Human Givens Therapy for emotional and mental problems and relationship issues.

Human Givens Therapy

A new approach to counselling and therapy

A Human Givens therapist will:

explain depression and work to lift it in the shortest possible time

help with anxiety, including trauma or fear related symptoms

give information and advice if needed

not use jargon or 'psychobabble'

not tell you that counselling/therapy has to be 'painful'

not dwell unduly on the past

be supportive when difficult feelings emerge

not encourage you to get emotional beyond the normal need to 'let go' of any 'bottled up' feelings

assist you to develop your social skills if necessary, so that your needs for affection, friendship, pleasure, intimacy, connection to the wider community, etc. can be better fulfilled

help you to draw and build on your own resources (which may prove greater than you thought)

be considerate of the effects of counselling on the people close to you

may teach you to relax deeply

help you think about your problems in new, more empowering ways

use a wide variety of techniques as appropriate

ask you to do things between sessions when considered helpful

take as few sessions as possible

increase your self confidence and independence

work towards helping you to feel better after every consultation

Why is Human Givens Therapy effective?

A Human Givens therapist uses the understanding of the differences in left and right brain.

The Human Givens therapist understands, and may work with the natural rhythms of the brain (REM state--rapid eye movement--as happens during most dream sleep).

The therapist helps to calm emotions, before helping the client to look for new understandings, knowledge and solutions.

Unusually in the therapy world the Human Givens approach is flexible and adaptable.

The therapist does not have to adapt the client or the client's problems to fit in with any theory. Your therapy will be uniquely yours.

Findings from the latest research in psychology, neurobiology and counselling are absorbed into the approach. All references can be found in the book: Human Givens, a new approach to emotional health and clear thinking, by Ivan Tyrrell and Joe Griffin.

See also: Choosing a counsellor

Human Givens Therapy Effective, practical and research-based

There are hundreds of different counselling/psychotherapy models, which is confusing for all, but particularly if you are looking for an effective professional therapist at a time in your life when you might feel very vulnerable. The European Therapy Studies Institute (ETSI) was established to look into what makes counselling effective. The ideas that came from that have been condensed into the Human Givens Diploma course.

Counsellors/therapists may be trained by respectable schools and accredited by professional bodies, for which they will have worked hard, with commitment and determination. However, this unfortunately is not a guarantee that their work is effective. Any form of counselling, for example, that encourages excessive emotional introspection can prolong depression and anxiety.