Irene Strydom

Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) sees emotions as important guides that can be understood and changed. It helps you notice, name and work with feelings, including painful ones, so they become less overwhelming. It is also widely used with couples, to understand the emotional cycles between partners and build a closer bond.

Trauma-focused therapy is a family of approaches designed for the effects of frightening or overwhelming experiences. Usually the work starts with feeling safer and more stable, and only then turns to the memories themselves, at a pace you can manage. It can help with flashbacks, fear, numbness and other after-effects of trauma.

Body-oriented and somatic therapies work with the body as well as the mind: breathing, posture, movement and physical sensations. Feelings and experiences often show up in the body, and paying attention to them can help release tension and settle stress. They are often used for stress, anxiety and the after-effects of trauma.

Psychodynamic therapy explores how earlier experiences, and feelings you may not be fully aware of, shape your life today. Patterns that show up in your relationships, and sometimes in the relationship with the therapist, become something to understand together. It is often used for recurring difficulties with mood, relationships and self-esteem.

Integrative therapy combines ideas and methods from different therapeutic approaches, chosen to suit you and what you bring. Rather than following one model, the therapist adapts the work as it goes along. This flexibility can help when needs change over time.