Centre for Treatment of Anxiety and Depression services

Centre for Treatment of Anxiety and Depression (CTAD) specialises in providing a range of individual cognitive-behaviour therapy interventions as well as group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for relapse prevention.

Individual cognitive behaviour therapy

Cognitive behaviour therapy here includes all time-limited, scientifically-proven psychological therapies that focus on teaching skills to correct the effects that thinking patterns have on emotions and behaviour.

There are specific cognitive therapy programs that work best with different kinds of problems, such as:

  • cognitive 
  • exposure-response prevention
  • behavioural activation
  • cognitive processing
  • metacognitive
  • acceptance and commitment
  • schema
  • cognitive analytic.

A therapist would explain these to a consumer and discuss why one or the other was recommended for their specific problem.

Treatment sessions usually last about 50 minutes, although in some programs where prolonged exposure is involved, sessions may last as long as 2 hours. Frequency of sessions varies depending on need and availability: often this is weekly but may be as often as 3-5 times/week for intensive treatment. Assessment sessions are typically 90 minutes and 1-3 sessions may be needed depending on how much relevant information there is to collect. We try to speed this up by asking  consumers to complete pre-treatment questionnaires.

Treatment is active, collaborative and interactive. Most forms of cognitive therapy focus more on the present than the past. However, if it becomes clear that present-focused therapy is not helping to meet a consumer’s goals, a clinician may suggest they try a form of therapy that incorporates an equal focus on past and present.

The most effective treatments for anxiety and depressive disorders require more than talking about what’s happened in the last week. Therapy will be very strategic, teaching skills and having consumers take part in exercises to discover new perspectives and experiences. We will not rely on giving advice. We will work with consumers to come up with useful exercises. Consumers will be asked to complete tasks between sessions to develop their skills and sense of independence.

A consumer will be asked to complete questionnaires regularly so that (a) we know where to focus treatment and (b) we have a record of progress so that if it is hard at times to tell whether a consumer is improving or not, we have something more reliable than our memory to help decide.

Mindfulness-based Compassion Focussed Therapy (MbCFT)

Many of the clients referred to CTAD have a developmental trauma history, often presenting with low mood driven by harsh self-criticism, and shame-related social anxiety.

Compassion Focused Therapy is a new 6 week group approach that provides a safe and inclusive setting which involves

  • education about the negative effects of self-criticism on feelings and functioning
  • strategies for increasing self-compassionate attitudes and behaviours
  • overcoming unhelpful assumptions about self-compassion and accepting compassion from others
  • encouraging healthy ways to assist the flow of compassion to others
  • learning some mindfulness practices to assist with learning how to relate calmly and kindly to difficult thoughts and emotions

Research shows that self-compassion is an effective treatment for depression and anxiety where it is driven by shame and self-criticism. It is based in evolutionary psychology and explains the emotional regulation systems that drive our thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

In the course you will learn skills and practices to cultivate a more compassionate response towards yourself and others. These learnings and skills can alleviate the distress from suffering both now, and in the future to prevent relapse.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)

Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an approach designed to prevent relapses of recurrent Major Depressive Disorder and to assist with managing worry-related anxiety.

We taught this course at CTAD for nearly 20 years in a series of 8 weekly classes with an important focus on daily 40 minute mindfulness meditation. This course has now been phased out in order to focus on the above new offering.

However, we still offer booster mindfulness and self-compassion drop-in classes 5 times per year for all past MBCT participants, as well as for this who have completed the MbCFT course.

Contact

Telephone: (08) 8222 8100

Facsimile: (08) 8222 8101