What is integrative psychotherapy?

When I started psychotherapy training, I was perplexed by the sheer number of approaches. For a relatively young discipline—it’s been less than 150 years since the publication of Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams—there are hundreds of named theories, a daunting number for a trainee or prospective client to wrap their heads around, let alone choose from.

Rather than contradicting or muddling one other, I believe the various theories—gathered under umbrellas such as behavioural, psychodynamic, cognitive, humanistic, or existential—describe the many facets of human experience, and can be understood collectively as a description of what makes life meaningful and free of suffering. This is, in my view, the essence of integrative psychotherapy.

In short, it means attending equally to all aspects of a person: thoughts and actions; the unconscious and the conscious; fears and hopes; relationships and identity; the past and the present. As far as possible, the client is seen as a whole, even if attention requires us to focus on one area at a time. When a person is viewed in this way, awareness is drawn to contradictions and conflicts which are otherwise invisible.

A consequence of integrative psychotherapy is that, by attending to the whole, one becomes aware of a whole. It’s possible for feelings to be fully felt, not shut down; for actions to mirror thought; for shameful parts to be accepted. When a person ceases to dissociate—split off parts of their mental world—a great deal of energy is released, which provides relief and can be used in other areas. Symptoms, which are often the consequence of dissociation, also improve.

Some techniques I use as an integrative therapist include:

• Non-judgement and respect 

• Goal-setting and alignment

• Psychological and emotional assessment (learning about the experiences that brought you here)

• Socratic questioning (being curious about beliefs and assumptions)

• Visualisation and empathy (putting myself in your shoes in order to understand your perspective)

• Emotional processing (monitoring, releasing and calming of emotions)

• Challenge (noting contradictions or conflicts between thoughts and behaviour)

• Psychoeducation (sharing applicable insights and techniques)

• Modelling (practicing skills in session)

While integrative theory is fascinating, clients come to therapy for results, not to have books regurgitated at them. Research shows what clients need from their therapist is competence, trust, and a safe environment in which to work. In this, integrative therapy draws on best practice from established theories and empirical evidence, without being too rigidly anchored to a single belief system, or requiring a particular outcome from each client.

Although the explosion of technical terms can feel overwhelming, one must remember they are used to help practitioners stand out and remain relevant in a competitive market. For clients, what matters most is whether they believe in the therapist’s personal and professional ability to guide them on a rewarding but daunting journey, regardless of which school the therapist belongs to.

Art: Kompositsioon by Ado Vabbe