The 50:50 Dialogue Principle - As a general rule of thumb, dialogue in a session ought to be 50:50, while this varies with the type of therapy/counselling being practiced, generally, this simultaneously allows the practitioner to provide insight and value, and the patient to express the issue at hand.

External Constraint Principle - Identifying the primary external factor in someone’s life that they associate their current adversity with, (job/relationship/health) is one of the simplest and most effective ways to begin achieving change, as understanding, changing and solving this primary factor, will subsequently lead to development.

Internal Constraint Principle - Identifying the primary internal factor in someone’s life that is preventing them from experiencing life positively is also one of the simplest and most effective ways to begin achieving change, this is often definable in terms of a trait/skill/belief. E.g., Discipline/Communication/I’m a Failure.

Easy Wins Principle - The easy wins principle refers to lifestyle factors which are easy wins in the sense that optimising them in the vast majority of circumstances leads to some form of improvement. I.e., The big three - Sleep, Diet, Exercise. If you have these three factors in a good place, the likelihood of adverse mental experience, be it depressive/anxious, is dramatically reduced.

Early Experience Principle - A working understanding of what the early environment provided and/or failed to provide, will likely lead to a better understanding of why a person’s presenting issue is impacting them.

The Same Team Principle - Across all the different therapy/counselling modalities, the biggest predictor of success is the strength and quality of the relationship between practitioner and client, without a good relationship, you are very unlikely to have good outcomes.

The Professionalism Principle - An opportunity to go out of your way for a client, or to go the extra mile should always be taken, it is not what is expected, but what is not expected, that lasts.

Excellence is Not an Accident Principle - Excellence is not an accident. Excellent professionals are excellent because they are on time, prepared, insightful, and communicate concisely.