Confidentiality In order to provide high quality treatment services, we do need to record personal information about you. However, only information relevant to your care will be recorded. Naturally only staff directly involved in your care will have access to this information and they are bound by strict confidentiality rules. In general, your information will not be shared with any organisation or person outside the mental health network. The exceptions are where you have given permission for this to happen (this will be recorded) or if there is an obligation medically or legally, to do so. Some statistics, such as data gained from questionnaires, are analyzed and reported as part of service planning. Again we stress that you will never be identified in this process. If you have any concerns regarding your privacy, please discuss this with your therapist. If you want to access information we have recorded about you, you may apply to access following procedures defined in the Freedom of Information Act. Discharge Policy for non-attendances Regular attendance will ensure you obtain maximum gains from therapy, and we will do the best we can to help you find appointment times that suit you. If you do not attend, it wastes valuable therapy time and means someone on the waiting list has to wait even longer. As a general rule, if you miss three appointments you will be discharged to make room for other clients. Bonython Park Tram Station Centre for Treatment of Anxiety & Depression (CTAD) Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy and Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Therapies Disorders treated Major Depressive Disorder Dysthymia Generalized Anxiety Disorder Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Social Phobia Health Anxiety Panic Disorder Specific Phobias 30 Anderson Street, Thebarton. S.A. 5031 Ph: (08) 8222 8100 Fax: (08) 8222 8101 [email protected] Background & History Depression and Anxiety are common and disabling problems. CTAD was established to offer scientifically proven treatments for these disorders through specialist programs. We also provide training and supervision in specific psychotherapy treatments and we conduct clinically relevant research. What types of therapies are offered? CTAD provides specialist evidence-based treatment, utilising the latest, up-to-date practices, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). What is CBT? In CBT the focus is on thinking (cognitive processes) and behaviour. CBT helps people understand that they can influence their moods by identifying and changing their thinking and beliefs. For example a person who is depressed may think very negative thoughts about themselves, the world and their future. This can increase depressed mood. A person who is anxious may experience a sense of threat relating to situations, thoughts and physical sensations. CBT helps you discover and challenge unhelpful thinking and this promotes the development of more balanced and helpful thinking. In CBT we also explore behaviours that keep unhelpful thinking going and experiment with behaviours that help change your thinking and your moods and feelings. Behavioural strategies are diverse and include experimenting with more helpful behaviours, goal setting, assertiveness training, time management and structured problem solving. The psychological therapies used are structured and time limited (for example, weekly appointments for a total of 820 appointments). We focus on problems you are experiencing in your life now, helping you to define and prioritize them. We work in a collaborative way with you, as opposed to simply telling you what you should and shouldn’t be doing. In the initial assessment, these will help serve the important function of determining which mode of therapy best suits your needs. These also directly benefit both you and your therapists by acting as a means of measuring your progress throughout therapy. CBT is a very active form of therapy, which will involve you doing ‘homework’ between sessions. This helps you practice the skills learnt in sessions so that they become easy for you to use. What is MBCT? Mindfulness meditation teaches people how to focus more on the present moment with full attention and in a non-judgemental accepting way. It can help people with recurrent depression observe their thoughts and feelings and disengage gently but deliberately from them. Instead of worrying, people can learn to bring awareness back to the here and now by using meditation. At the same time, participants are encouraged to cultivate a kind and accepting stance towards the difficulties experienced so that they are seen more clearly and in a relaxed way. Once participants have learned mindful meditation, cognitive therapy strategies are woven in as part of a planned skilful approach to deal with the emergence of any negative mind states and depressive symptoms. This treatment is taught in a series of 8 x 2 hour classes at weekly intervals and participants practice mediation for about 45 minutes daily, using CDs or tapes that can be purchased or loaned. Therapists CTAD is fortunate to have therapists with a wide range of experience and expertise. Clinical psychologists and consultant psychiatrists provide psychotherapy. Given the dedication to ongoing training there are also psychiatry trainees and psychology interns. They will be providing direct clinical services under supervision in both group and individual work. Research and Education In addition to providing a clinical service, CTAD is dedicated to ongoing research and education. This will help in providing increasingly effective treatments for future patients by a process of continually updating techniques and training future therapists. You are an important and indispensable part of this process. A significant source of information collected is from various questionnaires and rating scales that we will ask you to fill in. In the case of research, you will only be involved in such studies if you give INFORMED CONSENT to us in writing. You will never be identified in data used in analysis. We will always inform you both verbally and in writing about the nature of the study, alternative therapies, the risks and benefits of each therapy as well as confidentiality. It is important for you to know that should you choose not to partake in this process, there will be no penalty and your care will not be compromised in any way.