Founded by Dr. Aaron Beck, CBT is a structured, collaborative, and goal focused treatment that is based on the theory that cognitions (thoughts), emotions, and behaviors all shape one another. CBT increases individuals awareness about the power of their thoughts, such as depending how an individual interprets a situation can influence their behavior more than the situation itself. Often our interpretations are unhelpful and include judgments, particularly when distressed and can further fuel our emotions. CBT treatment helps individuals increase awareness of their unhelpful thinking patterns, and reframe them with alternative, more accurate and helpful ways of thinking.

CBT also incorporates psycho-education, problem solving, strategies for facing our fears instead of avoiding them, and learning tools to calm our bodies. Research shows that CBT improves overall functioning and quality of life.

Founded by Dr. Marsha Linehan, DBT combines acceptance and change strategies to help individuals build a life worth living. Acceptance strategies include mindfulness skills that increase awareness of your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, values and goals, in addition to improving attentional control and living in the present moment. Acceptance strategies also include distress tolerance skills to get through crisis moments without acting impulsively and potentially making the situation worse. Change strategies include emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and dialectical thinking skills.

It is important to note that therapists will provide DBT-informed treatment or Comprehensive DBT. Comprehensive DBT requires that the therapist be intensively trained, and includes weekly individual psychotherapy, weekly group skills training, 24/7 phone coaching, and therapist’s weekly participation on a consultation team. Please discuss with your individual therapist which is a better fit for you.

Parenting is tough. Parenting a child who is struggling can be very difficult and distressing. While there is no one playbook or manual for parenting, together we can identify evidence-based skills that fit your needs and goals including, but not limited to: effectively changing behaviors, how to observe limits, reducing unhelpful accommodations, improving communication, enhancing the relationship, and overall increasing more positive interactions with your child, adolescent, or young adult.

Treatment options include Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills applicable for parenting, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Selective Mutism (PCIT-SM).

Family sessions are often mapped onto individual therapy, particularly with children, adolescents, and young adults. Family distress typically includes dysregulated emotions (i.e. anger and yelling), escalation (i.e. feeling like the temperature in the room is rising really fast), and polarization (i.e. feeling like you are on opposite sides of the grand canyon). Family therapy can help with increasing awareness of your primary emotions (i.e. moving away from anger and expressing worry, hurt, disappointment, shame, etc.). Family therapy also teaches and strengthens skills including mindfulness of others, distress tolerance skills to reduce escalation, and how to accurately express your feelings/needs. This ultimately leads to a positive cycle of increased understanding and validating responses, which opens the doors and becomes a bridge to collaborative family problem solving. I utilize Alan Fruzzetti’s adaptations of DBT for family.