The approaches I draw on,
and what each one does

You probably do not, and that is completely fine. Most people who come to therapy have no idea which approach they need, and they should not have to. My job is to understand what you are dealing with, think about what is most likely to help, and then explain my reasoning so you can decide whether it makes sense. Most people end up drawing on more than one approach at different points anyway.

CBT is probably the most well known because it has the strongest research base and works well for a wide range of presentations. It is structured, practical, and relatively short term. Other approaches like Schema Therapy or psychodynamic work tend to be slower and more exploratory, and suit people dealing with longer standing or more complex patterns. ACT and DBT sit somewhere in between. None of them is universally better than the others. The research consistently shows that the quality of the relationship between client and therapist matters more than which specific approach is used.

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It uses guided bilateral stimulation, usually eye movements, while you briefly hold a distressing memory in mind. The process helps the brain reprocess the memory so it no longer feels so raw or charged. It sounds unusual but the research behind it is solid. It is endorsed by the World Health Organisation and recommended in Australian clinical guidelines for PTSD. Many people find it produces meaningful shifts faster than traditional talk therapy for trauma, though it is not the right fit for everyone. I always explain exactly how it works before we try it, so there are no surprises.

Not at all. CBT is the most commonly used approach, which means it is often the first thing people try, and it does not work equally well for everyone or every problem. There are many reasons a previous attempt at therapy might not have helped, including the fit with the therapist, the timing, the specific approach used, or simply that something else would have been more appropriate. A different approach, or even the same approach delivered differently, can produce very different results. Schema Therapy in particular is designed for people who have tried other things and feel stuck.

CBT primarily works on current thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Schema Therapy goes deeper, exploring the beliefs and patterns that formed earlier in life and how they are still driving things now. It is particularly useful when the same difficult dynamics keep showing up across relationships or situations, or when standard CBT has not produced the change you were hoping for. It tends to be longer term and more exploratory than CBT, but for the right person it can produce change that goes further and lasts longer.

No. DBT was originally developed for people with Borderline Personality Disorder, but the skills it teaches, around emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness, are genuinely useful for a much wider range of people. If you tend to feel things intensely, find certain relationships difficult to navigate, or struggle to manage big emotions without it affecting the people around you, DBT skills can make a real practical difference regardless of whether you have a formal diagnosis.

Circle of Security is an internationally accredited attachment-based program for parents. It helps you tune into what your child actually needs from you at different moments, and understand the balance between being a safe haven when they are distressed and a secure base from which they can explore and grow. It is grounded in decades of attachment research and is particularly valuable in the early years, though the principles apply well beyond infancy. I am formally accredited in the program and have delivered it both individually and in group settings. It is not therapy in the traditional sense so much as a framework that helps you understand your child and yourself as a parent more clearly.

Almost always a combination. Most of my clients' work draws on more than one framework, and that shifts over time as things change. Someone might start with ACT to build some stability and flexibility, then move into deeper Schema work once the foundation is there. Or we might use EMDR to process something specific and then return to more general CBT-based work. I always explain what I am suggesting and why. Nothing happens without your understanding and your agreement.