SERVICES
An environment that provides support and fosters change
You cannot grow or reach your fullest potential when you feel scared or misunderstood. We believe in the value of validation and empathy to connect with your individualized experiences. Our goal is to help support you to reach your goals by teaching you essential life skills to tackle current challenges and feel empowered to take on future hurdles as well.
Tailored evidence based approaches
Each problem does not have one approach or solution. Each person is unique. Therefore, we individualize treatment plans to meet the needs of each person and help them work towards the life they want.
Culturally competent approach
We believe each individual’s various social identities (e.g. ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religious beliefs) interact to influence who the person is. Each aspect of a person’s identity is taken into account and explored in relation to the existing issues.
OUR APPROACH
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported treatment that focuses on identifying patterns of thinking, behavior, and emotions that lead to distress or life dissatisfaction. The therapist takes an active role in the treatment to teach clients skills to improve current functioning. Between weekly individual sessions, clients practice skills taught in sessions through take home exercises. Practicing skills outside of treatment helps to generalize them to existing difficulties. Additionally, the practice of skills can help to incorporate them into one's lifestyle and therefore be valuable when encountering future challenges. CBT is a time-limited and goal oriented treatment, typically lasting from 12 to 20 sessions that are each 45 minutes in duration.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY (CBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a highly specialized form of CBT developed by psychologist Marsha M. Linehan. DBT is designed to help address problems with regulating or managing intense emotions, interpersonal relationships, impulse control, and managing distress. DBT validates the difficulty of having painful and intense emotions while also supporting your desire to make important behavioral changes. Clients are taught skills and encouraged to practice them to learn how to better tolerate difficult or unwanted emotions, distressing situations or people that can not be changed, and interpersonal conflicts. DBT skills allow individuals to be more effective in their lives and with others in order to work towards a fulfilling life that they want.
DBT teaches skills addressing 4 target areas:
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Mindfulness: Mindfulness is a non-judgmental awareness and acceptance of present experience. Clients are taught techniques to help them learn how to be in the moment and be in the ‘here and now’. These skills are taught to help identify and better manage emotions, including ruminating, anxious, and depressive thoughts.
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Distress Tolerance: Short-term strategies designed to help clients cope during moments of overwhelming distress. Skills also focus on how there is more than one way to see a situation or solve a problem by balancing acceptance and change. Having a dialectical approach can improve communication and relationships.
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Emotion Regulation: These skills enable clients to learn how to increase positive emotions and decrease negative ones, in addition to managing unwanted emotions.
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Interpersonal Effectiveness: These are assertiveness and communication skills that are emphasized to improve relationships and develop healthier ones that are more fulfilling and reciprocal.
DBT is a multi-component treatment consisting of the following elements:
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Weekly individual therapy
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Weekly DBT skills training groups (multiple groups may be recommended based on need)
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Phone coaching by the individual therapist on the use of skills
Although DBT was originally designed to treat chronically suicidal and self-injurious behavior, it has since been adapted to treat a variety of other problems.
DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY (DBT)
Both CBT and DBT can address a wide array of problems including the following:
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
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Anger Management
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Behavioral and Conduct Problems
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Career Problems
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Depression
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Eating Disorders/Body Image Concerns
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Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
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Interpersonal Conflicts
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Low Self-Esteem
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Multicultural Issues (e.g. immigration, acculturation, cultural conflicts, racism, sexual identity, minority issues)
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Obesity and other physical health related issues
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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
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Panic Attacks
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Phobias
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Post-partum depression
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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other traumas
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Procrastination
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Sleep Issues (e.g. Insomnia, Narcolepsy, Night Terror)
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Social Skills
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Substance Abuse/Dependence
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Test Anxiety
PROBLEMS ADDRESSED
While we feel CBT and DBT are often helpful treatment approaches to various difficulties and disorders, we recognize that these approaches may not be the best fit for each person. In some cases, longer-term psychodynamic therapy may be warranted. An initial evaluation will help us determine which therapeutic approach and duration will help you best.
ADDITIONAL TREATMENTS
Want to learn more about how we can help you?
Please complete our form or call us at 862-703-8647.
“No matter how hard the past was, you can always begin again.”
-Buddha