therapy is not one-size fits all.
I ground my work in approaches and tools that are evidence-based, effective and user-friendly. Below are the types of therapy I am most likely to use in our work. Therapy is about blending different approaches together in order to best meet your specific needs in all their uniqueness and complexity. Read on and reach out if you have any questions.
acceptance and commitment therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is straight forward, it’s interactive, it’s effective, it’s productive, and it’s (sometimes!) even fun.
To understand ACT, you could start with Dr. Russ Harris’ website here, or an article he authored about it here. Or I’ll do some copy and pasting for you right here:
“Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) gets its name from one of its core messages: accept what is out of your personal control and commit to action that improves and enriches your life. The aim of ACT is to maximize human potential for a rich, full and meaningful life.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a unique and creative approach to a change in behavior which alters the very ground rules of most Western psychotherapy. It is a mindfulness-based, values-oriented behavioral therapy, that has many parallels to Buddhism, yet is not religious in any way; it is a modern scientific approach, firmly based on cutting-edge research into human behavioral psychology.”
People love ACT because it’s very hands-on: we do exercises, we draw stuff out, we practice skills, we go through scenarios, we get REAL about the change you want to see in your life (and yes, occasionally we goof around and have a laugh, but it’s all in the name of your personal growth and happiness).
ACT is a suitable modality for most of life’s difficulties, including the really hard stuff like addiction, grief and loss.
Interested in learning more about ACT? You can watch some fun videos about it on Dr. Russ Harris’ YouTube channel, and you can contact me.
Eye Movement Desensitization and reprocessing (Emdr)
EDMR is a wonderful, versatile tool that I work with often. It can sound a little intimidating if you’ve never heard of it before (most people haven’t), and that’s totally normal.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing because it uses eye movements (or sound or touch) to help the brain reprocess difficult memories and heal.
EMDR is an innovative clinical treatment which has successfully helped over a million individuals. It is the most thoroughly researched method used in the treatment of trauma, and is recognized by The American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, Department of Defense, Veteran’s Administration, insurance companies, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
The first thing you should really do is just go to the official EMDR International Association website because it has it all. If you don’t, here is the key info from their About page:
“EMDR is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to focus briefly on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories.
EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue or completing homework between sessions. EMDR therapy, rather than focusing on changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issue, allows the brain to resume its natural healing process. For many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies.”
You should also read this page about what it’s like to experience EMDR.
In practice, EMDR is actually quite simple and straightforward. It doesn’t hurt, and it’s not hypnosis or some weird mind control. The idea is that we’re helping your brain mimic what happens during dream sleep (REM sleep), which has been shown to help soothe difficult memories. We’re rewiring your brain while you’re awake! Honestly, every client I’ve ever done EMDR with has been blown away: it actually works. Clients feel better, and best of all: the healing is lasting.
I’ve done my own EMDR work with a trained EMDR therapist, so I know what it’s like.
I’m happy to answer any questions you may have about how EMDR could help you in your healing process.
community reinforcement and family training (CRAFT)
I work with people who love people with substance problems. In this work, I ground my approach in CRAFT: Community Reinforcement And Family Training. I choose this approach because it is effective, evidence-based and rooted in kindness and compassion instead of interventions and ultimatums.
This article by the American Psychological Association describes the benefits of CRAFT and the research supporting this approach as an effective, sustainable model for helping people experiencing addiction and the people who love them.
“Research shows that the model is not only effective in helping people cope with a loved one with a substance use problem, but is also more successful than other approaches at getting the substance user more engaged in treatment.”
I encourage you to read this helpful intro by Center for Motivation and Change that describes CRAFT and its origins.
I also really love this description of CRAFT and how it works by the organization Helping Families Help.
mindfulness and meditation
I infuse mindfulness and elements of Buddhist psychology into my clinical work because I strongly believe in the value of this approach to the human condition.
Mindfulness is being aware of our thoughts, feelings, and emotions, as well as external surroundings and situations, without automatic responses such as judgment or stress.
Most of us go through the world on autopilot: we don’t really question our thoughts and feelings, or the behaviors we engage in response to our thoughts and feelings. We have thoughts and feelings, and we react to them. When we practice mindfulness, we increase our choices. Instead of being jerked around by our thoughts and feelings, we gain the ability to actually make choices about how we want to show up in the world.
Without mindfulness, when we get angry we might lose control, storm off, yell or hurt someone. With mindfulness, we will still experience anger, but we will retain the ability to choose how we want to deal with it: maybe instead of storming off we take a breath and have a calm conversation, maybe instead of having a drink to deal with our anger, we take a walk and cool off.
Mindfulness is the secret sauce of successful therapy. Mindfulness is a set of skills, and it’s also a mindset. Mindfulness benefits everyone, and anyone can learn it.
You don’t have to meditate in order to bring more mindfulness into your life. However, if you’re interested in starting a personal meditation practice, we will practice in session together and explore ways for you to implement a regular meditation practice into your daily life.
I am currently pursuing The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy Certificate Program at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, affiliated with Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital and the Cambridge Health Alliance.