Empowering athletes and teams to reach greater potential.

FAQ

 

Athlete Alive Athletics HurdlesDoes Athlete Alive work with children or teenagers?
Yes, Athlete Alive works with all ages, families, couples and groups of individuals such as teams, coaches, teachers etc.

What kind of therapy would I receive at Athlete Alive?
Clinical psychologists are trained in a number of therapies. Dr Lipsey specialises in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy www. babcp.com and Narrative therapy www.dulwichcentre. com.au but can also use techniques from other psychological models such as Cognitive Analytical Theory www.acat.me.uk and other systemic theories www.aft.org.uk

What kind of therapy will you practice?
Psychological techniques are used to relieve distress. Words such as “counselling” or “psychotherapy” can be used to refer to all forms of psychological interventions, but they may also have specific meanings. For example, counselling can refer to a specific form of “client centred” or “person centred” therapy devised by Carl Rogers www.minddisorders.com, whereas psychotherapy is often referring to psychoanalytic models of understanding human behaviour www.psychotherapy.org.uk.

Clinical Psychologists are trained in a plethora of psychological techniques, including those mentioned above, and use their highly developed knowledge and skills to apply the most appropriate psychological techniques to fit with client and their difficulties. Clinical Psychologists are scientist-practitioners who study models of therapy and their application to clinical practice.

Dr Lipsey specialises in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy www.babcp.org and Narrative therapy www.dulwichcentre.com.au but can also use techniques from other psychological models such as Cognitive Analytical Theory www.acat.me.uk and other systemic theories www.aft.org.uk

What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?
The central concept of CBT is the relationship between our thoughts, feelings and behaviour. The way we feel about a situation or experience depends on what we think about it, and this then influences our behaviour. For example, 2 students who are studying for exams both wake at 3am on the night before an exam. One person thinks “Its 3am – I have only had 4 hours sleep – if I cant get back to sleep I will be tired in the morning – if I am tired I wont do well in my exam – If I don’t do well I wont get a job and my family will be disappointed with me – I will be a failure” These thoughts trigger symptoms of worry and panic. Another person my think “Its 3am – fantastic, I have another 6 hours to study before my exam – the more time I have to study the better I will do”. These thoughts trigger a completely different set of physiological symptoms and behaviours. CBT helps people to identify negative automatic thoughts, which lead to unhelpful beliefs which impact on emotions and behaviour using a collaborative therapeutic relationship. The sessions are highly structured and home tasks are set between sessions to enable people to identify negative automatic thoughts and effect that these have on feelings, bodily reactions and behaviour.

What Is Narrative Therapy?
Narrative therapy seeks to be a respectful, non-blaming approach to counseling and community work, which centres people as the experts in their own lives. It views problems as separate from people and so focuses on problems' effects on people's lives rather than on problems as inside or part of people, distance is created. Within narrative therapy the conversation will investigate the sociopolitical sources of problem, as people find it useful to know that problems are much larger than themselves, and to realize that those problems are constantly fed by society. Most importantly, narrative therapy assumes people have many skills, beliefs, and values, which will assist them to reduce the influence of problems in their lives

What is Cognitive Analytic Therapy?
CAT involves a therapist and a client working together to understand what hindered changes in the past in order to make sense how better to move forward in the present. Questions such as “why do I always end up feeling like this” is a focus in CAT as it looks at patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

What are Systematic Therapies?
Systemic therapy is a school of psychology which seeks to address people not an individual level, as had been the focus of earlier forms of therapy, but as people in relationship, dealing with the interactions of groups and their interactional patterns and dynamics. It does not attempt to determine past causes, nor does it assign diagnosis (who is sick, who is a victim), rather systemic therapy seeks instead to identify stagnant patterns of behaviour in groups of people such as a family, and address those patterns directly, irrespective of analysis of cause. Systemic therapist's role is to help systems to change themselves by introducing creative jolts.

Do I have to pay?
If you have been sent via your GP or through work and have agreed with your private health insurers, then it is likely that you will not have to pay. Some insurers require you to pay first and claim back the fees later. Private consultation is chargeable.

Will you contact my GP?
GP contact is not routine, but if you would like your GP to know that you are attending therapy we would be responsible for providing your GP with the information agreed with you.

Who will find out that I have come here?
No-one will be given information regarding your contact with the service without your consent, unless there are issues of concern.

What would be issues of concern that would mean you would contact others?
Issues of concern are regulated by law ie. if you disclose information that suggests that you pose a risk to yourself or others, or you are about to commit a crime, then disclosure to a third party is necessary. This will be discussed with you at the time of your disclosure. If disclosing child protection issues, the therapist is responsible to think about other children who may be at risk.

Is there anyone else who will know about my case?
All clinical psychologists must have clinical supervision. The BPS considers this mandatory and good practice. Strict confidentiality is observed.