I use a combination of therapy types, depending on what is needed at the time. There is not a “one size fits all” approach to therapy. I have been trained in many methods and apply whatever the circumstance requires. My greatest skill is recognizing the underlying foundational problem that is causing the distress and the working to reduce its impact. It may take a few sessions to delve into a client’s history to fully understand what has happened and its impact.
Client Centered Therapy
The foundational basis for my practice is Client Centered Therapy: A form of talk therapy that emphasizes positive unconditional regard. A person has to feel fully safe and accepted to be able to open up about personal matters. People tend to judge themselves too harshly and forget their own humanity. I try to help clients to forgive themselves and work to create a better future instead of staying stuck on shame from the past.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Focuses on making connections between thoughts, behavior, and feelings. Thoughts often direct emotions and then affect the behavior and physical body in the form of physical pain, headaches, other somatic symptoms. Therapy will often involve recognizing “stuck” patterns of thought and working to keep your mind occupied to prevent a bored mind from replaying these negative patterns. These negative patterns often have an emotional component that I resolve with EMDR, ETFT and guided imagery.
Schema Therapy
Most people have repeating patterns from childhood. It becomes like a life theme: No one ever listens to me… I always feel left out… I am usually forgotten… People don’t believe me… I am not wanted or loved… People always betray me… I have to make other people happy so they will like me… I have to solve other people’s problems…
These themes are often rooted in the child/parent dynamic or early traumas. Then it becomes a cognitive bias in which you mind automatically dismisses things that don’t reinforce the belief and then assign greater value to the ones that do. These become maladaptive schemas with associated coping styles.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
EMDR is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. It is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to briefly focus on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories. EMDR can be used for traumas, but also for memories from childhood that have kept one stuck on negative thought patterns or the foundations for the negative life themes. It is a simple and effective tool for reducing the impact of memories.
Brainspotting
Brainspotting was developed by David Grand as an extension of EMDR. Some of the same principles are used but left brain/right brain stimulation is provided by headphones with music and the eyes are held at a location which intensifies the body sensations and helps to process the traumatic memories and thoughts stored in that location.
Evolving Thought Field Therapy (ETFT)
ETFT is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine and includes focusing on the body area of discomfort while tapping on pressure points. These pressure points are similar to the ones used for acupressure.
Guided Imagery (Hypnosis)
I received 40 hours of Hypnosis training by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH). Guided Imagery is a form of hypnosis that focuses on relaxing the mind and body while being guided to an imaginary place of peace and safety where healing can take place.
Sometimes people worry that they will not be able to “go under” for hypnosis, but in reality it is just a state of focus and relaxation that is possible for anyone.
NOTE: I do not see clients for hypnosis alone but only use it in combination with other therapies. This is to prevent accidentally triggering past traumas and to provide the best client care.
Solution Focused Therapy
Solution Focused Therapy helps clients change by constructing solutions rather than focusing on problems themselves. We discover times when the problem was not evident (exceptions) and identify the necessary resources needed for a sustainable solution.