It is difficult to describe an overall approach to providing therapy. Each individual person is so unique in their personality, difficulties, life circumstances, and life history. Our developing a working relationship where you feel comfortable and like you can trust me is the foundation of therapy. It is of the utmost importance that we feel we are working together on something important to you. It is also very important for us to be able to work together to try to understand and make meaning of the feelings you have. Furthermore, one might refer to my therapeutic style as a balance between exploring and offering tangible help.
The therapeutic relationship between a person in therapy and the therapist is a powerful tool in all forms of therapy. With my patients, I pay close attention to our patterns of relating, as well as both of our feelings regarding the relationship. Developing an understanding of the two of us in relationship has potential for generating valuable insights and new experiences for the patient, with overarching goals of finding increased meaning and happiness in life.
In therapy, my overarching question is, ‘How might I be of help to this person?’ With this open frame of mind, I start therapy by actively listening to my patient during the initial intake interview. An emphasis on listening is beneficial to the patient in multiple ways, including helping foster a sense of safety, facilitating the patient experiencing being in control of sessions, hearing the needs of the patient, and providing the universal human need of feeling understood and known. I am open to a patient's expressed needs and their insight and feedback about what our therapy experience together is like and what is working/feeling useful. I strive to cultivate a relationship where you can provide feedback such as, "I don't want to talk about that," or conversely, "I don't think we're talking enough about that."
Within the context of the relationship, I have found that it is useful to offer the patient tangible interventions, skills, concepts, and ways of thinking when the timing is right. Within my integrative therapeutic approach, I can flexibly care for clients using ideas and strategies from psychodynamic therapies, attachment theory, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and other therapies. I can conceptualize acute problems, as well as long-term difficulties, and relational dynamics. Integrative therapy is ideal for many problems, including depression, anxiety, substance use problems, addictions, and eating disorders.
Sometimes it is useful for a person in therapy to also work with another professional while they are in therapy. I am an open and willing collaborator with other treatment providers. Working within a team-based approach , collaborating with other professionals (therapists, dietitians, psychiatrists) can be very effective.
Psychodynamic Therapy and Psychoanalytic Theories
Psychodynamic Therapy is a powerful evidence-based type of therapy that focuses on feelings, relationships, recurring patterns and themes in one’s life, the therapy relationship, and the past. There is not one type of psychodynamic psychotherapy, and there are some that focus more or less on each of these aspects. For futher reading on psychodynamic psychotherapy, read this research paper.
Attachment Theory
Attachment theory is a perspective on how humans develop that provides insight into the long-term impact of our early-life experiences with caregivers on our personality development and the ways we function in relationships. For futher reading on therapy informed by attachment theory, read this short selection.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT helps people who struggle with strong or overwhelming emotions. DBT integrates the opposites of acceptance and change to help people learn to use new skills to manage feelings and create a life worth living. I teach DBT skills, techniques, and ways of thinking in an individual therapy context. Please watch this video for a brief introduction to DBT.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is a group of therapies oriented around change and used to reduce symptoms through applying a range of skills, methods, and frameworks. During the course of our therapy together, when it seems like it might be useful, I may ask a patient if they are interested in learning CBT skills that apply to a difficulty they are having. Please see here for the American Psychological Association’s brief introduction to CBT.