Brief Therapy

What is Brief Therapy?

Brief therapy is a type of counselling that is time limited and present orientated.  It focuses on the clients presenting issue and current life circumstance in the here and now.  Brief therapy is based on the premise, that although individuals may already have the skills to create change in their lives, they often need help identifying and developing those skills.

Brief therapy helps people experiencing difficulty find the tools that they need to use in the here and now (immediately).  It focuses on a specific problem and works towards a specific goal. It can help

clients who have just experienced sexual trauma reduce symptoms of distress and look at general coping strategies.

Why access brief therapy?

• To help to normalise some of the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that may be experienced
• To explore ways of coping and grounding techniques
• By exploring brief therapy sessions it may help to recognise a further need for support

The therapist may look at the following in their session/s with the client:

• Notice and reinforce evidence of the client’s positive qualities, strengths, resources, and general competence to solve their problems.

• Work with what the client can do rather than focusing on what they can’t do.

• To look at what the client is already doing or has done in the past or engaging in that is helpful and effective and to find new ways in which to facilitate problem-solving through these strengths.

• Focuses on the details of the solution instead of the problem.

So, what is the difference between brief therapy and longer-term therapy

Brief therapy

Brief therapy is focused on a specific problem/issues.  The therapist will discuss the problem with the client and work towards a clear goal.  Brief therapy can often be active and directive to achieve time limited specific goals as well as looking at coping strategies and grounding techniques.

Longer term therapy

Longer term therapy offers the opportunity to look at the client’s problems/issue past or present, building a trusting and collaborative relationship enabling the client to feel heard and acknowledged. To have the opportunity to explore underlying and maybe deep-rooted issues and to work towards positive change.

Holistic Therapy

For clients that don’t feel ready to talk about their experience, but would still like support, SV2 offers holistic therapies that they can access such as Reiki and/or Trauma Sensitive Yoga.