What is FT?

Welcome to the website of Functional Therapy® in South Africa.

What is Functional Therapy?

  • FT is a powerful treatment because it combines theological, scientific, and behavioural aspects into one comprehensive approach: understanding and overcoming common psycho-social problems.
  • FT was developed through extensive scientific evaluation.
  • FT aims to help the client move from his/her defined emotional and behavioural problems, towards goals of how he/she would like to feel and behave.
  • FT is a goal-directed, systematic, problem-solving approach to emotional and behavioural problems.

  • FT emphasizes the role of the personal meanings that a person gives to events in determining his/her emotional responses.
  • FT focuses on how problems are being maintained as well as on searching for the root cause(s) of the problem.
  • FT shows some of the strategies a person is using to cope with his/her emotional problems are actually maintaining those problems.
  • FT offers practical advice and tools for overcoming common emotional and behavioural problems.
  • FT can address material from a person’s past if doing so can help him/her to understand and change the way they are thinking and behaving now.
  • FT recognizes that any person may develop emotional problems about his/her emotional problems, for example feeling ashamed about being depressed.
  • FT highlights learning techniques and maximizes self-help so that ultimately any person can become their own therapist.

Who will benefit from seeing a Functional Therapist?

Individuals who…

  • constantly experience the same frustrations and conflict situations,
  • have been through trauma and stress,
  • struggle with relationship issues,
  • are suffering from depression,
  • are going through a mid-life crises,
  • feel hopeless,
  • are suicidal.

Need to see a Functional Therapist?

And also who…

  • need career planning,
  • feel stuck in their lives,
  • want to learn more about themselves,

Couples who…

  • have marriage problems,
  • want to enrich their marriage,
  • have family problems.

Employers who…

  • want to assess their unproductive staff,
  • need to appoint the right person,
  • are not sure whom to promote,
  • want to do an organizational climate audit.

 

Need to see a Functional Therapist?

Functional Therapy’s Key Concepts

Advice Counselling Therapy

 

Functional Therapy and the use of Ecometric Assessment Scales

  • Ecometric Scales are assessment “tools” to determine human functioning within a specific time frame within a defined environment.
  • Ecometric assessment scales do not test personality types.
  • Through the use of ecometric assessment scales,
      • the client gains insight into the interaction between his/her inner world of thoughts & feelings and his/her outer world of behaviour & relationships.
      • therapy sessions become measurable.

List of Ecometrics Assessment Scales

  1. Personal Multi-screening Inventory (PMSI)Self-Perception Scale
  2. Self-Perception Scale (PSP2)
  3. Personal Driving Dynamics (PDD)
  4. Leadership Qualities Inventory (LQI)
  5. Interpersonal Differentiation Inventory (IDI)
  6. Child Functioning Inventory (HIGH & SPrim)
  7. Career Planning Inventory (CPI)
  8. Eating Disorder Assessment Scale (EDAS)
  9. Corporate Functioning Screening Inventory (CFSI3)
  10. Job Value Profile (JVP-3)
  11. Organizational Climate Audit (OCA)

Most functional therapists will ask the client to complete the PMSI after session 1 and may do the PDD and LQI if  the therapist thinks it will help with the therapeutic process.

Functional therapists working with children or in school environments will usually do the SPrim or HIGH depending on the age of the child.

In a corporate context, a functional therapist will always ask the employer/employees to complete the CFSI3 and/or a OCA in order to get insight into the perceptions, beliefs, stress levels and general functioning of the employer/employee within his/her working environment.

Hallmarks of a good Functional Therapist

  • Helps you define problems and ask about your goals and expectations for therapy.
  • Explains a bit about FT at your first meeting and invite you to ask questions.
  • Uses scales and measures to help identify problem areas and monitor your progress.
  • Evaluates your problems based on the FT model and explain this process to you so you can do it yourself in the future.
  • Use sentence stems to elicit your thoughts and help you evaluate them.
  • Are active in sessions, educating you about FT and its perspective on your problems, asking questions, writing things down, and making suggestions of ways to try to improve your problems.
  • Develop therapy homework exercises with you, to be carried out between sessions.
  • Review your homework. If you haven’t done it, a thorough therapist can discuss the obstacles that stopped you doing so.
  • Regularly review your progress and reassess your goals with you.
  • Invite feedback about therapy generally, and openly listen to any constructive criticism you give.
  • Invite you to voice any doubts, reservations, and fears you have about aspects of your FT.
  • Challenge your unhelpful beliefs and behaviours and help you to do the same on your own.
  • Encourage you to be independent and to take personal responsibility for your mental, emotional and spiritual health.
  • Answer most of your questions, and tell you why if they don’t or can’t answer others.
  • Refer you to another professional if you require additional or alternative help.
  • Receive regular clinical supervision (in which they have their work evaluated) to improve their practice. Don’t be afraid to ask about this: It’s important!

Want to become a Functional Therapist?

PTC Where do I start
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