James Weideman Clinical Psychologist

How I work (more on)

1. EMDR


• EMDR is recognized and used worldwide as a "power technique". It's efficiency as a therapeutic tool has been confirmed by many research studies.
  
  
• EMDR is used for the processing of most forms of emotional problems including traumatic experiences, losses, anxieties, ect. It is called a " power technique" because it often has remarkably quick and dramatic positive results. After many years I am still using it almost daily (refer to EMDR website www.emdria.org).
  
  


2. SCHEMA (MODE) THERAPY


• Was developed by Jeff Young (1990) to treat patients with chronic characterological problems, who did not respond to Cognitive-behavior Therapy. Schema Therapy can be brief, intermediate or long term depending on the patient.
  
  Definition: Schemas are self-defeating emotional and cognitive patterns that begin early in our development and repeats itself throughout our life. Examples include:
  
  
• A pattern of relationship problems or choosing the wrong partners or becoming over involved or start panicking when someone you love leaves or threatens to.
  
  
• Feelings of inadequacy or lack of confidence; feeling vulnerable or scarred in the world.
  
  
• Scared of social contact and therefore avoiding it.
  
  
• Pleasing others but our own needs are never met.
  
  
• Scared of conflict or avoid it by becoming submissive and therefore bottle up emotions in the process.
  
  
• Lack of self-discipline: procrastinates or gives up easily on tasks.
  
  
• Lack of self-control or emotional control.
  
  
• Unrelenting standards and hyper-criticalness.
  
  
• Emotional inhibition: Excessive inhibition of spontaneous feelings, actions or communication (e.g.: affection, joy, sexual excitement, play).
  
  
• Lack of consideration for others.
  
  
• Feel unfulfilled, unhappy and undeserving in spite of positive circumstances.
  
  


3. Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)


• Research proves its effectiveness for reduction in depressive relapse risk as well as symptom relief in anxiety disorders for adults and children.
  
  
• Also reduction of anxiety in Bipolar Patients.
  
  
• I found MBCT extremely useful for the management of obsessions (like ruminating thoughts) in OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).
  
  


4. SE.: SOMATIC EXPERIENCING:


• Is a naturalistic approach to the understanding and healing of trauma and the management of emotions developed by Peter Levine the last 40 years and taught worldwide.
  
  
• S.E. is becoming very popular because it is gentle, warm, extremely supportive and very effective.
  
  
• S.E. helps you to process trauma within an extremely supportive environment and at a pace that is within your window of tolerance.
  
  
• Dr. Levine noticed how animals seem to process trauma rather quickly compared to humans. His research shows that humans have the same innate abilities to process trauma, but that we need to know how!
  
  


5. EGO-STATE THERAPY


• Was developed by Professor Jack Watkins and Helen Watkins who did a lot of therapeutic work with multiple personalities (DID).
  
  
• Ego-State Therapy agrees with many other therapeutic approaches that your personality is not a single unit, but that it rather consists of different parts (also in the healthy individual). The parts or ego- states can for example include: a mother part; a wife part; a vulnerable inner child part; an efficient work part; a part that is scared of conflict; a part that escapes into reading, etc. Every person has his/her own unique combination of ego-states.
  
  
• It can be seen as a family of different internal "selves". The goal of therapy is to resolve the conflict between the different parts and to attend to their needs, which includes helping traumatized parts to heal. The stronger parts are mobilized to help weaker ones during this process of healing.
  
  


6. INNER-CHILD THERAPY (Incl. Inner Healing; Hypno-analysis; Schema Mode Therapy; Ego-State Therapy)


• I would work with the so called "inner child" in order to create corrective, mastery and empowering experiences for the traumatized inner child. The ideal end product is a more secure and mature person without issues that affect his ability to love (give and receive, ect), to work (identity confidence, assertiveness, perseverance, ect), to be spontaneous and have fun, to express his emotions and needs and to have the necessary self-control and self-discipline.