My Approach
INTEGRATIVE, STRENGTHS-FOCUSED EVIDENCED-BASED THERAPY
Strengths-focused
Means that I believe that human beings are inherently resilient, and in particular contexts, our once healthy coping styles may suddenly prevent us from bouncing back to our normal functioning. We humans are wired for healing. In therapy, I urge clients to explore how they understand the world, learning to tolerate emotions more effectively and accessing their instinctive coping capacities to build flexibility. This method allows clients to uncover their strengths and deepen their sense of hope, leading healthier, more satisfying lives.
Integrative
Means that I fuse different schools of therapy under one combined approach to theory. My approach is dynamic, relational, and rooted in attachment between parent, child and others, in addition to therapist and patient. I have extensive training in, among other therapies, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP).
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
In Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, we deepen our innate capacity for healing by moving beyond just understanding our difficulties and into viscerally experiencing the generative aspects of emotion and connectedness.
Evidence-based
Means that there is research to support the effectiveness of these therapies for specific psychiatric conditions. In other words, I practice therapies that have extensive scientific studies showing evidence that they are successful for treating particular conditions. I adapt techniques from these therapies for each client, creating a highly individualized treatment approach. I have extensive training in the following therapies:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Is the treatment of choice for a wide range of problems in children, adolescents, and adults. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is time-limited, varying in length depending on the client, and focused on the present issues that are bringing the client into therapy. CBT systematically addresses the clients’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, through active, goal-directed treatments that teach the client effective coping strategies. Extensive research studies have shown that CBT successfully treats Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, complicated grief or loss, family/relational problems, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, discomfort in social situations, and self-criticism.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is a type of Cognitive Behavioral therapy for individuals who struggle intensely in regulating their emotions and behaviors. Although originally this treatment was developed for suicidal and self-injurious adults diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, it has been adapted with great success for suicidal and self-injurious multi-problem adolescents and their families. DBT has also been modified for other problems such as trauma and anger management. While I do not offer DBT proper in my outpatient practice, as it entails an entire treatment team, I do offer DBT-informed therapy, which targets the issues that cause distress and teaches clients healthier skills to deal with them. DBT and DBT-informed therapy combine an orientation towards change with an orientation towards acceptance, teaching us that we are doing the best we can and at the same time we need to learn new ways to manage our problems more effectively. Part of my evaluation with clients involves determining whether DBT proper or DBT-informed therapy might be a better fit for them.