Anxiety & depression

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the most well researched and widely practiced evidence-based psychological treatment for managing mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, adjustment difficulties, and interpersonal problems. CBT is based on the concept that an individual's thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are interconnected, and that by changing negative and unhelpful thoughts, beliefs and attitudes, we can create changes in feelings and behaviours. The therapy aims to resolve psychological problems quickly, is goal-oriented and is focussed on helping the client to develop a toolkit to ultimately manage their difficulties independently.

 

For anxiety disorders, CBT helps individuals learn how to identify and challenge the often irrational beliefs and thoughts that cause and perpetuate anxiety. Techniques such as exposure therapy are used to gradually reduce the fear associated with specific triggers. Behavioural experiments help the person to challenge their beliefs in practice. Cognitive therapy or restructuring helps the person to change unrealistic beliefs. These beliefs may relate to specific concerns such as phobias or deeply held beliefs about the self and the world. Research has consistently demonstrated that CBT can effectively reduce the symptoms of anxiety disorders such as generalised anxiety disorder, PTSD, specific phobias, health anxiety, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder.

 

In the treatment of depression, CBT works by teaching individuals to recognise and reframe negative thinking patterns and beliefs. Clients learn coping strategies to address these distorted thoughts and are encouraged to engage in activities that are pleasurable provide a sense of achievement, and which are in line with the person’s values, helping to break the cycle of depression.

 

CBT is also effective in addressing adjustment difficulties — emotional and behavioural responses to new or changing situations that are excessively challenging or overwhelming for the individual. Such situations may include a relationship breakup, grief and loss, unemployment, or legal and financial difficulties. It helps individuals develop skills to adapt more effectively to these changes, enhancing their resilience and ability to manage stress.

 

There are a range of other evidence based psychological therapies which have been found to be effective for anxiety and depression and which Gus uses in his practice. Interpersonal therapy (IPT) is an evidence-based treatment that focuses on improving interpersonal relationships. IPT is often used to treat depression and involves identifying and addressing interpersonal issues which may contribute to or exacerbate the depressive symptoms. Common focal areas include difficulty forming healthy relationships, unresolved grief, role transitions, and relationship conflicts.

 

Another psychological therapy with a strong evidence base is mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), which combines cognitive therapy with mindfulness techniques. MBCT is particularly effective in preventing relapse in people who have experienced multiple episodes of depression. Additionally, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) helps increase psychological flexibility through mindfulness and acceptance strategies combined with commitment and behaviour change strategies.

 

These therapies offer structured, supportive interventions that are tailored to meet the unique needs of individuals, helping them to understand and modify their thought patterns and behaviours, alleviate symptoms, and improve overall mental health.

​

Post Traumatic Street Disorder (PTSD)

​

PTSD is a mental health condition that can occur when someone experiences or witnesses a very frightening, dangerous, or upsetting event. This can include things like a serious accident, a natural disaster, a physical or sexual assault, war, or the death of a loved one.

It is normal to feel upset or shaken after experiencing a traumatic event. However, for people who develop PTSD, those feelings don’t go away and can interfere with everyday life.

​

People with PTSD can experience a combination of the following symptoms:

• Reexperiencing of the event such as in images, dreams, memories, emotions and physical feelings.

• Avoidance of reminders of the event — like places, people, or conversations.

• Feeling constantly on edge — being easily startled, hypervigilance for danger, feeling tense, and being unable to relax.

• Strong negative feelings, such as a negative sense of self, unrealistic perceptions of the trauma, reduced enjoyment of activities, guilt, shame, anger, or hopelessness.

​

Dr Norris has worked extensively with PTSD for three decades. His work with people suffering from trauma related difficulties and disorders began with treating war veterans in a mental health hospital inpatient setting. Dr Norris then worked with PTSD in his role as a Clinical Psychologist with NSW Health. Since beginning his private practice he received many referrals from Victims Services NSW (a branch of the Attorney General’s Department) for the treatment of victims of all types of violent crimes. In his private practice, Dr Norris also worked with many injured workers suffering from PTSD as part of the Workers Compensation system. During this work he treated many workers with backgrounds in emergency services, such as police, fire and ambulance. Dr Norris regularly assists people with trauma focussed therapy techniques such as imaginal exposure therapy in order to directly treat the trauma while also utilising other evidence based psychological techniques.