Approach

After your registration you will receive a confirmation by email and you will be called later for an appointment. During the intake appointment, we discuss the complaints, expectations of the treatment and the request for help. We also look at whether the problem fits within generalist basic mental healthcare. This can involve the use of questionnaires to help clarify the seriousness and type of problems. It is also important that there is a mutual click.

Together we discuss what the goal of the treatment will be and the treatment plan, we make an estimate of how long the treatment may take and the frequency of the sessions. During the treatment, I will continue to discuss and evaluate its progress with you. At the end of the treatment, if you agree, feedback will be provided in a letter to your referring practitioner.


Examples of problems that can be treated:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety and panic, phobias
  • Trauma, PTSD
  • Burnout, stress
  • Compulsive acting, obsessive thoughts, worrying
  • Relationship problems
  • Sleep problems
  • Lack of self-confidence
  • Identity problems
  • Loss and grief
  • Life phase problems
  • Problems with regard to meaning and pastoral problems
  • Problems in re-entry and transition for expats and missionary workers
https://www.government.nl/topics/mental-health-services/question-and-answer/help-for-mental-health-problems

Your general practitioner will refer you for Generalist Basic Mental Healthcare if it is felt that short-term treatment is possible (maximum 10-12 sessions). The treatment at Praktijk Terlouw is not suitable if there are complex problems, a high crisis sensitivity or a high risk of suicidality. The basic principle is that you must be stable enough to be able to bridge the time between two appointments yourself, with the support of the people around you. 

Types of therapy:

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a short-term goal-focused evidence-based therapeutic approach which helps clients change by constructing solutions rather than dwelling on problems. In the most basic sense, SFBT is a hope friendly, positive emotion eliciting, future-oriented vehicle for formulating, motivating, achieving, and sustaining desired behavioural change.
https://solutionfocused.net/what-is-solution-focused-therapy/

EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders. EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue or completing homework between sessions. EMDR therapy, rather than focusing on changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviour’s resulting from the distressing issue, allows the brain to resume its natural healing process.
https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a short-term, goal-oriented psychotherapy treatment that takes a hands-on, practical approach to problem-solving. Its goal is to change patterns of thinking or behaviour that are behind people’s difficulties, and so change the way they feel. It is used to help treat a wide range of issues in a person’s life, from sleeping difficulties or relationship problems, to drug and alcohol abuse or anxiety and depression. CBT works by changing people’s attitudes and their behaviour by focusing on the thoughts, images, beliefs and attitudes that are held and how these processes relate to the way a person behaves, as a way of dealing with emotional problems.
https://psychcentral.com/lib/in-depth-cognitive-behavioral-therapy#1

Emotional Focussed Therapy (EFT) is a structured short term therapy for couples who want to restore their couple relationship. It includes nine steps in three stages. The therapist helps the couple to understand in what way both of them contribute to, and are involved in, a pattern of interaction that is creating frustration and distance. The EFT work is both interpersonal and intrapsychic. The estimated number of sessions is between twelve and twenty.
https://eftnetwerk.nl/en/index.html