Frequently Asked Questions

At Equilibrium Psychology, we offer adult ADHD assessments that are thorough, evidence-based, and streamlined. Our testing uses structured interviews, validated questionnaires, and sometimes collateral information such as school reports if they are available.

We try to make things as simple and efficient as possible. When you call about ADHD testing you will be given an initial screening questionnaire to do via text message to make sure you are on the right track. From this screener, should it look like you may have ADHD, you can book in with one of our experienced psychologists who will take you through the official diagnostic interview and give you the validated psychometric questionnaires to determine your diagnosis.

You’ll receive a concise outcome letter summarising the result and can book in for a feedback session to discuss the outcome and look at next steps.

If you’re considering exploring an ADHD diagnosis and want to better understand the testing process and what support is available, our full guide offers clear, practical information to help you take the next step.

Read our full guide to ADHD including symptoms, types, testing and treatment options.

What does a Sex Therapist do?

A sex therapist is a qualified mental health professional who helps individuals and couples address concerns related to sexual functioning, intimacy, and relationships.

Sex therapists provide a safe, non-judgmental space to explore these issues—always within a talk therapy setting. There is no physical contact or sexual activity in sex therapy. All practical exercises are given for homework to be conducted in your own private space.

At Equilibrium Psychology all our sex therapists are also psychologists fully registered with AHPRA so you can be sure you are getting the most evidence-based professional support.

Difficulties addressed in sex therapy can include:

• Difficulties with libido, desire, arousal, or orgasm
  
• Pain during sex (e.g. vaginismus, dyspareunia)
  
• Erectile dysfunction (Impotence) or ejaculation issues
  
• Mismatched libidos or sexual preferences
  
• Compulsive sexual behaviour, sex addiction or avoidance
  
• Navigating sexual identity, orientation, or gender
  
• Effects of trauma, stress, or health conditions on sex
  
• Enhancing communication, pleasure, and connection

Is sex therapy only for couples?

No—sex therapy is for anyone.

While many couples attend together to work on shared issues, individuals often seek sex therapy on their own. This can be especially helpful when:

• You’re single but want to understand or improve your sexual wellbeing
  
• Your partner does not want to attend therapy
  
• You have anxiety or shame around sex
  
• You’ve experienced sexual trauma or body image concerns
  
• You want to feel more confident, connected, or informed
  
• You’re questioning your sexual identity or preferences
  

Sex therapy is inclusive and affirming, regardless of relationship status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

How does sex therapy help?

Having a satisfying sex life can be important for many people’s sense of wellbeing, relationship satisfaction, and self worth. Sex therapy can help people feel seen, safe, and empowered in their sexual and relational lives.

Although some sexual difficulties have a medical origin, psychological therapy is an important component of any long-term resolution of sexual problems.

We provide professional, practical and down-to-earth support to help by:

• Identifying the root causes of sexual concerns (psychological, relational, medical, cultural)
  
• Improving communication between partners around sex and intimacy
  
• Reframing unhelpful beliefs or shame around sexuality
  
• Managing anxiety or performance pressure
  
• Restoring or enhancing pleasure, connection, and sexual confidence
  
• Supporting healing after trauma or relationship ruptures
  
• Normalising the wide range of healthy sexual experiences

Want to know if sex therapy is right for you? Read our guide.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured therapy that helps people come to terms with traumatic memories. Effective EMDR will reduce your emotional response to these memories (desensitization); make the memories feel less vivid (distancing) and give the memories a new, more helpful meaning for you (retribution). EMDR has been found to be especially effective for PTSD and complex trauma (CPTSD) but there is emerging research in it being used effectively for depression, anxiety, complicated grief and a range of other concerns.

How long does EMDR Take to Work?

The length of EMDR therapy depends on: the severity of your symptoms; whether the trauma is single-incident (e.g. car accident) or complex/repeated (e.g. childhood abuse) and your readiness and ability to engage with trauma work. In general many people with single-incident trauma experience significant relief in as little as 3–6 sessions while complex trauma can take longer.

Is EMDR Safe?

Yes — EMDR is considered safe and effective when conducted by a trained psychologist. It’s recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), American Psychological Association (APA), and Australian Psychological Society (APS) for treating trauma and PTSD.

Like all therapy, some clients experience a slight worsening of symptoms before they get better. With EMDR some people experience temporary emotional discomfort (e.g. vivid memories, emotional release) storing processing. These effects usually pass and are part of the brain’s natural healing process.

Your therapist will ensure you’re prepared, resourced, and supported throughout your therapy. To keep it safe, EMDR may be delayed or modified for clients with severe dissociation, poor emotional regulation, or active substance misuse.

To learn more, read our full guide: What Is EMDR Therapy? Stages, Side Effects, Tools, and Use in Trauma Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a practical, evidence-based form of talk therapy that helps people understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.

Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety and depression teaches you how to:

• Identify unhelpful or distorted thinking patterns
  
• Change behaviours that keep you stuck or anxious
  
• Develop healthier ways of coping and responding to life’s challenges
  

It’s structured, goal-focused, and designed to give you tools that you can use long after therapy ends.

