Dr Hadjipateras-Giannoulis primarily uses Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy (CBT) in her work, but adopts an eclectic approach to therapy, drawing from a range of therapeutic procedures to meet the specific needs of the client/couple/family.
CBT is a short to medium term therapy that focuses more on the present than the past. CBT is based on the premise that emotional distress is caused by the way we think and by our dysfunctional beliefs; the therapist enables the client to become aware of negative patterns of thinking and beliefs and the way in which negative thoughts, moods and behaviour are linked. The client is encouraged and supported to challenge these and replace them with more appropriate, realistic and functional ways of thinking which results in the alleviation of emotional distress. In CBT, the way a person thinks underpins feelings and behaviour. The therapist helps the patient to examine their beliefs, perceptions and thinking patterns, and identify how these impact on their emotional wellbeing and actions.
Home assignments between sessions are a key part of CBT, which may consist of diary keeping, recommended reading, as well ‘experiments’ to test out novel ways of thinking and responding.
Therapy can be undertaken in both Greek and English.
