Treatment Approaches
In our sessions together, you will build the skills needed to face life's challenges. All of the skills that you will learn in treatment are supported by research - also called "evidenced-based treatments." Every person has different needs, so your treatment plan will be specific to you. Below are some of the evidence-based treatments that I pull from in my practice.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is considered the "gold-standard" of evidence-based therapy and is designed to help you identify and change thoughts and behaviors that may be impacting your health and maintaining your distress. By understanding how your behaviors and/or core beliefs about yourself, others, and the world around you may be shaping your perspective, you can begin to adjust those behaviors and/or beliefs and create healthier, more balanced life patterns. CBT is a highly researched form of therapy and can be especially effective in treating certain health conditions (e.g., chronic pain, insomnia, and diabetes), as well as coping with illness, managing stress, depression, and anxiety. Together, we can work to create and tailor a cognitive behavioral treatment for your specific needs to maximize skill building and recovery.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, is an evidence-based, action-oriented therapy approach designed to help you let go of self-defeating behaviors and thought patterns and allows you to focus on life-affirming values and goals. Treatment generally involves learning and practicing mindfulness, recognizing coping strategies that do not work for you, encouraging the embrace of thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them, exploring your values, and then learning how to take action to promote those values. ACT has been effective in treating certain health conditions (e.g., chronic pain and eating disorders), depression, and anxiety. The goal of ACT is not just to reduce symptoms, but also to increase psychological flexibility so that you can better handle and reduce the impact of stress.
Relaxation Techniques
Relaxation techniques are exercises to help bring about the body’s “relaxation response” (activating the parasympathetic nervous system), which is often characterized by slower breathing, lower blood pressure, and a reduced heart rate. Depending on your needs, we may engage in different relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, guided imagery/visualization, breathing exercises, heart rate variability (HRV) training, mindfulness, or mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques. Relaxation techniques are often helpful to manage health conditions, stress, anxiety, and depression.
Integrative Therapy
Sometimes several different therapeutic techniques are needed to achieve your goals. By integrating skills from several evidence-based therapies, we can create a plan that best suits you.
