My Approach
The Flow of Our Sessions
The most important thing to me is to establish a sense of comfort speaking with me and trust in my ability to help. We’ll start by talking about your current concerns and goals. Then, together, we'll identify specific areas to target that are causing the most distress or dysfunction.
We will discuss how specific situations are triggering thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are causing you distress. In some cases, it is also helpful to understand how one’s early experiences and relationships relate to current struggles. Using many of the methods below, we'll develop ways for you to examine your thoughts and feelings and practice how to re-evaluate and translate them into more productive, positive ways of thinking, feeling, and acting.
As symptoms decrease and new helpful habits and coping skills improve, we will continue to address stumbling blocks and areas for further growth to help you maintain progress and prevent relapse. The goal is for you to acquire a new mindset and toolkit you can draw from to achieve and sustain your mental well-being far beyond the time we've spent together.
The time it takes to reach your personal mental wellness goals is different for each person. It depends on the nature of the problem and how quickly thought processes and feelings evolve. Some issues can be tackled in a few sessions. Others may take weeks or months to tackle.
My Evidence-Based Methods
Although there are many forms of mental health therapy, cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) are the most proven through clinical research. In brief, CBT approaches are evidence-based, time-limited, and solution-focused that focus on problematic thinking styles and unhelpful behaviors that cause emotional distress. In addition to treating mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, CBT approaches can help improve skills in managing relationships, coping with stress, and sleeping better. Clinical research shows that CBT approaches are effective with or without medication for people across the lifespan are often the "first line" recommended treatment for most mental health conditions. Below are some of the CBT approaches I draw upon and tailor for each person.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
Combines CBT with acceptance, distress tolerance, mindfulness and active emotional regulation to deal with intense negative feelings.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
Helps people recognize what is within their control and actions they can take that are true to their values and strengths.
Metacognitive therapy (MCT)
Focuses on a person's relationship with their thoughts and how they think about their thoughts.
Schema therapy
Helps individuals identify and address deeply rooted patterns (known as "schemas") which are negative beliefs about themselves and the world formed early in life that lead to unhealthy behaviors and emotional struggles.
Exposure therapy
Getting close to challenging thoughts or situations in small, gradual steps to help people acclimate to them. This is a “gold standard” technique for treat phobias, PTSD, and other anxiety disorders.
Exposure and response prevention (ERP)
Helps patients struggling with OCD confront fears or discomfort related to their obsessional thoughts, and resist performing compulsions.
CBT for insomnia
Helps patients struggling with problems falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early. This approach is now considered the "first-line" treatment for poor sleep quality before medication interventions.