Effective psychological therapy exists for men’s sexual health issues including erectile dysfunction, low libido, premature ejaculation and excessive pornography consumption. An individualised approach incorporates elements of CBT, psychoeducation and behaviour modification and often addresses associated themes such as low self-worth and trauma.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is based on the principle that psychological difficulties are based on unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaving. CBT has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders, and sexual dysfunction.  In many studies, CBT has been demonstrated to be as effective as, or more effective than, other forms of psychological therapy or psychiatric medications.

CBT emphasizes what is going on in the person’s current life, rather than what has led up to their difficulties. Therapy includes sessions with a therapist as well as homework exercises between session.

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is a specific type of cognitive behavioral therapy that has been effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD that have developed after experiencing a variety of traumatic events including sexual abuse, violence and natural disasters.

CPT is a structured psychotherapy generally delivered over 12 sessions and helps patients learn how to challenge and modify unhelpful beliefs related to the trauma. In so doing, the patient creates a new understanding and conceptualization of the traumatic event so that it reduces its ongoing negative effects on current life.

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an action-oriented approach to psychotherapy. It has origins in behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy and additionally incorporates core mindfulness concepts. Clients are trained to recognize and challenge avoiding, denying, and struggling with their emotions and accept that these feelings are appropriate responses to certain situations that should not prevent them from moving towards their personal goals.

VRET uses a Virtual Reality headset and specialised software to create immersive digital environments.  When immersed, the client can experience controlled and systematic exposure to situations and events that underly anxiety and specific phobias. Traditional in real life (‘in vivo’) exposure has long been considered a first-line psychological treatment but is often complicated to implement under controlled conditions. VRET creates ideal conditions for exposure therapy in complex environments such as social situations, airports/airplanes, high places and enclosed spaces.

Gut-focussed hypnotherapy addresses the miscommunication between the brain and gut and underlies functional gastrointestinal disorders such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Hypnosis here refers to a special mental state where a trained therapist guides a person into a focused state of awareness while feeling deeply relaxed. The technique uses suggestion, imagery and relaxation to produce a therapeutic effect while using suggestions that are aimed at calming the digestive tract and preventing unnecessary focus on discomfort in the body. 

Mindfulness can be understood as the non-judgmental acceptance and investigation of present experience, including body sensations, internal mental states, thoughts, emotions, impulses and memories, in order to reduce suffering or distress and to increase well-being. Mindfulness is cultivated though guided meditation techniques that develop attention control and emotional regulation skills. Since the 1970’s, mindfulness meditation has been applied in clinical settings and has been the subject of controlled clinical research which suggests its potential beneficial effects for a variety of mental as well as physical health disorders. While the concept and practice of mindfulness meditation has its roots in Buddhist wisdom teachings, mindfulness as a psychotherapeutic technique is secular.

While all psychotherapies rely on the therapeutic alliance (the relationship between client and therapist), in supportive counselling it is considered the most important element. In supportive counselling, the client uses the semi-structured therapeutic space to engage their own personal strengths and enhance coping with current issues.

Adult ADHD assessment uses a variety of psychometric instruments, informant reports and structured clinical interviews according to the guidelines of the Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA). Current concerns, educational history and functional impairment are assessed as are comorbid disorders such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse.