What is Integrative Therapy?

Integrative therapy is a combined approach to psychotherapy that brings together different elements of specific therapies. Integrative therapists believe that there is no single approach that can treat each client in all situations and so therapy is tailored to meet each person's individual needs and personal circumstances. By combining elements drawn from different schools of psychological theory and research, integrative therapy becomes a more flexible and inclusive approach to treatment than more traditional, singular forms of psychotherapy. 



What is the aim?

​Integrative counselling aims to promote healing and utilizing a person's own resources to improve their mental, physical and emotional health. Clients are encouraged to self-reflect and be open to identifying what factors in their life are causing them problems. The integrative approach offers a safe, non-judgemental environment to help clients face their fears and recognise triggers that may be causing disruptive patterns of behaviour. By developing greater self-awareness, integrative therapy helps to empower clients to start setting goals and practising new behaviours that will enable them to move beyond their limitations and discover greater fulfilment in life. 



When is it used?

Integrative therapy can be used to work with children, adolescents, and adults, in individual practice or group settings. An integrative approach can be used to treat different psychological problems and disorders, including depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. An integrative therapist will match evidence-based treatments to each client and each disorder.



What to expect

Integrative therapists consider the individual characteristics, preferences and needs of each client, and use their professional judgment to decide what therapeutic approach would benefit each client most. Different approaches may be used throughout different stages of the therapeutic process or they may be used as a single combined form of therapy throughout.



How it works

There are over 400 different types of psychotherapy. Research shows that even though each approach varies somewhat, they can all result in similar outcomes. The central premise of integrative counselling is that there are many ways in which human functioning can be explored and understood. Integrative therapists use ideas from different therapies to come up with unique and effective forms of treatment that are suitable and effective for individual clients. Integrative therapy uses techniques backed by scientific research and proven to treat specific disorders.