Our Services
Individual Therapy
We provide psychotherapy to help adults and youth overcome difficult life circumstances, personal challenges, and mental health conditions. As a multi-specialty center, our therapists are experts in treating clients with many mental health conditions, including anxiety, OCD, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, substance use problems, borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic-stress disorder, and other related conditions. We focus on reducing the symptoms of these difficulties while also helping our clients find meaning, joy, and connection in their lives.
Our Approach
Our approach is based on the principles of evidence-based practice, which means we combine current scientific evidence with our client’s values and preferences and our clinical experience. Our providers use therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). These are leading, innovative types of therapy to help clients manage and overcome mental health problems and improve their lives. We also utilize approaches such as compassion-focused therapy, mindfulness training, executive functioning coaching, parenting skills training, and many other treatment options. Please see our bio pages to see the specific areas of emphasis for each of our providers.
What is evidence-based practice?
Therapy means many different things to different people. Our therapists are skilled in approaches that are “evidence-based,” meaning that our interventions are grounded in theories from psychological science and have been shown to be more effective at helping people with specific mental health concerns when compared to other types of therapy.
Providing evidence-based care does not mean that we provide a “one-size-fits-all” model of care. Just like a carpenter needs to know the right tool for a specific job, it is important for our therapists to know and use the most effective strategies and techniques so that we can help meet our clients’ unique values and needs. Within each type of therapeutic approach, there are a variety of “tools” that each therapist uses to address a client’s preferences and concerns.
In addition to being evidence-based, all of our approaches involve active participation during and between therapy sessions – take home activities and exercises are often incredibly helpful and necessary for our clients to practice skills that they learn in therapy and apply them in their own lives. Our therapists are trained in multiple types of treatment and during the initial consultation meeting, you will decide together the type of treatment that may be the best fit for you.
Types of Therapy
Below are some of the most common evidence-based therapies that we provide.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected in many ways. When we think negative thoughts such as, “I’m worthless,” or “I can’t do anything right,” it affects how we feel, who we interact with, and how we spend our time. Thoughts can be really powerful, for better and for worse. CBT is a therapeutic approach that teaches clients about the relationships between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and how to change these relationships to help live a fuller, healthier life. It offers many different coping skills such as thought restructuring, behavioral activation, relaxation training, problem-solving, mood tracking, and goal-setting.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps people clarify their values in life and pursue goals that are in line with those values. Rather than focusing on eliminating negative thoughts or feelings, clients learn how to live with those thoughts and feelings so that they can pursue what is important to them. Mindfulness skills (i.e., breathing and imagery exercises that help one practice being in the present moment) is an important skill that is often used in ACT in conjunction with other interventions that build acceptance, self-compassion, flexibility, commitment to values-centered living, and the capacity to feel more connected to the people and activities in their lives.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT specializes in offering support and teaching skills to help clients cope with big emotional ups and downs as well as difficult situations and relationships. The main skills taught in DBT include mindfulness meditation (i.e., exercises that help one practice being in the present moment), distress tolerance (how to manage emotional pain in difficult situations), interpersonal effectiveness (setting appropriate boundaries with others, including saying no and asking for what you want from others), and emotional regulation (changing how you feel given a specific context/situation). DBT has been shown to be particularly helpful for those who experience depression, anxiety, overwhelming emotions, difficulties in interpersonal relationships, a history of self-harm thoughts and behaviors, and many other difficulties.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Anxiety can get in the way of living a fulfilling life. Whether it’s a fear of failure, anxiety about flying, distress about doing or saying the wrong thing around others, or worries that feel irrational or intrusive, ERP is a therapy specifically designed to help you overcome your anxiety. A therapist who uses ERP works with you to help gradually “expose” you to the things you’re afraid of and teach you skills to help prevent you from responding in ways that may inadvertently make those fears worse or otherwise get in the way of your goals (“response prevention”). For example, if you experience anxiety about public speaking, a therapist may develop a plan with you to take small steps towards public speaking, such as practicing a speech with loved ones or recording yourself talking. At the same time, the therapist will work with you on skills to help you not procrastinate or avoid future public speaking opportunities that may have consequences for your career. ERP may be especially helpful for those who experience obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), social anxiety, specific phobias, or other anxiety disorders.