Background

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^®forAcuteTrauma.

The practical benefits of SHIP^® as a psychotherapy model in everyday life are the following:

• SHIP^® is applicable to the treatment of a variety of psychobiological dis-eases.
• It is a practical form of psychotherapy that does not focus on pathology but on healing and growth.
• The structure of SHIP^® serves as a measurement for progress.
• 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.
• 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 or her circumstances and provides him or her with control over his or her life.
• SHIP^® releases a great deal of positive energy within – it unlocks wisdom and the client experiences freedom that will allow him or her to accept the self and others.
• SHIP^® improves self-validation and the client’s emotions are less fluctuating.
• Freedom from chronic psychobiological dis-eases 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 to feel more comfortable with self-assertion to the degree that he or she no longer feels threatened by other people.
• The client becomes more spontaneous and the constant sense that something inside of him or her is holding him or her back all the time disappears.
• SHIP^® helps set up inner flow 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^® helps set up inner flow and an integrated self – the hidden disconnected spontaneous self is accessed.

Applications of SHIP^®

A huge asset of SHIP® is its broad spectrum of application possibilities. One of the big contributing factors is that chronic dis-ease is not regarded as pathology but signs of healing. 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 chronic dis-eases that clients present with and seek help for.

• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Headaches: Migraines (vascular); Tension (muscle contraction)
• Self-image and assertiveness
• DSM V Disorders, e.g.

• Post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD)
• Complex PTSD (DESNOS)
• Anxiety disorders and problems
• Mood disorders
• Somatoform disorders
• Sexual dysfunctions and problems
• Sleeping problems and disorders
• Personality problems and disorders
• Panic disorders and panic attacks
• Eating disorders
• Phobia
• Impulse control problems
• Identity problems and disorders

• Impacts positively on intimate and marriage relationships
• Psychobiological burnout
• Rehabilitation and adjustment e.g. the consequences of accidents, operations, injuries, etc.
• Life crises and adjustment e.g. divorce, death of loved one, family murder, terminal illness, loss of job, financial crisis, etc.
• Aggression problems
• Destructive behavioural patterns and habits
• Stress problems
• Bronchial asthma
• Peptic ulcers
• Eating problems / weight problems / obesity
• Acute trauma
• Chronic pain e.g. lower back pain
• Low energy levels
• Bereavement
• Personal growth
• Healing of painful and hurtful experiences that happened in the past
• Interpersonal problems.

Contra-indications for SHIP^®

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:

• Organic mental problems and disorders
• Lack of motivation and focus on psychotherapy
• No need for long term psychotherapy
• Chronic substance abuse