Therapy provides a safe and confidential space to talk to a trained professional about how you are feeling and what’s going on in your life, at home or at work.
Different therapists and types of therapy take different approaches, but broadly speaking, your therapist may ask you questions about your thoughts, emotions, behaviours, relationships, childhood, past/present life events, and situations you find difficult. They may ask you about your goals or what changes you wish to make in your life. Depending on the style of the therapist, they will then go on to help you find solutions or new ways of coping, understand yourself better, process challenging thoughts, feelings and experiences.
Through Unmind Talk, therapy is conducted online via video calls by licensed or accredited therapists. Our global network consists of professionals who are trained and experienced in helping individuals with various issues, including common mental health difficulties such as low mood, anxiety, panic attacks, trauma, and sleep problems.
What are the benefits of therapy?
- Therapy offers a safe, confidential space for exploring thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
- It provides support in managing mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and stress.
- It can promote emotional healing, resilience, and empowerment.
- You can develop coping strategies which can enable you to navigate life's challenges more effectively.
- You can gain valuable insights into yourself, your communication and your relationships.
- Therapy can also be explorative and open to anyone with an interest in exploring themselves and who they are.
- It can allow you to understand yourself better and foster personal growth.
- Therapy can allow you to achieve certain goals even if you are flourishing
Myth busting worries around therapy
Myth 1: Therapists will judge you or misunderstand your concerns
Fact: Therapists strive to create a non-judgmental space, focusing on understanding and supporting you without bias or judgment.
Myth 2: Seeking therapy is a sign of weakness
Fact: Reaching out for therapy shows strength and a proactive approach to improving your mental health and wellbeing.
Myth 3: Feeling anxious about opening up means you’re not ready for therapy
Fact: Initial anxiety about therapy is normal and doesn’t mean you’re not ready; therapists are skilled at helping you navigate this discomfort.
Myth 4: Therapy is only for those in crisis or with severe mental health problems
Fact: Therapy is useful for anyone looking to address life’s challenges, personal growth, or improve wellbeing, not just those in crisis or with severe needs.
Myth 5: Therapy takes forever to see results
Fact: While therapy's duration varies, many individuals experience noticeable progress relatively quickly. The focus is on helping you achieve your goals within realistic and sustainable timeframes, ensuring meaningful and lasting changes.
Myth 6: Therapy is just talking about your problems
Fact: Beyond conversation, therapy includes strategies and exercises for coping, growth, and change, tailored to individual needs.
Myth 7: A therapist can fix all your problems
Fact: Therapists guide and support you in understanding and resolving your problems, but the process also requires active participation and effort from you to see changes.
What types of therapy do you offer?
Depending on the need and what you hope to get from speaking to a therapist, there are different therapeutic approaches. Having various therapeutic approaches ensures that you can find the one that best fits your needs and preferences. At Unmind Talk we offer:
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is a proactive therapy that helps you tackle unhelpful thoughts and behaviors by teaching you new ways to cope and change negative patterns. It's all about setting goals and using techniques to adjust how you think and act.
- Counseling: Offers a safe space where you can talk about your concerns and learn new ways to cope. It is supportive to helping you make sense of your thoughts and feelings to work towards understanding and possible solutions.
- Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy This therapy helps you explore how your past experiences and relationships impact your current behavior and emotions. It's designed to uncover deeper issues and gain insights quickly, helping you make meaningful changes within a limited timeframe.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Uses exercises of eye movement from side to side alongside talk therapy to help you process difficult memories, making them less upsetting. It is an appropriate therapy for trauma or other distressing life experiences.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) helps you understand and accept tough emotions while learning skills to manage them and make positive changes. It does this by teaching mindfulness and practical life skills like handling emotions better and improving relationships.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Teaches you to let go of the struggle with difficult thoughts and feelings, identify and commit to what’s important to you, and focus on moving towards those important things so you can live a life that’s rich and meaningful.
- Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) CFT helps you build self-compassion and reduce self-criticism by teaching you to treat yourself with kindness and understanding. It's great for helping you deal with feelings of shame and boosting your self-esteem by creating a more positive inner dialogue.
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) This approach helps you identify and achieve your goals by focusing on your strengths and envisioning your future. It's perfect if you're looking for a practical way to solve specific problems and make positive changes.
- Mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) or Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) Mindfulness helps you stay present and fully engage with the moment, reducing stress and improving well-being. Approaches like mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) teach you to manage thoughts and emotions with greater awareness and acceptance.
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) CPT helps you reframe and challenge negative thoughts related to trauma. It's effective for reducing PTSD symptoms and improving emotional well-being by changing the way you think about and cope with traumatic experiences.
We do not currently offer group therapy or couples therapy, and our therapists do not prescribe medication through Unmind Talk.
What to expect from the first session
In the first therapy session, expect an introduction from your practitioner and a series of questions to understand your needs and goals. They will also explain their approach, confidentiality, and discuss your fit for ongoing sessions, ensuring clarity and mutual understanding. Watch this video for more information.
Additionally, it's helpful to prepare by reflecting on what you hope to gain from therapy, your goals, and any specific issues you'd like to address. Consider jotting down notes beforehand to facilitate the discussion. This preparation can enhance the effectiveness of your first session and help you make the most of your therapeutic journey.
How long does therapy take?
Typically, each session will last for 50 minutes. In terms of the number of sessions offered, your employer will have agreed to a set number of sessions per employee and this will vary from one organisation to another. When you request or book a session with a practitioner, they will also be able to see how many sessions you have access to, and will plan their work with you accordingly.
Therapy | Coaching | |
A chance to work through some mental health and emotional challenges. It could also be a preventative approach to mental health. | Focus | Achieving specific goals, enhancing performance, and unlocking potential. |
Typically involves exploring emotions, (in some cases) past experiences, and patterns to understand and address underlying problems. | Benefits | A forward-looking approach, setting goals and developing strategies to achieve them. |
Sessions are scheduled regularly, often lasting 50-60 minutes. Each organisation would have an agreement with how many sessions you will be able to have. |
Typical time commitment |
Sessions may last between 50-60 minutes. Each organisation would have an agreement with how many sessions you will be able to have. |
Therapy addresses a wide range of mental health needs, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and relationship difficulties. | How can it support mental health? | By providing guidance on setting and achieving goals related to improving wellbeing and developing healthy habits. |
A wide range including goal setting, action plan, focus on the relationship between you and therapist, and assessment tools. You will also learn strategies, have space to talk about what matters to you, or focus on the body and how to manage feelings. | Scope of interventions | Coaching utilises various tools and techniques, such as goal-setting exercises, action plans, accountability structures, and assessment tools tailored to your needs and goals. |