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You do not need to learn a string of therapy acronyms before asking for help. Christine, who holds psychotherapy qualifications, explains what to ask instead.

An alphabet you do not need to learn

CBT, DBT, ACT: therapy abbreviations are handy shorthand among practitioners, but they can leave everyone else feeling lost. Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, is also qualified in psychotherapy, and she often meets people who have spent hours reading about acronyms before booking. She wants to reassure you that this homework is optional.

The starting point is not a method. It is the difficulty you would like help with, whether that is persistent worry, strong emotions that feel hard to manage, a relationship pattern or something you have not yet found words for.

What an approach looks like in practice

Rather than choosing based on initials, ask Christine what a typical session would actually involve. Would you be learning and practising particular skills? Would you spend more time reflecting on experiences and their meaning? Might there be small activities to try between appointments?

Hearing how an approach plays out in an ordinary session tends to be much more useful than a textbook definition. It lets you picture whether the style would suit how you think and what you need.

Goals before labels

Picking a method because its initials ring a bell, or because a friend liked it, is less useful than an approach tied to what you want to change. Approaches can also be combined or changed as your needs become clearer.

Keeping the work responsive

Throughout psychological care, your priorities should guide the direction. Sessions might turn to the parts of yourself you are curious about, which changes feel difficult and what signs of progress would mean something to you. Christine is open to discussing how often to revisit the plan, and whether another practitioner or service might suit you better if your needs change.

Starting without the acronyms in Freshwater

Psychotherapy with Christine is available at the Freshwater clinic. You can come along with nothing more than a sense of what feels hard right now, and work out the rest together.