Therapy that's built around you
No single approach works for everyone.
Therapy here draws on a range of evidence-based methods — chosen and adapted based on your individual needs, goals and what you're working through.
Evidence-based, not one-size-fits-all
Sessions draw on a range of evidence-based approaches, selected and adapted to each person's needs, presentation and goals. Rather than applying one fixed method, we shape sessions around what's most likely to be effective and meaningful for you.
That might mean structured strategies from CBT, values-based work from ACT, or something more experiential — depending on what you're working through. For children, it often includes play-based techniques that support expression in a developmentally appropriate way.
The approach always starts with understanding: who you are, what's happening, and what kind of support would actually help.
What all approaches have in common
- Grounded in research and clinical evidence
- Adapted to suit your individual needs and goals
- Collaborative — you're an active part of the process
- Practical, with strategies you can use in real life
- Paced to feel manageable, not overwhelming
- Focused on lasting change, not just short-term relief
"Therapy is most effective when the approach actually fits the person — not the other way around. That's where we start."
— Hebba Morcos, Registered Psychologist
The approaches used at Coral Psychology
Open each one to read what it is, how it works, and who it tends to help.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
One of the most widely researched approaches in psychology. It's based on the idea that thoughts, feelings and behaviours are interconnected — and that by shifting unhelpful patterns in thinking, we change how we feel and respond.
In practice that means identifying thought patterns contributing to distress, examining whether they're accurate or helpful, and developing more balanced ways of thinking. Behavioural strategies are used alongside this to shift avoidance and build more effective responses.
CBT is structured and goal-oriented, with practical strategies you can use between sessions.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
A values-based approach focused on building psychological flexibility — being present with difficult thoughts and feelings without being controlled by them, while moving toward what matters most to you.
Rather than trying to eliminate uncomfortable thoughts, ACT helps you relate to them differently: noticing them without fusing with them, and making space for them without letting them dictate your behaviour.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Originally developed for people who experience intense emotions that are difficult to manage. It combines cognitive behavioural strategies with acceptance-based approaches, using mindfulness as a foundation.
DBT focuses on four skill areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. The skills are highly practical, designed for real situations — particularly when emotions feel overwhelming and it's hard to respond in a way you feel good about afterwards.
Mindfulness-based approaches
Mindfulness supports present-moment awareness — noticing what's happening internally and externally without immediately reacting. It isn't about emptying the mind or achieving calm, but about relating differently to thoughts, feelings and sensations as they arise.
In therapy these skills are used practically and woven into other approaches rather than taught standalone: grounding techniques, breathing practices, body awareness, or informal mindfulness in everyday activities.
Narrative Therapy
Based on the idea that we make sense of our lives through stories, and that the stories we tell about ourselves shape how we feel, how we act and what we see as possible. Problems arise when one narrative dominates and overshadows other parts of who we are.
Through externalisation, narrative therapy separates the person from the problem — recognising you are not your anxiety, not your ADHD, not your struggles. From there it becomes possible to explore alternative stories: moments of strength, resilience and identity that may have been overlooked.
Play Therapy
Play is the natural language of children. Play therapy uses that medium to help children express feelings, process experiences and develop skills in a way that's developmentally appropriate and non-threatening. Children often communicate through play what they can't put into words.
Sessions may involve creative play, drawing, storytelling, sandplay or structured games, selected around the child's individual needs and goals. It isn't simply free play — it's a purposeful, evidence-informed approach.
Psychoeducation
Providing clear, accessible information about mental health, diagnosis and psychological processes, and how they relate to your own experience. It's a core part of effective therapy, because understanding what's happening and why is itself therapeutic.
For many people, being told for the first time that what they're experiencing has a name, a cause and a path forward is profoundly relieving. For parents of a newly diagnosed child, it helps make sense of what their child is experiencing and how best to support them.
Related support areas
Neurodiversity & adult ADHD
Support for adults who think and experience the world differently, including late diagnosis.
Learn more → AdultsAnxiety, trauma & wellbeing
Support for anxiety, stress, trauma and emotional healing.
Learn more → Children & teensChildren & adolescents
Play-based and talk therapy for children aged 6 and above, and teenagers.
Learn more →Not sure which approach suits you?
You don't need to know. That's my job — and it's what the first few sessions are for. Start with a free 15-minute call.