My Treatment Approach and Method of Psychotherapy
You may find yourself wondering if you're experiencing true emotional distress and if the way you are feeling is normal or abnormal. For example, you could be experiencing mood swings from feelings of elation to feelings of despair, maybe you're being short or irritable with your loved ones, coworkers, and friends, maybe you're finding it difficult to get out of the house or get motivated. Whatever it may be, it is my goal to explore these feelings with you, determine together if you want or need a change in your life, and then make the necessary goals and action plans to help carve a path toward emotional stability and wellness.
When beginning psychotherapy, a client may be met with questions about the effectiveness of treatment, personal doubts, biases, and obstacles that may stand in your way to accepting treatment. No matter where you are emotionally, it is my mission to meet each client where they are at and adapt my treatment methods to best serve the needs of each client.
Counseling can be short-term or long-term, depending on your goals and what you would like to happen change wise in your life. My approach is geared toward change, for the better and where appropriate, I incorporate the following approaches:
When beginning psychotherapy, a client may be met with questions about the effectiveness of treatment, personal doubts, biases, and obstacles that may stand in your way to accepting treatment. No matter where you are emotionally, it is my mission to meet each client where they are at and adapt my treatment methods to best serve the needs of each client.
Counseling can be short-term or long-term, depending on your goals and what you would like to happen change wise in your life. My approach is geared toward change, for the better and where appropriate, I incorporate the following approaches:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Cognitive behavior therapy is one of the few forms of psychotherapy that has been scientifically tested and found to be effective in hundreds of clinical trials for many different disorders (Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, 2014). In contrast to other forms of psychotherapy, cognitive therapy is usually more focused on the present, more time-limited, and more problem-solving oriented. In addition, patients learn specific skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. These skills involve identifying distorted thinking, modifying beliefs, relating to others in different ways, and changing behaviors. The cognitive model focuses on how our thoughts and perceptions of the world influence how we feel emotionally.
- Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: Psychodynamic therapy focuses on the psychological roots of emotional suffering. Its hallmarks are self-reflection and self-examination, and the use of the relationship between therapist and patient as a window into problematic relationship patterns in the patient’s life. Its goal is not only to alleviate the most obvious symptoms but to help people lead healthier lives (American Psychological Association, 2010).
- Family Systems Therapy: Family systems theory works with examining the interconnection between families and the patterns of your childhood family life, and how that contributes to present day emotions, relationships, and behaviors (Family Solutions Institute).
- Mindfulness/Meditation: Focusing on bringing attention to awareness of thoughts, emotions, and how we experience the world and the receive events and the people around us.
My approach is client directed and I may pull from several treatment approaches in more of an "eclectic" manner to best suit the client and their needs.