Treatment Approaches

Dialectical-Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Originally founded as an integration of CBT and eastern mindfulness practices, this treatment approach aims at helping individuals become more skillful in the following: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness. It provides a wide variety of coping skills that can be implemented in every day life in order for individuals to be more empowered and skillful in navigating their difficulties.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A short-term, goal-oriented treatment approach that helps individuals take an active and practical approach to problem-solving. It aims at changing patterns of thinking and behaving that are maladaptive and interfere with one's life, by replacing them with more adaptive and functional ones, in turn, also changing how one feels.

Psychodynamic Therapy

A long-term and in-depth form of psychotherapy, focusing on developing a better understanding of unconscious drives. These unconscious drives are patterns of interaction that develop from childhood, which individuals often do not have awareness of but that certainly influence their current functioning and relationships.  It helps individuals better understand how they became who they are and how they are approaching their emotions and relationships. Depending on the therapeutic work that is being done, individuals may attend psychodynamic therapy up to 2 times per week, if needed.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

A treatment model that encourages the patient to regain control of mood and behavior. It operates from the idea that there is a relationship between the way individuals communicate and interact with one another and mental health. This treatment approach aims at improving your interpersonal relationships by highlighting how others experience you and how you are showing up in the world.

Humanistic/Client-Centered Therapy

This approach adopts a non-directive and empathic stance to help individuals experience healing and growth. It does so by empowering and driving individuals to make discoveries about their own patterns of behavior through dialogue and experiential exercises. This type of therapeutic approach helps individuals reach "self-actualization," or a stronger and healthier sense of self.

Play Therapy

Often times, children do not have the language development and/or emotional insight to describe their internal experiences and so they will communicate through their play. This form of therapy helps children express themselves and also helps them develop better social integration, self-acceptance, growth, development, emotion regulation, and work through traumatic events. I also integrate the use of sand tray and sand play therapy.

Family Systems

Used in family therapy, its goal is to help family members understand their unique roles within their family system that create the current relational dynamic within the family unit. It provides a forum for family members to improve their communication skills, boundaries, expression of emotion, and validation skills. Its focus is to create more normative experiences in the home and increase the quality of the relationships among family members.

Parent Effectiveness Training

This approach supports parents in further developing their parenting and disciplining skills. Parents learn how to approach problem behaviors with their child, feel more in control as a parent, decrease conflict between parent and child, and decrease power struggles that commonly exist with a child. Parents also learn how to create mutual listening between themselves and their child so that everyone may feel understood and validated. This therapeutic approach also provides parents with the opportunity to practice these skills in session with my guidance and support.