, spouse, family therapy (if the problem is on a systemic level) and group therapy (which includes members agreeing to work on a common and shared problem) and there is a good evidence based for this type of therapy. Therapy can be offered in person, or over video call, online chat/text or via phone whichever you prefer.

These are a series of conversations between you and your therapist with the idea that you both reach a good and shared understanding of your difficulties and to figure out ways to help you achieve your goal. Depending on the type of therapy you choose, the common goal is to discuss and help you find alternative ways of feeling better and for longer so that you can maintain the improvements on your own long after therapy is over. Thus, the aim is to find longer term solutions to your difficulties as opposed to short term relief. Some therapies such as CBT will give you practical ways to deal with your difficulties and these might involve tasks for your to practice and write about.

Your privacy is of the upmost importance and taken very seriously and so everything you talk about is kept confidential which means the information you share stays with you and your therapist. However, there might be exceptions to this rule; as a duty of care if you say anything that indicates a risk of harm to yourself or others, a requirement to disclose for legal purposes, or if it in the public interest to disclose. In these cases we are legally and professionally obliged to disclose to this piece of information. However, the aim is to seek consent to disclose in the first instance. If you have any concerns or questions around confidentiality and record keeping this can be raised at the beginning of therapy.
This is a difficult question to answer and the truth is that it depends on the nature of your problem and your goals for therapy. Some people may benefit from 1-2 sessions others may need more depending on your situation and general rule of thumb is the more complex (longstanding) your problem the more sessions may be needed. NICE Guidance suggest on average 12 sessions tend to show improvements in difficulties and symptomatic relief from most psychological difficulties. This will be reviewed by your therapist on a regular basis.

No, you cannot perform EMDR on yourself or on others. EMDR is a structured therapeutic process that requires the expertise and guidance of a mental health professional trained in EMDR. The skills and resources you learn during your EMDR therapy can be practiced at home and you will be encouraged to do so such as ‘safe place’, ‘resource team’ etc.

Other types of trauma therapy

Trauma is complicated, and not everyone is a good candidate for EMDR. If you’re interested in other types of trauma therapy such as:

  • Cognitive behavioural therapy
  • Dialectical behaviour therapy
  • Prolonged exposure therapy
  • Somatic therapy
  • Compassion-focused therapy (CFT)
  • Cognitive Analytical Therapy

Therapists use CBT for anxiety, depression, and a number of other mental health disorders. Psychologists also use CBT to help people without mental illness who may be going through stressful situations or challenging transitions.

CBT is particularly useful because it does not require expensive equipment or lengthy courses of medication. Depending on the frequency of your therapy sessions, you can make great progress in just a few weeks or months.

You can use cognitive behavioural therapy techniques to treat:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Eating disorders
  • Substance abuse
  • Grief
  • Phobias

If you want to try CBT at home, there are apps available on your smartphone to help guide you through common CBT techniques. These may help in the short term if therapy is not an option for you at this time. There are many helpful apps out there, including: