Therapy approaches
Every counselor is different in the approach that they may take when treating a client. I pull from a variety of therapies to tailor treatment to your individual, unique needs while attending to you as a whole person. In other words, I won’t view you as a diagnosis. I creatively and genuinely bring myself to sessions in a way that is judgement-free and focused on you… Because, well, it’s about YOU.
I currently offer individual, mental health counseling to ages 8 years old and up. Below, I’ve listed descriptions of a few types of therapy that are most often requested. Please note that these are not the only approaches that I use.
Let’s find the best path for you
Prince Harry shares his experience with receiving EMDR Therapy on Good Morning America
EMDR THERAPY
EMDR stands for Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
I know, that’s a mouthful. EMDR is different from traditional talk therapy as it focuses on what’s called bilateral stimulation- another fancy word. Bilateral stimulation may be achieved through eye movements, tapping, music and more. EMDR takes advantage of the brain’s ability to adapt and change through the use of bilateral stimulation.
In other words, EMDR may help you reprocess traumatic events, fears, phobias, stress etc. to where it may not feel as distressing anymore. While you may need to discuss some of your trauma at the beginning of treatment when I am taking note of your history, EMDR makes it possible for you to talk about your trauma very minimally during treatment. You’ll explore how your past is affecting the present by exploring both your negative and positive beliefs.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (cbt)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also known as “CBT”, is a treatment approach that focuses on how your thoughts affect your feelings and behaviors. In other words, what you think about a situation may affect how you feel and therefore how you react to it!
Sometimes, while our thoughts may be based in truth, they can still be harmful to us. With CBT, we will take time to identify your thoughts and replace them with more helpful ones. Scientifically speaking, we will work together to create new neural pathways in your brain so you can function at your best!
CBT is an often recommended approach for anxiety, panic and depression.
creative expression
Creative expression is an intervention that can be used during treatment to help with a variety of mental health struggles. If this is something you are interested in, we can use a variety of creative outlets such as music, painting, drawing, working with clay, story-telling and drama.
The arts can oftentimes be associated with making things that are perfect, followed by criticism either by ourselves or others. Creative expression is not about making a “masterpiece”. Rather, it will be used as a grounding tool and for processing your feelings- the messy and seemingly “imperfect” parts.
Mindfulness-based therapy
If we are often thinking about the future, we may feel anxious. Meanwhile, constantly remembering the past may lead us to feel depressed. This can rob our joy in the present moment and cause feelings that we aren’t really living our lives actively.
Mindfulness is all about being in the present moment, the “here-and-now”.
Living in the present means noticing how we feel physically in our environments, our bodies, thoughts and emotions, without judging or getting too caught up it all. This may be as simple as noticing our five senses. It may also be more formal like doing a guided meditation.
Research and neuroscience have proven time and time again many benefits of practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is an intervention that is often helpful for a variety of mental health struggles, such as anxiety, depression, stress panic and trauma.
Interventions from DIalectical behavioral therapy (dbt)
I am not trained formally in DBT but I will pull from a variety of interventions from this treatment approach to support you. You may hear me discuss several “Distress Tolerance” techniques with you during treatment. These techniques can be especially helpful for those struggling with self-harm, suicidal thoughts and trauma.
Together, we will ride out the overwhelming feelings associated with your experiences. You aren’t alone and you matter, even if it’s hard to see that right now.
Play Therapy
Play therapy is used primarily to support children. Play helps kids to naturally express emotions through the use of toys (for example: stuffed animals, toy cars, dolls, action figures, card games, board games). Play therapy techniques can be used to help teach children about emotions and how to appropriately express their feelings.