Morency Blog Articles | Morency Therapy

How to find the therapeutic model that works for you

21st July 20257th May 2018 by Morency Editor

What are therapeutic models?

Therapeutic models are different therapy types which help guide therapists in how to best work with clients. Therapeutic models develop when therapists write guidelines based on ways of working they have found to be effective. These guidelines are then researched and formalised and become therapeutic models. There are many different therapeutic models which vary based on the techniques learnt, who the client is for example an individual, family or couple, how much therapeutic discussion focuses on past experiences or present concerns and how important the therapeutic relationship is seen as.

Some therapeutic models work specifically with a certain type of difficulty while others work with client distress in general. For example, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is often ‘model-specific’ meaning that there are guidelines for therapists working with clients with different difficulties, for instance depression or social anxiety. This way of working can be very helpful for some people, however, as discussed in our previous blog on the disadvantages of CBT it does not work for everyone.

Other examples of therapeutic models include Transactional Analysis, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Schema Therapy all our which are utilized, when appropriate, at Morency. Many skilled therapists will also integrate models to ensure their approach suits the specific client.

The importance of a strong therapeutic relationship

21st July 202523rd April 2018 by Morency Editor

What is the therapeutic relationship?

The therapeutic relationship, sometimes called the therapeutic alliance or working alliance, is the relationship between therapist and client. It includes the client’s confidence in their therapist and the strength of the relationship between them. The therapeutic relationship is sometimes broken down into how aligned the therapist and client are in terms of their goals, the therapeutic tasks and the strength of their bond (Bordin, 1994). Research suggests that there is an association between a positive therapeutic relationship and good outcomes for the client (Howgego et al., 2003).

Why is the therapeutic relationship important?

What to do when CBT doesn’t work

21st July 20259th April 2018 by Morency Editor

What is CBT and when is it useful?

CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. It is the most commonly available therapy available in the UK and aims to improve the lives of people with common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. To do this CBT therapists help clients to challenge their cognition’s (thoughts) and change their behaviours. Many people find this to be a useful model as it is brief, goal focused and has strong scientific support.

Why CBT may not have worked for you

CBT is an effective approach for many people, however, this does not automatically mean it is the right fit for you. Reasons why CBT may not work include:

Are you getting enough sleep?

21st July 202526th March 2018 by Morency Editor

What is so important about sleep?

Sleep is known to be incredibly important for people’s health and functioning, despite this the process of sleep is still a relative mystery. The most prominent theory is that during sleep our brains are ‘cleaned’ (BBC, 2015). Without sleep our bodies and our minds begin to suffer.

Symptoms of sleep deprivation include:

Memory difficulties
Irritability
Feeling more hungry than usual
Becoming physically unwell more frequently
Low mood
Difficulties concentrating

Newborn babies sleep the highest number of hours per day and generally people need less sleep as they age. Most adults need between seven and nine hours per night, meaning many adults in the UK may be sleep deprived.

Coping with Seasonal Affective Disorder

21st July 202512th March 2018 by Morency Editor

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a condition where low mood is associated with the winter months of the year. People with the condition usually experience a ‘normal’ mood during spring and summer. A lot of people feel slightly lower in mood during cold weather, however, SAD is more than the ‘winter blues’, symptoms include:

Low mood
Loss of pleasure in activities that used to be enjoyable
Feeling irritable
Feelings of guilt, hopelessness, worthlessness or despair
Lack of energy or fatigue
Changes to sleeping patterns
Changes to eating patterns, for example, craving carbohydrates and gaining weight

Struggling with Postnatal depression? Morency can help

21st July 202526th February 2018 by Morency Editor

What is Postnatal depression?

Postnatal (or postpartum) depression differs from other forms of depression in that it’s onset is always associated with having a new baby within the past year. Symptoms are similar to other forms of depression and include:

Depressed mood / extreme sadness
Loss of interest in activities
Hopelessness
Thoughts of suicide
Fatigue
Lack of care for the baby and oneself, or thoughts of harming the baby or oneself
A sense of dread or feelings of fear or anxiety
Feeling disconnected from loved ones and the new baby
Feeling guilty or ashamed,
A change in appetite and / or sleeping pattern
Difficulties bonding with baby

Coping with teenage self-harm

21st July 202512th February 2018 by Morency Editor

Following on from our previous blog on exam stress, this blog considers self-harm which is a strategy that some teenagers use to manage difficult situations, including exam stress. At Morency, support can be offered to both individuals who are self-harming and their parents, if required.

What is self-harm?

Self-harming behaviours are any behaviours which cause deliberate physical harm to oneself. Often this can take the form of cutting the skin, however, burning, hair-pulling, scratching and taking substances or poisons are also forms of self-harm. Self-harming behaviours are not usually related to a desire to end one’s life, nor are the individuals ‘attention seeking’. Instead, such behaviours are often a way of coping with overwhelming emotions.

Coping with the stress of exams

21st July 202522nd January 2018 by Morency Editor

How much exam stress is normal?

It’s that time of year again when mocks are being taken in preparation for the build-up of GCSEs and A levels in the summer. Here at Morency we appreciate that this can be a challenging time for many young people and we receive a lot of calls at this time of year looking for support. We have specialists within our team who are here to help. Exam time is understandably stressful and almost everyone taking exams will experience some level of stress or anxiety. Usually, this stress is within a normal range and indeed, stress is believed to be vital to ensure people work hard to meet their goals. However, sometimes stress levels can become too high and stress becomes counterproductive, some possible signs of this include:

Relationship counselling: does your relationship need a refresh?

21st July 20258th January 2018 by Morency Editor

Relationship difficulties

Most people spend a large proportion of their lives in the company of another single individual. While this may seem idyllic, comforting and enjoyable at times, for most people there are also times of frustration and uncertainty. Common difficulties in marriages and long-term relationships include:

‘King Alcohol’…. Friend or Foe?

21st July 202518th December 2017 by Morency Editor

It is the time of year for parties, work social events and general jollity. It gets dark early, the twinkling lights of the pub beckon and all feels, temporarily at least, right with the world. And so, it should be but only if King Alcohol is treated with respect and not abused or misused by overindulgence. Too often this results in impulsive and regrettable behaviour.