How CBT Helps

CBT helps by breaking down the cycle that keeps problems going.

When you learn to change your thoughts and behaviours, your emotions often follow.

In practice, CBT can help you:

• Challenge anxious or negative thoughts (“I can’t cope” → “I’ve handled this before”)
  
• Face situations or things that you fear gradually instead of avoiding them
  
• Break unhelpful habits like reassurance-seeking, over-checking, or procrastinating
  
• Build confidence and problem-solving skills
  
• Reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, and more

What to Expect in CBT:

• Weekly or fortnightly 50 min sessions
  
• Clear goals and collaborative treatment planning
  
• Homework tasks or practice activities between sessions
  
• A focus on what’s happening in your life now — not just the past
  

CBT gives you practical tools to understand your mind, manage your emotions, and change your life. It’s a practical, evidence-based treatment that helps you become your own therapist over time.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based psychological therapy that helps people:

• Accept their thoughts and feelings (rather than fighting them),
  
• Choose what matters most to them (values),
  
• And take action in the direction of a meaningful life — even in the presence of pain or anxiety.
  

ACT isn’t about getting rid of unwanted thoughts or feelings. It’s about changing your relationship to them, so they don’t control your actions.

Key Concepts of ACT (The “Hexaflex”)

1. Cognitive Defusion – Learning to unhook from thoughts (e.g. “I’m having the thought that I’m a failure” instead of “I’m a failure”).
   
2. Acceptance – Making room for uncomfortable feelings without resisting or avoiding them.
   
3. Present Moment Awareness – Being grounded in the here and now using mindfulness skills.
   
4. Self-as-Context – Understanding that you are more than your thoughts, feelings, or labels.
   
5. Values – Clarifying what really matters to you.
   
6. Committed Action – Taking action guided by values, not fear or avoidance.

Examples of ACT Exercises

1. Values Mapping

• Purpose: Clarify what gives your life meaning.
  
• Example: Imagine you are at your 80th birthday party and someone close to you is giving a speech about your life. What adjectives would you like them to use about you when discussing areas like relationships, work, health, and personal growth?

2. Mindfulness Practice

• Purpose: Ground yourself in the present moment.
  
• Example: “Leaves on a Stream” – sit still with your eyes closed and imagine you are sitting on a grassy bank near a bubbling stream. Notice the thoughts that come into your mind. With each new thought imagine putting them on a leaf and that leaf floating your thoughts down a stream, without needing to grab or push them away.

3. Cognitive Defusion

• Purpose: Reduce the power of difficult thoughts.
  
• Example: Repeat a painful thought (e.g. “I’m not good enough”) out loud in a silly voice, or sing it to the tune of Happy Birthday. This shows that a thought is just a thought, a bunch of words in your mind — not a fact.

4. Drop the rope (Acceptance)

• Purpose: Understand how resisting emotions makes them worse.
  
• Example: Use the metaphor of a “tug of war” — when you are resisting, judging, or trying to get rid of your anxiety it's like you are on the end of a tug-of-war rope with anxiety on the other side. If you drop the rope and allow anxiety to be there without fueling it you become open to pay attention to life more fully and make committed action towards your values.

5. Committed Action

• Purpose: Take small steps toward your values, even with anxiety.
  
• Example: Identify one small behaviour that moves you closer to a value or the kind of person you want to be, like texting a friend (value: connection) or going for a walk (value: health).

ACT helps you build a rich, meaningful life while learning to handle the pain that comes with it. Rather than trying to “fix” yourself, ACT teaches you how to respond more flexibly — with awareness, acceptance, and values-based action.

Schema Therapy is an integrative, evidence-based talking therapy developed by Dr. Jeffrey Young. It’s designed to help people understand and change deeply rooted patterns (called “schemas”) that began in childhood and continue to affect how they think, feel, and relate to others as adults.

Schema Therapy helps people heal deep-rooted emotional wounds by understanding and transforming their lifelong patterns. It builds a strong, compassionate “Healthy Adult” mode capable of soothing inner pain, setting boundaries, and making life-affirming choices

It combines techniques from:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
  
• Attachment theory
  
• Psychodynamic therapy
  
• Emotion-focused therapy
  

What Are Schemas?

Schemas are core emotional themes or beliefs we hold about ourselves, others, and the world — often formed in early life through unmet emotional needs. These schemas become self-perpetuating life patterns, triggered in current relationships or stressful situations.

For example:

• Defectiveness/shame- “I’m not good enough”
  
• Abandonment- “People will always leave me”
  
• Subjugation- “My needs don’t matter”
  
• Unrelenting standards- “I must be perfect to be accepted”

Modes in Schema Therapy

Schema Therapy also focuses on modes — the emotional states or “parts” we shift between in response to triggers.

Common Modes:

• Vulnerable Child – feels hurt, scared, or unworthy.
  
• Angry/Impulsive Child – reacts with anger or defiance.
  
• Detached Protector – emotionally shuts down or dissociates.
  
