1. BACKGOUND
This unique process was compiled over many years and thousands of individual psychotherapy sessions within a South African population. One of the goals of THE SHIP® FOUNDATION is to reach a level of providing service to as many South Africans as possible, irrespective of race, politics, religion, or social standing.
SHIP® is relatively young and the advances have been quite rapid. There are currently four categories namely SHIP®forAdults, SHIPiC® (SHIP® in Children), SHIP®forAdolescents and SHIP®forTrauma. New categories (SHIP®forCouples, SHIP®forSport & SHIP®forCompanies) are currently under development.
SHIP® is applicable to the treatment of a variety of psychological symptoms, problems and DSM IV R TR disorders. It is a psychotherapy that works in practice and does not only claim to be of benefit.
It is a practical form of psychotherapy that does not focus on pathology but on healing and growth.
SHIP® provides structure for the psychologist and client. It creates feelings of security with clients.
The structure of SHIP® serves as a measurement for progress. It is beneficial in that no other method of psychotherapy provides this.
It allows for individual differences and pace. It is non-judgemental and follows the client’s own rhythm and tempo and respects the client’s feelings throughout.
It provides a focus on cognitive, behavioural, emotional and bodily experiences and is therefore an integrated and holistic approach.
It activates a spontaneous healing process in each individual and does not only offer temporary solutions in the form of short lived coping techniques and dissociation.
It focuses on psychological integration and freedom from painful and hurtful experiences.
SHIP® unlocks and provides access to the power of the unconscious (disconnected) functioning of clients. This contributes to permanent healing. This is one of a few psychotherapy perspectives that can claim this.
It is culture free and therefore appropriate for use across all culture groups in South Africa and respects the client’s own frame of reference.
SHIP® can be used with all age groups and has different categories that specialise in age appropriate psychotherapy.
It helps to heal the past that contaminated and dictated a person’s life. It helps a client not to be a victim and slave of his circumstances and provides him with control over his life.
SHIP® releases a great deal of positive energy within the self. It unlocks wisdom and the client experiences freedom that will allow him to accept the self and others
SHIP® improves self-validation and the client’s emotions are less fluctuating.
Freedom from chronic physical and psychological symptoms takes place as well as freedom from projections.
Chronic life crises disappear and creativity in personal lives and careers are unlocked.
It helps the client feel comfortable with the self and being more assertive to the degree that one no longer feels threatened by other people.
The client becomes more spontaneous and the constant sense that something inside of him is holding him back all the time disappears.
SHIP® helps set up a balance and integrated self. The hidden disconnected, spontaneous self is accessed, given identity and validated.
Life takes on a new definition, the sense of losing out on life disappears and the client’s place and contribution in life opens up.
SHIP® is flexible and adaptable, e.g. it can even be used with people with hearing difficulties and problems.
SHIP® breaks the destructive and negative patterns and themes in a client’s psychological functioning and behaviour.
A huge asset of SHIP® is its broad spectrum of application possibilities. One of the big contributing factors is that symptoms are not only regarded as pathology but signs of healing, integration and spontaneous healing reactions. SHIP® does not claim to be everything to everyone but it has proven over many thousands of psychotherapy sessions to be helpful in the following application scenarios, problems and symptoms that clients present with and seek help for.
It is important to understand the limitations and consequent contra indicators for SHIP®. Screening and assessing of clients is just as an important factor of effective treatment as the psychotherapy itself. The following are contra indicators:
