Treatments

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based therapy that explores the links between thoughts, emotions, behaviours and physical sensations. CBT can help people identify unhelpful patterns and develop practical strategies to manage distress and improve wellbeing.

Scientific support
CBT is widely used for a range of mental health concerns, including anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and eating disorders.

What to expect as a client
CBT is usually structured and goal-oriented. Sessions may involve identifying patterns, developing coping strategies, practising new skills and applying strategies between sessions. Your psychologist may work with you to build a clearer understanding of what keeps difficulties going and how to respond differently.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based therapy that helps people relate differently to difficult thoughts and feelings, while taking meaningful action guided by their values.

Scientific support
ACT is used to support a range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, chronic pain, stress, adjustment difficulties and workplace stress. It focuses on building psychological flexibility: the ability to stay present, make room for difficult internal experiences and choose actions that align with what matters.

What to expect as a client
In ACT, your psychologist may help you notice patterns of avoidance, respond more flexibly to thoughts and emotions, clarify your values and take steps toward meaningful goals. ACT does not aim to eliminate all distress, but to help you live more effectively alongside difficult experiences.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based therapy that helps people build skills for managing intense emotions, distress, relationships and impulsive behaviours. DBT was originally developed by psychologist Marsha Linehan and has since been adapted for a range of mental health concerns.

Scientific support
DBT has been shown to support emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and reduction of self-destructive behaviours. It may be used to support people experiencing emotion dysregulation, eating disorder behaviours, anxiety, depression, trauma-related difficulties and other concerns.

What to expect as a client
In DBT-informed individual therapy, your psychologist may help you develop practical skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. Therapy often focuses on balancing acceptance with change, helping you better understand your emotions while building safer and more effective ways to respond.

Please note that VPC does not run DBT group programs. 

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy used to support people in processing distressing or traumatic memories. EMDR was developed by Francine Shapiro and is commonly used for trauma-related symptoms.

Scientific support
EMDR has research support for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma-related symptoms. It may also be used by some clinicians to support anxiety, phobias and other distressing experiences where past memories continue to affect current wellbeing.

What to expect as a client
In EMDR, your psychologist will usually work with you to identify relevant memories, current triggers and future goals. EMDR often involves bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements or other forms of left-right stimulation, while processing distressing material in a structured and supported way. The aim is to reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories and support more adaptive understanding.

Enhanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT-E) is a specialised form of CBT developed for eating disorders. It is designed to help people understand and change the patterns that maintain eating disorder symptoms, including concerns related to food, eating, weight, shape and self-evaluation.

Scientific support
CBT-E has research support for a range of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. It focuses on the psychological and behavioural processes that can keep eating disorder symptoms going.

What to expect as a client
CBT-E is usually structured and collaborative. Therapy may involve understanding eating patterns, identifying maintaining factors, developing regular eating, addressing body image concerns and building alternative ways to manage distress. Your psychologist will work with you to tailor the approach to your needs and goals.

The Maudsley Model of Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults (MANTRA) is an evidence-based therapy designed specifically for adults experiencing anorexia nervosa. It aims to help people understand the personal, emotional, relational and thinking patterns that may contribute to the maintenance of anorexia.

Scientific support
MANTRA has research support for the treatment of anorexia nervosa in adults. It draws on cognitive, emotional, relational and biological understandings of eating disorders, and is designed to be collaborative and tailored to the individual.

What to expect as a client
In MANTRA, your psychologist may help you explore how anorexia affects your life, relationships, emotions, identity and decision-making. Therapy may involve building motivation for change, understanding maintaining patterns, developing alternative coping strategies and involving supportive people where appropriate.

Family-Based Therapy (FBT), is an evidence-based treatment for young people experiencing anorexia nervosa. FBT recognises the important role families can play in supporting recovery.

Scientific support
FBT is considered a first-line treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa. It focuses on supporting families to help restore eating, reduce eating disorder behaviours and gradually return age-appropriate independence to the young person.

What to expect as a client
In FBT, therapy usually involves the young person and their family or caregivers. Treatment often includes supporting parents or caregivers to help with eating and weight restoration, addressing eating disorder behaviours, and gradually helping the young person regain independence around food and daily life. The approach is collaborative and tailored to the needs of each family.