• Punitive Parent – self-critical or shaming inner voice.
  

Healthy Adult – wise, nurturing, and grounded; the goal is to strengthen this mode.

What Happens in Schema Therapy?

Sessions include:

• Identifying core schemas and their origins
  
• Understanding your triggers and coping styles
  
• Emotion-focused techniques (e.g., imagery rescripting, chair work)
  
• Reparenting – the therapist provides emotional experiences that help meet unmet childhood needs in a safe, healing way
  
• Behavioural pattern-breaking – developing healthier responses in relationships and daily life
  

Who benefits?

Schema therapy is especially effective for long-standing issues, such as:

• Chronic anxiety or depression
  
• Personality disorders (especially borderline and avoidant)
  
• Complex trauma
  
• Relationship difficulties
  
• Self-sabotage or strong inner criticism
  

To learn more, read our full guide: What Is Schema Therapy? A Guide to Schema-Focused Treatment, Modes, Chair Work, and CBT Integration.

We offer many types of therapy, listed below, that use mindfulness as one of its tools. Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment on purpose, with openness, and without judgment. It means being fully aware of your thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and surroundings — as they are, right now, — with acceptance rather than an agenda to change them. It teaches staying present, instead of getting caught up in the past or future.

Regular mindfulness practice has been shown to:

• Reduce anxiety, depression, and stress
  
• Improve focus and attention
  
• Enhance emotional regulation
  
• Increase self-awareness and compassion
  
• Help break unhelpful mental habits like rumination or avoidance

1. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

A mindfulness-based behavioural therapy that encourages clients to accept difficult experiences, defuse from thoughts, and take values-guided action. It is used for: anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, trauma, and stress.

Mindfulness in ACT:

• Present-moment awareness
  
• Observing thoughts non-judgmentally
  
• Cognitive defusion exercises (e.g., “Leaves on a stream”)
  

2. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

Originally developed for borderline personality disorder, DBT blends acceptance and change strategies, with mindfulness as one of its four core skill modules. It is generally used for: emotion dysregulation, BPD, self-harm, PTSD, and eating disorders

Mindfulness in DBT:

• Observing and describing internal experiences without judgment
  
• Grounding and emotion regulation
  
• Cultivating the “wise mind” (balancing reason and emotion)
  

3.Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

Traditionally delivered as an 8-week group program that integrates mindfulness meditation with core elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Equilibrium psychologists offer this therapy with individual clients and it is generally used for depression (especially recurrent), anxiety, stress, and chronic pain

Main goals:

• Prevent relapse in depression
  
• Reduce rumination and worry
  
• Change one’s relationship with thoughts and feelings
  

4. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Traditionally delivered as an 8-week structured program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, MBSR is focused on using mindfulness meditation to reduce stress, pain, and psychological suffering. Equilibrium psychologists integrate this work into other therapies for stress, anxiety, chronic illness, pain and burnout.

5. Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)

A therapy designed to reduce shame and self-criticism by cultivating self-compassion and mindfulness. It is used for shame, trauma, self-criticism, depression, and eating disorders.

Mindfulness in CFT:

• Building awareness of self-critical thoughts
  
• Practising compassionate imagery and breathing
  
• Grounding in the “soothing system” to regulate threat-based responses
  

IFS is a gentle, evidence-based and no-judgement approach that is based on the idea that we are all made up of different “parts” or subpersonalities, each with its own thoughts, feelings, and roles — and that healing comes from understanding and harmonizing these parts.

Developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the 1980s. The IFS parts fall into three main categories:

• Exiles: These are wounded inner parts carrying pain, shame, fear, or trauma. They’re often hidden away because they hold overwhelming emotions.
  
• Managers: These parts work proactively to control life and prevent us from getting hurt again. They often manifest as perfectionism, self-criticism, or overthinking.
  
• Firefighters: These parts act reactively to distract or soothe us when exiles are triggered — sometimes through impulsive behaviors like binge eating, substance use, or dissociation.

For example: Someone struggling with binge eating might have: A manager part that says “you need to control your food intake;” a firefighter part that drives them to binge when stressed; an exile that holds childhood pain and uses food to self-soothe. Through IFS, the person would learn to approach these parts with compassion, understand their protective roles, and begin to heal the underlying emotional wounds.

How IFS Therapy Works:

1. Mapping the system: Clients learn to identify their parts, noticing how each one feels, behaves, and what it’s trying to do.
   
2. Unblending: The therapist helps clients separate (or “unblend”) from their parts to view them with curiosity, rather than becoming overwhelmed by them.
   
3. Building relationships: The client engages with parts with compassion, listening to their fears and unmet needs.
   
4. Healing exiles: Once protectors gain trust clients can access and heal exiled parts using compassion and understanding.
   
5. Integration: As parts feel heard and healed, their roles can shift. For example, a critical manager might transform into a motivating coach.

To learn more, read our full guide: What Is Internal Family Systems Therapy? A Guide to IFS, Parts Work, and the IFS Model

Parts Therapy can refer to many models that identify “parts” or subpersonalities of a client, as a way of helping them understand themselves better and become more aware of why they might experience ambivalence towards their goals or “self sabotage.” For example a part of them might want to stop drinking and another part might want to have fun and use alcohol to achieve this.

Although there are many psychological models that refer to different parts of the self, Equilibrium psychologists use the models with the greatest evidence-base. The models that have been scientifically studied and found effective are Schema therapy and, to a lesser degree, IFS.

Treatment for anxiety disorders include evidence-based therapies such as CBT, ACT, DBT and mindfulness therapy for anxiety, to help reduce physical symptoms of anxiety, and better manage the thoughts and behaviours that sustain an anxiety disorder.

There are many different types of anxiety disorders. Because of this, there is no one size-fits-all approach that works best for all clients with anxiety. Our experienced psychologists will draw from all the evidence based models available to tailor a solution that is right for you.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Anxiety

CBT for anxiety focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that maintain anxiety. It can be used for all anxiety disorders — including generalised anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, phobias, and OCD.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is often referred to as the “gold standard” treatment for anxiety disorders. While exact success rates can vary depending on the study, population, and specific disorder, meta-analyses and clinical trials consistently show that CBT is one of the most effective evidence-based treatments for anxiety. As a general figure, 60–80% of people with anxiety disorders show significant improvement with CBT.

Key Principles:

• Helps you identify and challenge anxious thinking patterns (e.g. catastrophising, “what ifs”).
  
• Teaches practical skills to change avoidance behaviours and face fears gradually.
  
• Uses techniques like exposure therapy, thought records, and behavioural experiments.
  
• Builds confidence and helps you regain a sense of control over your thoughts and actions.
  

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Anxiety

ACT for anxiety focuses on increasing psychological flexibility — learning to live a meaningful life, even with anxiety. It can be used for generalised anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, and worry-driven patterns.

Key Principles:

• Helps you accept uncomfortable thoughts and feelings instead of fighting them.
  
• Teaches mindfulness skills to stay present and grounded.
  
• Encourages identifying your values and taking committed action toward them.
  
• Useful for people who feel “stuck” in avoidance or rumination.
  

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) for Anxiety

DBT for anxiety focuses on improving emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and relationships. It is great for people with high emotional sensitivity, social anxiety, panic, and anxiety linked to past trauma or unstable relationships.

Key Principles:

• Combines acceptance (mindfulness, validation) with change strategies (behavioural skills).
  
• Teaches four skill sets:
  
  1. Mindfulness
     
  2. Distress Tolerance
     
  3. Emotion Regulation
     
  4. Interpersonal Effectiveness
     
• Helps manage intense emotions, impulsivity, and anxiety-driven behaviours.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for Anxiety

MCBT for anxiety focuses on preventing relapse and reducing the impact of anxious thoughts through mindfulness. It works well for generalised anxiety, health anxiety, panic, and those with a history of recurring anxiety or depression.

Key Principles:

• Combines traditional CBT with mindfulness meditation practices.
  
• Helps people notice thoughts without reacting or getting caught in them.
  
• Aims to reduce rumination, worry, and fear of fear.

To learn more, read our full guide: What is Anxiety Disorder, Symptoms, Treatments, And When To Seek Help

We offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which involves Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), often referred to as the “gold standard” technique for treating obsessive intrusive thoughts and compulsions. Other evidence based therapies Equilibrium psychologists offer for OCD are Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness Based CBT (MCBT).

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for OCD

CBT for obsessive intrusive thoughts, anxiety and compulsions includes:

• Psychoeducation: Understanding how obsessions and compulsions work.
  
• Cognitive strategies: Learning to identify and challenge OCD-related beliefs (e.g. over-responsibility, thought-action fusion).
  
• ERP: The behavioural core of treatment — designed to break the cycle of fear and avoidance.

Exposure and Response Prevention involves two key steps which helps the brain learn that feared outcomes are unlikely or tolerable — reducing anxiety and the urge to ritualise.

1. Exposure: Gradually facing the thoughts, images, objects, or situations that trigger OCD-related anxiety or distress.
   
2. Response Prevention: Resisting the urge to perform compulsions (like checking, washing, or mental rituals) that temporarily reduce anxiety but reinforce the OCD cycle.

CBT for OCD typically takes 12–20 sessions, depending on symptom severity and complexity. Sessions are structured, combining education, exposure, and cognitive strategies. ERP is the cornerstone technique, with in-session and between-session exposure work central to progress.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for OCD

ACT can be a good alternative for clients who are avoidance-prone or highly resistant to ERP.

• Helps clients accept intrusive thoughts without reacting to them.
  
• Focuses on values-based action, rather than trying to eliminate obsessions or compulsions.
  
• Encourages psychological flexibility and mindfulness.
  
• Shown to be effective, especially for people who struggle with ERP or find it too distressing.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for OCD

MCBT is often used as an adjunct to therapy or for clients with residual symptoms following a different course of treatment.

• Emphasises non-judgmental awareness of thoughts and detachment from compulsions.
  
