Document Actions
Therapies
These pages are about how therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and solution based therapy can help to move homeless people forward. It is recognised that use of psychological therapeutic techniques can be mis-handled by non-trained key workers.
What's New?
- Cognitive and behavioural therapeutic interventions to tackle homelessness , a paper exploring the issues from DCLG, University of Southhampton & Homeless Link.
- The use of psychological therapeutic interventions in homelessness services is currently being trialled at Brighton and Hove City Council, where half of all supporting people funded services are aimed at homeless people. They are currently developing an online resource page, which will be included here shortly.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help change how people think (cognitive) and what they do (behaviour). Unlike some other treatments, which emphasise the significance of past behavioural difficulties, CBT focuses on ways to improve a person’s state of mind now. Instead of focusing on the causes of distress or symptoms in the past, it looks for ways to improve someone's state of mind now. The benefits of CBT in homelessness-related services are becoming widely more recognised.
CBT Resources
- A therapeutic exchange: independence v dependence, an event about therapeutic intervention, took place in London on October 27. The presentations are available to download.
- The Mental Health Foundation offered free online access to Depression Relief, an online self-help program based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The trial is now over, but you can see the bulletin board.
- Homeless Link training course for workers in the sector Introduction to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Brief or solution focused therapy
Solution focused therapy does not look to impose a model of counselling or behaviour to the individual but looks to identify and utilise the resources and strengths the client has. It is an approach to counselling that is brief and effective. Research shows it to bring about lasting change on average in less than 5 sessions. It can be brief because it is future-focused and because it works with the strengths of those who come by making the best use of their resources, and it can bring about lasting change precisely because it aims to build solutions rather than solve problems.
The Brief Therapy Practice does half its therapy free and actively looks for referrals. It states that its clients "range from the rich and famous to the broke and homeless".
Counselling
In Westminster homeless people can access short and long term counselling and psychotherapy via the Primary Care Trust. Professional counsellors visit health centres and day centres that homeless people use regularly, where they trust the staff and feel comfortable. This innovative intervention of taking the service to the point of need can make a big difference in the lives of vulnerable homeless people. Read the article and case studies.
Further Resources
- See the pages on therapeutic techniques for homeless people on our Good Practice Handbooks microsite.
- 4 day Homeless Link course Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: principles and practice delivered by Dr. Nick Maguire, a clinical psychologist.
- Homeless Link Training Course Mental Health and Homelessness
- Royal College of Psychiatrists information about therapies