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My Approach

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I strive to create a safe, accepting environment in which we can collaborate on ways to fulfill your goals for therapy. My person-centered orientation means I provide understanding and validation, as well as regard you as the expert on yourself. I may help guide you to deeper understanding or new insights, and even offer new tools, but ultimately you know what will work for you and will be the one to make the changes.

 

My lens is trauma informed as well as built on an understanding of attachment science. I have an integrative approach, and weave in components of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS).

 

ACT is about psychological flexibility and changing your relationship with your thoughts and emotions. It is about the "both/and." We can work on de-fusing from your thoughts and emotions so that you can think what you think and feel what you feel, while still moving forward with choices you want to make that align with your values to live a meaning-driven life.

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DBT is best known for treating Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD); however, it has expanded to treat Bipolar Disorder and many other diagnoses. In my work, I have found aspects of it to apply to nearly everyone! There are 4 modules with various skills.

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  • Mindfulness: being fully present for the moment, no matter what you are doing

  • Distress Tolerance: strategies for how to defuse heightened emotions and bring down the temperature of extreme overwhelm

  • Emotion Regulation: guides ways to change negative emotions and reduce suffering, while also increasing resiliency

  • Interpersonal Effectiveness: teaches effective communication to more likely get what you want or assert a boundary for yourself (such as being able to say, “No”).

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With IFS, we can explore different parts of you that feel conflicting ways about something. It’s like when part of you wants to exercise for your long-term health, and part of you really wants to just stay home and watch TV. We will talk about the purpose each part serves, and how to help your defenses take a step back.

 

I adapt to each client, using what I think is helpful for that specific person and their presenting issues. I am very transparent in what modality I am using and what interventions we will do. I would like you to be a co-creator of our journey together.

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