• Teaches clients that they can observe thoughts without needing to act on them.
  
• May reduce rumination, perfectionism, and anxiety-driven compulsions.

To learn more, read our full guide: OCD Treatment: What Is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Types, Tests, Intrusive Thoughts, And Exposure Prevention Therapy

Depression is one of the most commonly presenting concerns amongst clients of Equilibrium. Our psychologists will draw from many evidence based therapies and tailor a treatment plan uniquely designed for your needs.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Depression

CBT for depression works by identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. It is often referred to as the “gold standard” therapy for depression and can be used for mild to severe depression and to assist with relapse prevention.

• Helps challenge negative thinking patterns (e.g., “I’m worthless”)
  
• Builds behavioural activation (e.g., re-engaging with pleasurable or meaningful activities)
  
• Often includes structured homework and goal setting
  

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Depression

ACT has a strong evidence base for treating mild to moderate depression, especially when avoidance or low self-worth is a primary feature. It focuses on improving psychological flexibility, values-based action, and acceptance.

• Helps clients accept difficult thoughts and feelings without avoidance
  
• Uses mindfulness, values exploration, and behaviour change

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) for Depression

IPT focuses on improving relationships and resolving interpersonal stressors. As such, it is best used for depression linked to relationship issues or life transitions

• Explores how grief, role transitions, conflicts, or social isolation contribute to depression
  
• Builds communication and problem-solving skills
  

Behavioural Activation (BA) Depression

BA is a part of a bigger CBT treatment plan. This component of CBT focuses on increasing engagement in rewarding or meaningful activities. It works well with moderate depression and when motivation is low.

• Counters the withdrawal and avoidance patterns common in depression
  
• Simple and highly structured, often used in stepped-care or primary care
  

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for Depression

Mindfulness is a component that can be added to a CBT treatment plan to prevent relapse of depression through mindfulness and awareness of thoughts. As such it can be a very good adjunct for people who have experienced recurrent depression.

Combines CBT techniques with mindfulness meditation

• Teaches clients to observe rather than react to negative thoughts
  
• Traditionally delivered in 8-week group programs

Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) for Depression

PST is another component of a broader CBT treatment plan. This technique teaches structured approaches to solve practical life problems. As such it is an important part of therapy for depression linked to practical life stressors (e.g., financial, work-related)

• Increases coping and decision-making confidence
  
• Often used in primary care or brief treatment models
  

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) for Depression

Although DBT was originally designed for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) there is growing support for DBT’s effectiveness in reducing depressive symptoms, particularly in clients with suicidality or personality disorder comorbidity As such it is not a first-line treatment choice for straightforward depression, but highly valuable for complex presentations.

• Teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness — all helpful for people with mood instability, chronic sadness, or intense self-criticism.
  
• Especially effective for depression with emotional dysregulation, self-harm, or comorbid BPD traits.
  
• Some adaptations now target treatment-resistant depression, especially in adolescents and adults who haven’t responded to CBT

Schema Therapy for Depression

Schema therapy was originally designed for personality disorders and chronic, treatment-resistant conditions but recent studies show promising results for chronic and personality-based depression and it might be useful where CBT or IPT haven’t been effective.

• Targets deep, lifelong patterns (schemas) formed in childhood that fuel chronic low mood, self-criticism, and relational difficulties.
  
• Uses a blend of CBT, attachment theory, and experiential techniques (e.g., imagery rescripting, chair work).
  
• Especially effective for people with: chronic or recurrent depression; strong inner critic or feelings of defectiveness; abandonment fears or emotional deprivation

To learn more about Schema Therapy, read our full guide: What Is Schema Therapy? A Guide to Schema-Focused Treatment, Modes, Chair Work, and CBT Integration

EMDR for Depression

EMDR works by helping the brain reprocess distressing memories that may be stuck or stored in a way that causes emotional disturbance. These unresolved memories can fuel unhelpful core beliefs that underlie or maintain depression like: “I’m worthless;” “I’ll always be alone”.

As such, it is useful for depression following a specific adverse life event (e.g. loss, bullying, abuse, failure, breakup); comorbid PTSD, complex trauma, or childhood neglect; persistent negative self-image or emotionally-charged memories linked to current low mood.

• Reduces the emotional intensity of past painful events
  
• Targets the roots of negative self-beliefs
  
• Helps the brain “update” old memories so they no longer trigger current distress
  
• Allows clients to develop more adaptive beliefs and emotional responses

To learn more about EMDR, read our full guide: What Is EMDR Therapy? Stages, Side Effects, Tools, and Use in Trauma Therapy

Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy for Depression

IFS is gaining strong interest as a compassionate and integrative approach for treating depression — especially in cases involving chronic self-criticism, shame, or unresolved emotional pain.

While not yet as widely researched as CBT or IPT, IFS shows emerging evidence and clinical success for depression, particularly when emotional wounding or inner conflict plays a role.

IFS views depression not as a disorder in the brain, but as a conflict within the internal system — among different parts of the self. Depression is often seen as the result of protective parts overfunctioning, suppressing emotional pain — or from exiles being triggered without support from the Self.

