Integrative psychotherapy

Integrative psychotherapy is an approach to therapy that brings together different psychological theories and techniques, rather than relying on a single model. The aim is to respond flexibly to the whole person, your thoughts, feelings, body, relationships, history, and hopes for the future, instead of trying to fit you into one preset way of working.

On this page, you can learn more about what integrative psychotherapy means in practice and what it can help with. Integrative psychotherapy can be offered both in person and online.

Integrative psychotherapy at a glance

  • What it is: A flexible, collaborative approach that draws on several therapeutic models instead of just one.

  • How it helps: Can support anxiety, low mood, stress, relationship difficulties, grief, life transitions, and a wish for deeper self understanding.

  • How it works: You and your therapist agree what to focus on, combining practical tools with space to explore feelings, patterns, and past experiences.

  • Who it’s for: People who simply feel something isn’t right and want a space to explore.

A personalised, integrative approach

Life rarely fits one neat category, and therapy doesn’t have to either. Integrative psychotherapy means drawing from several evidence informed approaches and shaping them around you, your history, and your goals.

An integrative way of working might involve:

  • Building practical tools to manage anxiety, low mood, and stress

  • Gently exploring how past experiences and relationships are affecting you now

  • Strengthening self compassion, self worth, and boundaries

  • Exploring relationship patterns, identity, and life transitions

  • Creating realistic steps towards feeling more grounded, present, and connected

Many integrative therapists combine structured methods such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness with psychodynamic and person centred approaches, at a pace that feels manageable for you. Different therapists may draw on a slightly different mix of approaches, but the core idea is similar: to use what is most helpful for you, rather than being limited to one model.

What integrative psychotherapy can help with

Integrative psychotherapy is used to support clients with a wide range of emotional and psychological concerns. Common reasons people seek integrative therapy include:

  • Anxiety, including generalised anxiety, panic, health worries and social anxiety

  • Low mood and depression

  • Commuter stress and anxiety around travel

  • Parenting burnout and the mental load of caring for others

  • Relationship difficulties, attachment patterns, break ups and communication issues

  • Grief and loss, including bereavement and pregnancy loss

  • Major life changes such as relocation, career shifts, menopause, and retirement

  • Feeling stuck, questioning identity, or wanting deeper personal growth

Some people come with a clear focus. Others arrive simply knowing that something doesn’t feel right, or that they want a space to understand themselves more deeply. Integrative psychotherapy can be adapted to both clearer goals and more open ended exploration.

How integrative psychotherapy brings approaches together

Because the work is integrative, the shape of therapy depends on your needs and preferences. Different approaches might be combined, for example:

  • CBT techniques to notice and gently challenge unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours

  • Psychodynamic exploration to understand how earlier experiences may be echoing in the present

  • Person centred counselling offering consistent empathy, acceptance, and space to be fully yourself

  • Mindfulness and ACT elements simple practices to help you stay present, reduce overwhelm, and reconnect with your values

  • Solution focused work identifying what’s already helping and building on your strengths

  • Gestalt, narrative and parts based work to increase awareness of different “parts” of you and create a more integrated sense of self

You might also learn grounding practices such as the 5 4 3 2 1 technique, gentle breathing exercises (like the 4 7 8 breath), or short mindfulness tools. These can offer concrete ways to steady your body and mind between sessions, alongside deeper exploration of patterns and underlying themes.

Integrative psychotherapy brings these approaches together rather than sticking to just one model. Tools are chosen and adapted based on what you find helpful, your history, and what you want from therapy, whether you are focusing on anxiety, low mood, stress, relationship difficulties, grief, life transitions, or questions around identity or self worth.

Accessing integrative psychotherapy

Integrative psychotherapy can be offered both in person and online. Many people appreciate having a choice of format and find that either can provide a consistent, respectful therapeutic relationship.

What often matters most is feeling safe enough to be honest and having a space where you can explore your experiences, develop new perspectives and tools, and move towards the kind of life that feels more grounded, present, and connected for you.

For some people, the focus of integrative psychotherapy is on developing practical coping strategies, for example for anxiety or stress. For others, the emphasis is more on understanding the roots of patterns, relationships, or long standing feelings. Both of these ways of working can sit together, offering room for immediate support alongside deeper exploration.

Bringing it together

Integrative psychotherapy offers a flexible, relational way of working that draws on different therapeutic traditions to respond to you as a whole person. Whether you meet a therapist in person or online, the focus is on creating a safe, collaborative space where you can explore your experiences and move towards feeling more grounded, present, and connected.