Home / Services
Psychology for Adults
Psychology for Adults
We offer psychological support through Individual Therapy for adults. This is space for individuals to become aware of and process feelings, thoughts, and behaviours. To take life in the direction we envision, we need to know what is going on and how to move to the next level. Our team includes a highly skilled Psychologist in Dubai, who utilizes evidence-based approaches like CBT and person-centred therapy to assist individuals in navigating their challenges and achieving their desired life goals through individual therapy sessions.
What do we offer?
There are a variety of different approaches to therapy. We specialize in the following:
What is CBT?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a structured form of psychotherapy that helps individuals identify and change negative thought patterns influencing their feelings and behaviors. In childhood, we often internalize ideas as universal truths, but as we mature, we gain the ability to reflect on and challenge these automatic assumptions. CBT focuses on the present, guiding individuals to recognize distorted thinking and adopt more realistic perspectives. It aims to improve problem-solving skills, confront fears, and incorporate mindfulness and relaxation techniques to better manage problems.
Is CBT Effective?
CBT has been one of the most researched evidence-based approach to therapy. It has been shown to be effective with such challenges as anxiety, depression, and drug addiction. It has been successfully used to help people deal with phobias, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, posttraumatic-stress-disorder, psychosis and schizophrenia.
How does CBT work?
It is recommended to have one or two sessions per week depending on the presenting problem. Each session is between 30 to 60 min. During the session, the therapist will help reflect on your thought processes and uncover automatic thoughts and distorted thinking patterns. You will be offered some exercises and activities to practice more balanced thinking. Since CBT is a highly structured approach, you will also be given some tasks to engage in at home. The idea is to help you learn skills that you can use independently to manage your challenges. The course lasts between 6 to 20 sessions.
Is CBT For me?
Everyone can benefit from CBT. It will suit best to people who feel ready to commit and take an active role in their therapy by working together with the therapist. It will take courage to face your own anxiety and fears. You will need to practice and show consistency through the course of treatment.
Person-centred Counselling
erson-centered counselling, also known as Rogerian counselling, is a non-directive approach to talking therapy. This means that the therapist’s role is not to advise or structure sessions, but to create the environment in which you can start the journey of self-discovery, finding your own answers. There is no agenda as such. This type of counselling is based on the idea that you are the expert in your life. It is often referred to as a humanistic approach that gives the power back to the client to take the therapy in the direction they find the most suitable for them. Person-centred therapy stresses equality in the relationship between the client and the therapist and you will not hear the latter analysing your behaviour or giving suggestions.
What is the Process?
Person-centred counselling focuses on listening and creating a non-judgmental environment where clients feel safe to express themselves and find their own path. The therapist doesn't direct the conversation but may ask clarifying questions and reflect the client's words back to help them better understand their feelings. This process allows clients to refine their thoughts and connect with themselves. With empathy and unconditional positive regard, the therapist helps the client explore and accept previously rejected parts of themselves, empowering them to make independent decisions about their thoughts and behaviors.
Psychoanalytic Approach
Psychoanalysis focuses on how past experiences, especially childhood and relationships with caregivers, shape present thoughts and behaviors. It explores the unconscious mind, aiming to bring hidden impulses to awareness, allowing individuals to understand themselves better and reduce the influence of unconscious drives.
How does it work?
In psychoanalysis, clients are encouraged to talk freely about their feelings, thoughts, and childhood memories within a safe, trusting relationship. Sessions typically last 50 minutes and occur weekly, often continuing for months or years due to the depth of emotional exploration. The therapist may avoid taking notes to focus fully on listening.
When is it used?
Psychoanalytic approach can be used with the following challenges:
- Depression
- Generalised anxiety
- Sexual problems
- Self-destructive behaviour
- Persistent psychological problems, disorders of identity
Psychodynamic therapy
Psychodynamic therapy, derived from psychoanalysis, aims to help clients become aware of unconscious processes influencing their behavior and life experiences. It focuses on past experiences and their impact on the present, using the therapist-client relationship to explore relational patterns. This approach, rooted in Carl Jung's beliefs, emphasizes self-examination and reflection, with the therapist providing insights to illuminate unconscious influences. Jung's concept of archetypes, such as the "shadow self," is also central to this therapy, as understanding these symbols can enhance self-awareness and personal growth.
When is it used?
Psychoanalytic therapy has been shown to be effective while treating depression, anxiety, panic, stress-related physical ailments, eating and personality disorders, interpersonal problems and more.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a modern psychotherapy approach that emphasizes acceptance and a non-judgmental mindset toward negative thoughts and emotions. Instead of trying to reduce distressing episodes, ACT focuses on reducing the struggle to control or avoid them, encouraging engagement in meaningful activities aligned with personal values. By practicing mindfulness, clients learn to observe their inner experiences and accept them, ultimately reflecting on their values to inspire positive behavior change.