• Helps you identify the different parts of you that contribute to depression (e.g. the inner critic, the withdrawn part, the tired part)
  
• Brings in the Self — your core, compassionate inner leader — to listen to and care for those parts
  
• Heals the underlying emotional wounds (exiles) that drive depressive symptoms
  
• Reduces inner conflict and restores internal harmony
  

To learn more, read our full guides on:

• What Is Internal Family Systems Therapy? A Guide to IFS, Parts Work, and the IFS Model
• What Depression Is, What It Feels Like, and How to Overcome It.

We offer evidence based trauma-focused therapies including Trauma focused CBT; EMDR; IFS and Schema Therapy. Component parts of CBT (such as prolonged exposure (PE) or cognitive processing therapy (CPT) may be emphasised in your treatment plan depending on your symptoms. Other skills and techniques from modalities such as DBT might be used first in your treatment plan to in order to make sure you feel safe and stable before beginning to process the trauma.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT)

TF-CBT is well researched and evidence based for PTSD from a single event or ongoing trauma exposure. It focuses on modifying unhelpful trauma-related thoughts (aka Cognitive Processing Therapy - CPT) and gradually confronting trauma memories (aka Prolonged Exposure Therapy - PE).

• Involves psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, and exposure to trauma reminders (imaginal or in vivo).
  
• Helps clients process and make sense of what happened, reduce avoidance, and restore functioning.
  

Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)

PE is a component of TF-CBT and involves gradual and repeated exposure to trauma memories and avoided situations to reduce fear and avoidance. It is used for clients with PTSD with high avoidance and re-experiencing symptoms.

• Includes imaginal exposure (revisiting the memory in detail) and in vivo exposure (facing real-life reminders).
  
• Helps people re-learn that trauma memories and triggers are not dangerous.
  

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

CPT is another component of TF-CBT which focuses on identifying and challenging unhelpful trauma-related beliefs (“It was my fault,” “I’m unsafe”). It is used for clients with PTSD with strong guilt or self-blame and often uses structured worksheets to help shift guilt, shame, and fear-based thinking.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) for trauma

EMDR is a therapy endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) the American Psychological Society (APA) and in Australian guidelines for the treatment of PTSD and trauma. EMDR focuses on processing traumatic memories using bilateral stimulation (e.g. eye movements, taps.) It aims to reprocess stuck memories so they no longer cause emotional distress.

Because EMDR doesn’t require detailed talking about the trauma it is often used with clients who find talking about their trauma difficult or for when the trauma occurred when the client was preverbal.

To learn more about EMDR, read our full guide: What Is EMDR Therapy? Stages, Side Effects, Tools, and Use in Trauma Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for trauma

ACT is an increasingly popular, evidence-based treatment for trauma and PTSD. It is gentle, flexible, and non-pathologising. ACT is based on the idea that trying to avoid or eliminate pain often makes it worse, while psychological flexibility (the ability to stay open and act in line with values) leads to healing. It focuses on helping people live meaningful lives, even when trauma symptoms are present.

ACT is especially helpful for trauma survivors with: moral injury; complex trauma (CPTSD) or childhood abuse; comorbid depression, anxiety, or dissociation and who feel overwhelmed by traditional exposure-based therapies.

ACT helps people:

• Accept painful internal experiences (thoughts, feelings, memories) rather than avoiding or suppressing them
  
• Cultivate mindfulness and present-moment awareness
  
• Clarify their personal values
  
• Take committed action toward meaningful goals — even when trauma-related pain is present

Key Benefits:

• Reduces experiential avoidance, which is a core maintenance factor in PTSD
  
• Helps clients observe trauma-related thoughts and feelings without being overwhelmed or defined by them
  
• Focuses on building a life beyond trauma, rather than just eliminating symptoms
  
• Encourages self-compassion and non-judgmental awareness of emotional pain
  

Schema Therapy for Complex PTSD (CPTSD) and trauma

Schema Therapy is a powerful and increasingly well-supported approach for treating complex trauma, especially when rooted in early attachment wounds, childhood abuse, or neglect. While not a first-line treatment for acute, single-incident PTSD, Schema Therapy is often the treatment of choice for Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), developmental trauma, and long-standing relational wounds.

Schema Therapy helps people identify and heal deeply entrenched emotional patterns, known as Early Maladaptive Schemas, that formed in childhood when core emotional needs weren’t met. These schemas can become triggered by trauma reminders, leading to intense emotional responses, dysfunctional coping, and persistent self-beliefs like: “I’m unlovable”; “I cant trust anyone”.

Schema Therapy uses a blend of cognitive, behavioural, emotion-focused, and attachment-based techniques to work with both current symptoms and developmental roots.

• Schema Therapy is one of the most effective approaches for complex trauma, developmental trauma, and chronic emotional wounds.
  
• It addresses both the emotional and relational legacy of trauma — not just symptoms
• It is particularly effective when trauma leads to core identity disruptions, self-blame, shame, and dysfunctional relationship patterns.
  
