Therapeutic Approaches
ACT, also known as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, is a type of therapy that focuses on accepting painful or negative thoughts and emotions rather than trying to control them.
At the core of ACT is the concept of psychological flexibility - the ability to stay open and present while still staying connected with your values in the face of hardship. ACT is more concerned with changing your relationship with your thoughts, rather than the content.
The six main principles of ACT are acceptance, cognitive defusion, being present, self-as-context, values, and committed action. These six core processes work together to help you develop psychological flexibility.
You can learn more about ACT here.
ACT
Solution-focused therapy (SFT) is a goal-oriented, strengths-based therapy that helps you identify what’s working, what’s possible, and how to move forward.
Concepts that emerge from using SFT include exploring your strengths, identifying the exceptions to your story (ex. times when you were able to solve a problem), and focusing on what future outcomes could look like. A major component of SFT is the belief that small consistent changes lead to big shifts in your life.
At its foundation, SFT is an empowering, hopeful, and practical approach to change. The core belief behind this therapy is that you already posses the skills and strengths to enact change - therapy is a way to uncover them.
You can learn more about SFT here.
SFT
There are many therapies that address trauma symptoms; among these is cognitive processing therapy or CPT. This therapy was originally created to support sexual abuse survivors, but is now a widespread therapy for other types of trauma, most notably for those who have diagnosed PTSD.
CPT is a very structured approach to addressing trauma symptoms that includes 12 sessions total with each session lasting between 60-90 minutes every week. CPT can be broken down into 3 sections: psychoeducation, processing, and modifying.
One of the goals of CPT is to reduce the power that trauma holds over your life by taking the steps in the manual. By learning, identifying, and restructuring your thoughts related to the trauma, you may find yourself able to reconnect with yourself and others in a more meaningful way.
You can learn more about CPT here.
CPT
Motivational interviewing (MI) is is a collaborative conversation style therapy that helps you explore and strengthen your motivation for making positive changes in your life.
With MI, you are in the driver’s seat. My job as your therapist is to help uncover your personal reasons for change. I do this by asking questions and challenging cognitive dissonance (conflict between your thoughts and behaviors).
MI allows for you to maintain your autonomy while creating space to identify what motivates you towards change. It can particularly helpful when you are feeling uncertain on what and how to enact change in your life.
You can learn more about MI here.