How does it work?
In ACT, you’ll meet with your therapist once or twice a week for about 50 minutes, typically over 12 to 16 sessions to effectively treat anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Your therapist will guide you in accepting your emotions instead of avoiding them and will introduce cognitive diffusion techniques to help you separate your identity from your thoughts and feelings. Expect to engage in mindfulness exercises and complete homework between sessions.
Is ACT Effective?
ACT has been shown to be an effective approach to treating anxiety, depression, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, stress, substance use, and psychosis.
Schema Therapy
Schema-focused therapy is a psychotherapy approach designed to explore and change unhealthy thinking patterns. It integrates elements from CBT, attachment theory, Gestalt, and experiential therapies. The core concept is that maladaptive schemas—self-defeating patterns—develop from unmet emotional needs in childhood. The therapy aims to help clients process these early adverse experiences, fulfill their emotional needs, and establish healthier schemas.
When is schema therapy recommended?
Studies have shown that schema therapy can be effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, substance abuse, depression, personality-related conditions, and relationship challenges.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
DBT is a form of CBT. It was originated to treat people with borderline personality disorder and later used with a range of mental health challenges including self-harm, suicidal behaviour, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, anxiety and depression. DBT focuses on radical forgiveness, distress tolerance skills, and mindfulness.
How does it work?
Each session lasts up to 60 minutes, during which you and your therapist will set goals for your work together. The primary focus is to ensure your safety and limit destructive behaviors that hinder your path to a fulfilling life. You may be assigned homework and encouraged to keep a diary. Expect that it will take at least six months to see lasting changes, depending on the complexity of your challenges.
Is ACT Effective?
Yes, there is a body of research that shows the effectiveness of DBT, especially for borderline personality disorder.
Art Therapy
Art therapy is a healing approach that uses creativity and non-verbal expression to access subconscious thoughts and emotions in a safe environment. It helps make the subconscious conscious, externalizing and processing unknown feelings.
Differences:
- Art focuses on beauty and artistic skills, emphasizing the final product.
- Mindful art highlights the therapeutic benefits of creating art, promoting awareness and meditation through activities like coloring mandalas.
- Art therapy is about the process of expression, allowing individuals to convey emotions through art without focusing on aesthetics. It aids in understanding and releasing unconscious feelings, with the therapist’s support being essential.
How does Art therapy work?
Art therapy starts with an assessment and treatment planning. You and the therapist will outline therapy goals first. The clients are offered various materials such as water paint, pencils, acrylic paints, cut-outs, magazine images for collage, decorative pieces, stone drawing, markers, etc. The client may be asked to engage in a specific activity or given freedom to choose what and how they would like to create. This depends on the approach of the therapist (directive or non-directive) and presenting concerns of the client.
Do I need to have good Artistic Abilities?
No. Art therapy is not about aesthetics and beauty. It is about using creative materials to express and process pain.
How can Art Therapy help?
Art therapy is a good approach with the following challenges: anxiety and depression, trauma, and low-self-esteem. It has been shown to be especially effective with people who suffer chronic health conditions and need to manage chronic pain, cancer and any other physical pain.
Is ACT Effective?
ACT has been shown to be an effective approach to treating anxiety, depression, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, stress, substance use, and psychosis.
What are the benefits of making art?
Creating art positively affects the body by increasing blood flow to the brain, generating alpha wave patterns associated with restful alertness, elevating serotonin levels, and reducing stress. It enhances heart health, brain function, and the immune system, while also improving emotional expression and potentially alleviating depressive and sleep disorders.
How to choose the right approach to therapy?
It can be overwhelming and daunting to choose from a range of the available approaches to therapy.
Online or in-person therapy?
Online or virtual therapy became available and gained popularity in times of COVID-19 pandemic, when all of us were forced to stay at home and engage with work and friends online. It is extremely convenient as it allows instant access to a highly-qualified professionals from the comfort of your own home. While being popular and easily accessible, the question to ask is whether it is effective. Many people wonder if online therapy is as good as in-person. Let’s see what research says about online therapy.
Is there a difference in fees for online and in-person therapy?
No. The fee is the same since both provide high-quality interventions with good outcomes.
Online or in-person therapy?
Research shows that online therapy offers comparable quality and outcomes to in-person therapy. While adults may benefit similarly from both formats, many teenagers prefer virtual therapy for the comfort and confidence it provides in expressing themselves from their own space.
However, online therapy may not be suitable for everyone. Young children often struggle to stay focused on a screen and may benefit more from in-person sessions, especially for interventions like play and art therapy. Additionally, concerns about confidentiality can arise if parents are present to assist with technology. Nonetheless, if the alternative is no therapy, online therapy can still be beneficial for children.
To determine if online therapy is the right fit, it's best to discuss options with the therapist to ensure that you and your family maximize the benefits of your sessions.