• Healing comes from strengthening the Healthy Adult, understanding and soothing wounded parts, and gradually replacing unhelpful coping strategies with more fulfilling ones.

To learn more about Schema Therapy, read our full guide: What Is Schema Therapy? A Guide to Schema-Focused Treatment, Modes, Chair Work, and CBT Integration

Internal Family Systems (IFS) for trauma

IFS has shown some promising clinical outcomes in the treatment of trauma. It aims to heal trauma by working with internal “parts” (e.g. protectors, exiles) and restoring the Self and might be used for clients with complex trauma (CPTSD), developmental trauma, or dissociation.

Helps clients reprocess trauma memories held by vulnerable “exiled” parts, while reducing the control of protective or avoidant parts.

Uses guided imagery, deep compassion, and non-pathologising language.

To learn more, read our full guide on: What Is Internal Family Systems Therapy? A Guide to IFS, Parts Work, and the IFS Model

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) for trauma

DBT is not a trauma therapy but can be used to help clients stabilise, regulate their emotions and build safety before beginning trauma processing work. As such it is often used as an adjunct for clients with CPTSD, PTSD and self-harm, BPD traits, dissociation and severe trauma histories who are not yet ready for exposure-based work.

DBT skills help increase emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and safety—ensuring the client has the capacity to stay within their window of tolerance during trauma work. As such they reduce the risk of retraumatisation or emotional flooding and build a sense of agency and readiness for the emotional intensity of trauma work

Key DBT skills to prioritise before trauma processing:

• Distress Tolerance Skills (Crisis Survival) - help clients manage overwhelming distress without resorting to self-harm, dissociation, or avoidance.
• Emotion Regulation Skills - helps clients recognise, name, and manage emotions effectively—critical for trauma work.
• Mindfulness skills - support present-moment awareness and decrease dissociation or reactivity.
• Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills - Useful when trauma is relational (e.g., abuse, betrayal) or when setting boundaries in current relationships is necessary for safety.

To learn more, read our full guide: PTSD vs CPTSD: what’s the difference, Symptoms, Treatment, and How to Get Help

Equilibrium psychologists offer several evidence-based therapies for treating addictions, including substance use disorders and behavioural addictions (e.g. gambling, internet use). Effective treatment often combines psychological therapy with pharmacological and social interventions.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for addictions

CBT has strong empirical support across substances (alcohol, cocaine, cannabis, nicotine). It focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours related to substance use. A CPT treatment plan often incorporates Motivational Interviewing (MI); coping skills training; craving management; and relapse prevention planning (eg MBRP).

Motivational Interviewing (MI) for addictions

MI is often used in the early stages of a CBT treatment plan and is focused on enhancing intrinsic motivation to change. It is a gentle and empathic process which focuses on and develops the discrepancy between a clients’ values and behaviour and supports their self-efficacy.

Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) for addictions

MBRP has some promising outcomes for reducing relapse, especially for alcohol and opioid use in the latest research. It focuses on having awareness of triggers and urges without acting on them. It combines mindfulness training with cognitive-behavioural relapse prevention and is often used at the end of a CBT treatment plan. .

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) for addictions

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) was originally developed for individuals with borderline personality disorder and chronic suicidality, but it has since been adapted for addiction and substance use disorders—this is often referred to as DBT-SUD.

DBT for Substance Use Disorders (DBT-SUD) combines standard DBT skills with specific strategies to help individuals:

• Manage urges and cravings
  
• Reduce impulsive or self-destructive behaviours
  
• Build a life worth living without substance use
  
• Tolerate distress and intense emotions without using substances
  

DBT-SUD has shown effectiveness in reducing substance use frequency and severity; suicidality and self-harm; emotional dysregulation and impulsivity. It is particularly helpful for individuals when addiction is linked to emotion dysregulation or for clients with co-occurring personality disorders, trauma histories, or chronic impulsivity.

DBT-SUD contains the four modules from standard DBT:

• Mindfulness: Being present and aware of thoughts, cravings, and triggers without judgment
  
• Distress Tolerance: Surviving crises without resorting to substance use
  
• Emotion Regulation: Understanding and reducing vulnerability to intense emotions that trigger use
  
• Interpersonal Effectiveness: Navigating relationships and asserting needs in healthy ways

DBT-SUD also introduces several addiction targeted tools and strategies:

• “Dialectical Abstinence”: Combines the goal of total abstinence with the acknowledgement that relapse may occur, encouraging self-compassion and learning rather than self-punishment
  
• “Burning Bridges” and “Building New Ones”: Letting go of people, places, or behaviours linked to substance use and creating supportive routines and relationships
  
• “Coping Ahead” Plans: Visualising how to handle high-risk situations before they occur
  
• Urge-Surfing and Delay Strategies: Learning to ride out the intensity of cravings without acting on them
  
• Diary Cards: Track urges, use, and skill use to build awareness and accountability
  

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for addictions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a third-wave cognitive behavioural therapy that is increasingly used in treating substance use disorders (SUDs). Rather than trying to eliminate cravings or distressing thoughts, ACT helps clients change their relationship with those experiences so they no longer drive behaviour.

