My Approach

We’re going to be talking about CBT.

While my approach is eclectic, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the firm foundation for our work. I will let you know if we need to start at a different level, such as EMDR. However, CBT is a well-established therapy modality which examines how your thoughts, feelings, and actions impact one another. Using it, we can figure out precise methods to interrupt unhelpful patterns by investigating these links.

One of the best things about CBT is that it gives people multiple options for finding a foothold toward their desired outcome, meaning that whether you tend to intellectualize, get overwhelmed by your feelings, or feel trapped in habitual choices, we can find an access point (thoughts, feelings, or actions) that will work for you.

In a nutshell, if you can change your thoughts, you can change your feelings, you can change your choices, then round and round we go regardless of which you managed to do first!

CBT is highly structured and comes with a lot of homework between sessions. While I’ve had many clients who thrive on this approach, I have just as many for whom discussion and exploration of the core principles of CBT exclusively within therapy sessions is just as helpful. The direction we take in using CBT principles for your care is an entirely collaborative decision, which we can adjust based on what you find is working for you.

Two of my other favorite places to draw supplemental skills and tools include Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

DBT is light on talk-based processing.

This modality is a manual-assisted, skills-based modality, heavy on acronyms and light on talk-based processing. Two things tend to be true of this approach: it is very effective, and folks often either love or hate it. DBT is about asking, “Is this working?” instead of “Is this right or wrong?”

DBT helps folks get out of their way in resolving emotional hang-ups and interpersonal conflicts because it shifts the focus away from inner messages about success and failure and toward making practical changes to improve their circumstances.

DBT skills include four categories: Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Distress Tolerance, and Mindfulness.

Emotion Regulation equips you with practical skills to identify, understand, and regulate your feelings so you can navigate challenging situations effectively.

Interpersonal Effectiveness skills include assertiveness, communication, and boundary-setting tactics, enabling you to negotiate conflict, establish healthy connections, and foster deeper relationships.

Distress Tolerance skills allow you to weather especially uncomfortable moments with resilience and self-compassion.

Mindfulness Practices include cultivating nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment, increasing your ability to observe and accept experiences without becoming overwhelmed or reactive. Over time these lead to a greater sense of calm and self-awareness.

ACT encourages acceptance.

Rather than struggling against them, ACT emphasizes acceptance of complex thoughts, feelings, and experiences. By embracing a radical acceptance of your situation exactly as it is, you can reduce the impact of negative thoughts and emotions and foster more compassion for yourself and others.

ACT is also skills-based but with a more philosophical underpinning than DBT. ACT uses concepts like Cognitive Defusion to help you learn to observe your thoughts without getting entangled in them, freeing yourself from their control and enabling you to make more conscious choices aligned with your values. Clarifying these values is another primary concept in ACT and one of my favorites to explore with clients.

By understanding what truly matters, you can align your actions with your values. Perhaps even more so than CBT and DBT, ACT emphasizes committing to taking action to move toward your goals and values to create a more fulfilling life while overcoming barriers and self-limiting patterns.

Live a more fulfilled life.

CBT, DBT, and ACT provide practical strategies to enhance well-being, build resilience, and promote personal growth. They can be particularly effective for addressing anxiety, depression, disordered eating, relationship difficulties, and emotional dysregulation.

Take the first step toward a more empowered and fulfilling life.

Contact me today to explore how individual therapy using these or other approaches can support your healing journey. Together, we can create a roadmap to help you thrive.