Therapy Descriptions
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a goal-oriented approach to therapy that focuses on a person’s pattern of thinking, responding and behavior that is contributing to their emotional distress. The goal of CBT is to change patterns of thinking behind people’s difficulties, and in turn, change the way they feel. CBT utilizes skills and techniques to be practiced outside of the session to help reduce symptoms and redirect distorted or negative thinking.
Narrative Therapy is a form of therapy that encourages people to identify and utilize their own skills to minimize their struggles, helping clients separate themselves from their problems. Narrative therapy uses the story of a person’s life to help discover purpose and meaning.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy is a form of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) that utilizes “anchoring” techniques - breathing and relaxation techniques, use of senses and focus on the body – to cultivate present-moment awareness and to redirect from anxiety and depressive thoughts. Mindfulness is also used to strengthen self-compassion and personal self-worth.
Gottman Method is a structured form of couple’s therapy based on the research of John and Julie Gottman. The therapy focuses on communication and relationship skills that manage conflict, cultivates fondness and admiration, as well as leaning into a partner to ensure each other’s needs are met.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing(EMDR) is a therapy approach that has been proven effective for the treatment of trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). During EMDR sessions, patients relive triggering events or traumatic experiences in brief doses while the therapists guide them through different eye moments. EMDR allows a client to recall traumatic details when their attention is distracted by eye movements, allowing them to experience the trauma in a less emotionally distressing way. This technique has been shown to reduce the emotional impact the memories and thoughts have on you in the future.
Motivational Interviewing is a client-centered therapy approach that elicits behavior change by helping clients explore barriers to change and resolve ambivalence. This therapy approach focuses on the client’s internal motivation and desire for change.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an action-oriented approach to therapy that encouraged clients to accept that their emotions are valid responses to distressing situations but that should not prevent them from moving forward in their lives. Clients are then encouraged to accept their struggles and their distressing emotions and commit to making the necessary changes in their behaviors to improve their overall wellbeing.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a form of therapy that is based on the idea that individuals cannot be fully understood outside of the family unit. IFS utilizes techniques and strategies to identify issues within the family unit or community and how those dynamics affect the individual and their identity. This evidence-based approach assumes everyone inhabits a variety of sub-personalities, or “parts,” and through therapy, clients get to know these parts better to strengthen their sense of self to achieve healing.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a form of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy that, in addition to teaching clients to recognize patterns of distorted thinking that can change their feelings and behaviors, focuses on how this behavior affects interpersonal relationships – friendships, intimate relationships, etc. DBT is beneficial for those clients with extreme reactions to distressing feelings that can lead to self-destructive behaviors. DBT teaches skills on emotional regulation, Mindfulness and relaxation and negative patterns of thinking.
Exposure Response and Prevention Therapy is a form of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy that focuses on helping clients desensitize to their fears or phobias by repeatedly exposing them to different levels of stimuli. By repeatedly having clients face their fears and learn to manage the uncomfortable feelings and thoughts associated with these fears, clients experience symptom and fear reduction.
Person-Centered Therapy uses a non-authoritative talk-therapy approach that encourages the client to take the lead in the session and in the discussion as a way of cultivating self-discovery and finding their own solutions to change. The role of the therapist is to serve as an empathetic facilitator, acknowledging and validating a client’s emotions without trying to lead or change the discussion.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a form of therapy that focuses on adult relationships and attachment/bonding, looking at patterns in current and past relationships that may be contributing to conflict and insecurities. The therapist helps the client identify ways to create a more secure bond to cultivate trust and emotional security, leading them to a healthier relationship and positive interpersonal interactions.
Psychodynamic Therapy is a form of talk therapy that focuses on unconscious patterns and repressed emotions that may be contributing to a person’s current behavior. The goal is to gain insight and strengthen self-awareness and understanding of the past on present behavior.
Humanistic Therapy focuses on the whole person and their positive strengths and qualities. The goal is encouraging the client to recognize their own inner resilience and self-awareness to positive change and personal fulfillment.
Solution-Focused Therapy focuses on finding solutions rather than discussing problems. The goal is to stay in the present moment to find immediate ways to reduce symptoms and minimize the impact the problem is having on your life.
Transgenerational Family Therapy is a form of therapy that encourages the client to examine the interactions of family members across generations to gain a better understanding of current struggles, conflict and maladaptive communication patterns, as well as predict future difficulties and identify coping skills to reduce those difficulties.
Structured Family Therapy is a structured form of family therapy that works to identify problems with family functioning, including individual “rules" within the family, individual roles and expectations with the family unit and dysfunctional patterns of communication or conflict that contribute to unhealthy relationships. By identifying these patterns, the clients can work toward positive, healthier interactions to strengthen relationships.
Play Therapy is a therapeutic approach used with children ages 3-12 years old. The goal of Play Therapy is to offer a safe and age-appropriate environment for kids to explore their lives and express thoughts and feelings through play. In this type of therapy, kids are encouraged to free expression with limited rules or perimeters, giving the therapist an opportunity to observe a child’s interests, decisions and style though play.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) focuses on helping clients identify distorted or negative patterns of thinking and then challenge the rationality of those thoughts, and replacing them with healthier, more productive beliefs and behaviors.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT) is a form of cognitive-behavior therapy that focuses on the emotional distress and negative effects of childhood trauma. This structured therapy focuses on skills to reduce the symptoms of PTSD and mood disorders connected to a traumatic event and helps clients process the event(s).
Prepare/Enrich is an evidence-based research assessment for use in couples therapy. Through the customized assessments, our therapists are able to gain a comprehensive view of a couple’s relationship to identify specific needs and challenges.
Existential Therapy focuses on free choice and self determination, and that all people have the capability for self-awareness.
Choice Theory focuses on the belief that we have control over our thoughts and feelings, and internal motivation for change. Choice theory also contends that the only behavior we can control is our own.
Metacognitive Therapy This therapy approach focuses on a person’s core beliefs that may include incorrect facts, that contribute to anxiety, rumination and negative patterns of thinking. The goal is to change “how people think” versus “what they think.”
Polyvagal Theory is used to treat trauma and PTSD and focuses on understanding how our nervous systems contribute to activation of our “fight or flight response.” This theory approach identifies ways to strengthen emotional regulation, stress response and self-soothing strategies.
Rapid Resolution Therapy is a short-term therapy used for the treatment of trauma and PTSD. This therapy approaches uses guided imagery, hypnosis and trauma narratives as part of the treatment process.