ACT sees substance use not just as a bad habit or disease, but as an experiential avoidance strategy—a way of escaping unwanted thoughts, feelings, memories, or sensations. The therapy doesn’t focus on controlling those experiences, but on learning to tolerate and act in line with chosen values despite them.

ACT has shown moderate to strong efficacy for treating alcohol, cannabis, nicotine and poly substance addictions.

ACT for substance use helps people:

• Accept cravings, thoughts, and emotions without acting on them
  
• Defuse from self-critical or addictive thinking: seeing thoughts such as “I can’t cope without using” or “I’ve already failed, so why try?” As just thoughts not facts
  
• Identify and commit to personal values that support a meaningful, sober life and take steps in line with these values even when it’s hard
  
• Build psychological flexibility — the ability to stay present and act effectively despite inner discomfort
• Stay mindfully grounded in reality rather than getting swept away by memories, fantasies, or worries
• Recognise that they are more than their addiction, thoughts, or past; cultivating a stable sense of self that observes rather than reacts

Grief counselling refers to therapeutic approaches that help individuals process and adapt to loss in a healthy, functional way. The aim is not to “get over” grief but to support clients in integrating the loss, maintaining connection to the deceased (if applicable), and restoring a meaningful life. Equilibrium psychologist draw from CBT, ACT and IPT in their grief counselling.

When is grief counselling helpful?

Grief counselling can be delivered preventatively, supportively, or as treatment for more complex or prolonged grief. However, not everyone needs therapy after a loss. Grief counselling is most helpful when you are: experiencing Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) or Complicated Grief; feeling stuck in intense emotional pain, avoidance, guilt, or disbelief;
have lost someone to traumatic circumstances (e.g., suicide, homicide, sudden death) or are experiencing co-occurring depression, PTSD, or anxiety.

How can grief counselling help?

All grief counselling approaches help clients:

• Understand the nature of grief (including emotional, cognitive, physical, and behavioural symptoms)
• Accept the reality of the loss
  
• Normalize and validate their experience
  
• Work through the pain of loss
  
• Adjust to life without the person or thing lost
  
• Find an enduring connection with the lost loved one while moving forward with life
  

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Grief

CBT is effective for grief-related depression, anxiety, and complicated grief. It focuses on challenging unhelpful beliefs and behaviours that maintain stuckness (e.g. guilt, avoidance).

Techniques include:

• Cognitive restructuring (e.g., “It’s my fault they died”)
  
• Exposure to avoided reminders
  
• Behavioural activation to re-engage in life
• For complicated grief it might include imaginable exposure (e.g revisiting of the death to say goodbye)
  

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Grief

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for grief helps individuals process loss by changing their relationship with painful thoughts and emotions, rather than trying to eliminate them. The goal is not to “move on” from grief, but to make space for it while also reconnecting with values and meaning in life.

ACT does not view grief as a problem to fix—it’s an experience to honour. ACT helps clients live with grief, rather than being controlled by it, and to move forward not despite the loss, but with it. It is particularly suitable for clients experiencing guilt, meaninglessness, or identity disruption after loss

Key Principles of ACT for Grief:

• Accepting painful emotions without avoidance. Allowing grief, sadness, guilt, and longing to be present without resisting or suppressing them
  
• Learning to notice and distance from painful thoughts like “I can’t go on without them” or “I should be over this by now”
  
• Using mindfulness to stay grounded, even during emotional waves and when rumination is present
  
• Cultivating a sense of self that observes grief without being consumed by it
  
• Exploring what still matters in life (e.g. connection, creativity, kindness)
  
• Taking small, values-aligned steps even when sadness is present. Rebuilding life gradually without erasing the memory of the loved one
  

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) for Grief

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) for grief is an evidence-based therapy that focuses on the relational impact of loss and helps clients adjust to life without the deceased.

IPT views grief through an interpersonal lens, helping clients adjust not only to the internal pain of loss but also to the external changes in relationships and roles that follow. It is useful for complicated or prolonged grief; when grief is impacting relationships or social functioning; when there are struggles with identity or role changes post-loss; or when grief is complicated by relational conflict or isolation

Key Features of IPT for Grief:

• There is a focus on the relationship with the deceased which helps process feelings such as guilt, anger, or unresolved issues
  
• Supports healthy mourning and a continued internal bond with the loved one
  
• Helps with adapting to new roles and rebuild a sense of identity
  
• Identifies and strengthens current support systems
  
• Addresses social isolation, conflict, or difficulties asking for help
  
• Encourages expression of grief-related emotions (sadness, longing, resentment) in a safe space

While medication is often essential for managing bipolar disorder, therapy can play a key role in helping you understand your patterns, care for yourself, manage stress, and prevent relapse.

We work collaboratively to explore mood cycles, develop coping strategies, and improve your overall quality of life alongside your medication plan.

Want to learn more? Read our full guide to Living with Bipolar Disorder.