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is an evidence-based trauma-focused therapy commonly used to support people experiencing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma-related symptoms. CPT helps people identify and work with unhelpful beliefs that may have developed after traumatic experiences.

Scientific support
CPT has research support for the treatment of PTSD and trauma-related difficulties. It focuses on the ways trauma can affect beliefs about safety, trust, power, control, esteem and intimacy.

What to expect as a client
CPT is usually structured and goal-oriented. Therapy may involve learning about PTSD, identifying stuck points, exploring trauma-related beliefs and developing more balanced ways of understanding the traumatic experience and its impact. Your psychologist will support you to work through this process at a pace that feels safe and appropriate.

Prolonged Exposure (PE) is an evidence-based trauma-focused therapy commonly used to support people experiencing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PE helps people gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings and situations that may have been avoided because they feel distressing or unsafe.

Scientific support
PE has research support for the treatment of PTSD and trauma-related symptoms. It focuses on reducing avoidance and supporting emotional processing of traumatic experiences in a structured and supported way.

What to expect as a client
PE is usually structured and collaborative. Therapy may involve learning about trauma responses, developing coping strategies, revisiting traumatic memories in a supported way, and gradually approaching avoided situations or activities. Your psychologist will work with you to plan this process carefully and at a pace that is appropriate for your needs.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a specialised form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) commonly used to support people experiencing obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). ERP may also be used for related concerns, including body dysmorphic disorder and some anxiety presentations.

Scientific support
ERP has research support for OCD and related anxiety-driven patterns. It focuses on gradually approaching feared thoughts, images, situations or sensations while reducing compulsive behaviours, reassurance seeking or avoidance.

What to expect as a client
ERP is usually structured, collaborative and carefully paced. Therapy may involve understanding the cycle of obsessions and compulsions, developing a hierarchy of feared situations, practising gradual exposure and learning to resist compulsive responses. Your psychologist will work with you to make the process manageable and aligned with your goals.

Strengths-based approaches focus on identifying and building on a person’s existing strengths, values, resources and resilience. Rather than focusing only on problems or symptoms, this approach helps clients recognise what is already working and how those strengths can support change.

Scientific support
Strengths-based approaches are often used alongside other evidence-based therapies, including positive psychology, solution-focused therapy, ACT and CBT-informed approaches. They can support confidence, motivation, resilience and a stronger sense of personal agency.

What to expect as a client
In strengths-based therapy, your psychologist may help you identify personal strengths, coping skills, supports, values and previous examples of resilience. Therapy may involve using these strengths to support goals, manage challenges and build confidence in daily life.

Schema Therapy is an integrative therapy that helps people understand and change long-standing patterns in thoughts, emotions, relationships and behaviour. These patterns, sometimes called schemas, often develop early in life and can continue to shape how people see themselves, others and the world.

Scientific support
Schema Therapy has research support for a range of long-standing emotional and interpersonal difficulties. It may be used to support people experiencing personality-related concerns, chronic depression, relationship patterns, trauma-related difficulties and persistent self-critical beliefs.

What to expect as a client
In Schema Therapy, your psychologist may help you identify recurring patterns, understand where they came from and develop healthier ways of responding. Therapy may involve exploring emotions, relationships, coping styles and unmet needs, while building more compassionate and flexible ways of relating to yourself and others.

Gottman Method Couples Therapy is an evidence-based approach to couples counselling developed by Drs John and Julie Gottman. It focuses on helping couples better understand their relationship patterns, strengthen friendship and connection, manage conflict more effectively and build shared meaning.

Scientific support
The Gottman Method is informed by decades of research into couple relationships. It identifies patterns that can affect relationship stability and offers practical tools to support communication, emotional connection and conflict management.

What to expect as a client
Gottman Method Couples Therapy often begins with an assessment of the relationship, including each partner’s concerns, strengths and goals. Your psychologist may help you identify recurring patterns, improve communication, manage disagreements more constructively and rebuild connection.

Couples may also be encouraged to practise skills between sessions to support change outside the therapy room.