Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

One of the therapies offered by RPS is DBT:

The balance between saying well done you have strategies in place that have allowed you to survive so far while also saying lets try and learn something new and healthier. DBT focuses on the present.

Skills focus on Mindfulness, Regulating Emotions, Tolerating Distress and Healthy Relationships. 

Feeling good

Therapy is certainly one of the things that can help people to make sense of their experiences, reduce blame and to learn new ways of coping and being that maybe cause less distress. However there are other things that we can all do that can help us to feel better about ourselves and to increase our resilience.

These things include:

• Getting enough sleep ( depending on what you need as an individual)
• Eating a healthy , balanced diet ( too much sugar for example can play havoc on our emotions)
• Having some gentle exercise every day
• Not over-indulging in alcohol ( alcohol is a depressant and can significantly impact on our mood and sleep patterns)
• Looking after any physical aches and pains 
• Doing something we find pleasurable every day
• Doing something that gives us a sense of achievement each day

If we find it difficult to look after and care for ourselves maybe its time to consider why that is and look at changing this. It is ok to be kind to ourselves.

Being mindful

Mindfulness is one of the techniques that is now seen as useful for lots of different issues. It can help people to manage their distress, live in the moment ( and so prevent depression from focusing on the past and anxiety about thinking about the future) and assist with concentrating and being aware of what's going on around us.

It's one of the things that can really help us but can also be really tricky to grasp. I know that mindfulness will benefit me but I find it hard! In DBT we talk about the mindfulness what skills of OBSERVING, DESCRIBING and PARTICIPATING and the how skills of being NON-JUDGMENTALLY, ONE-MINDFULLY and EFFECTIVELY.

In starting to practice mindfulness I like to take an object or an activity that I enjoy ( eating chocolate or having a hot shower) and describe everything I notice using all of my senses ( eg the chocolate is brown, it tastes sweet, it smells of cocoa, it crunches in my mouth, it feels smooth). By focusing on describing I attempt to focus all of my attention on the chocolate rather than on thoughts in my head, physical sensations in my body and whats going on in the environment around me. When I get distracted ( which I do, often!) I simply notice the distraction and let it go, bringing my attention gently back to the chocolate ( or shower, or my breathing etc).

Practice makes mindfulness easier, it's ok to find it hard, the simple of act of spending a few minutes just on YOU can in itself be hugely beneficial. Give it a go - you might like it!

Acceptance

Acceptance is a key skill in tolerating distress and painful emotions. It sounds easy but is often one of the hardest things to do as our brains are wired to fight or flee from things that threaten us. 

Therapy can help us to identify what things in life can be changed and give us the courage to address them. It can also provide us with the space to explore our reluctance to accept and give us the skills to change the way we cope. For those wanting to explore the underlying reasons for our individual coping and personality styles therapy can also bring insight and understanding and freedom from shame.

The Serenity Prayer....

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference. (Reinhold Niebuhr)

Personality Disorder...

Ruby Psychological Services work with individuals of all ages with presenting problems from anxiety to substance misuse. We particularly specialize in working with people who have a diagnosis (or who think they may have) of personality disorder. We understand that diagnosis is a controversial area and focus on gaining a collaborative understanding of your experience and alleviating distress.

For some having a formal diagnosis can seem like the end of the world while others see it as a relief and a sign of hope and accessing treatment. Whatever your perspective there is help on hand. There are many different approaches available to help support people with difficulties relating to coping, emotional recognition and regulation and relationship patterns. 

As an intergrative psychologist I am able to use aspects of different therapeutic approaches to suit what YOU need. The main models I draw from are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy and Compassion Focused Therapy. Therapy is a flexible process. For some the need is to focus on symptom management, reducing problematic behaviours and increasing coping while others wish to focus specifically on making sense of early experiences. In providing a collaborative and intergrative approach we week to meet these individually needs.

Taking the first steps

Taking the first step into therapy can be an anxiety provoking experience, particularly when we don't know what to expect.

I understand these anxieties and appreciate the courage required to make the first steps towards making changes in our every day lives. At Ruby Psychological services we offer a free 20 minute telephone consultation to anyone interested in exploring whether we can offer you what you need.

There are many therapeutic approaches on offer but time and time again research suggests that the most important factor in successful therapy is in fact the therapeutic relationship. It is crucial that you find a therapist / counsellor / psychologist who you believe you can work with.

To arrange a free consultation or to find out more about what we can offer then please email rubypsychologicalservices@gmail.com or call / text 07771391614

Welcome

Welcome to the new blog for Ruby Psychological Services in Derbyshire.

RPS offer psychological therapies in various formats including email support, one to one counselling, couple and family work and group work. Offering both short term and long term therapy we aim to offer a supportive and collaborative framework for over-coming psychological distress.

Please feel free to comment or email rubypsychologicalservices@gmail.com for further information. This blog is a work in process and will be updated regularly.