Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Known in short as CBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is often referred to as the "gold standard" of therapy. Why is that?
CBT targets distressing thoughts and feelings at the core. A therapist that utilizes CBT as their primary method of therapy will ask you to identify your negative, or 'maladaptive' thoughts, that are not helpful in your day-to-day life. You will then explore all the areas where this may show up in your life. CBT therapy will help you identify areas to change, give you the tools to help, and assist in reaching identified goals- hence, the gold standard!

CBT focuses on 3 main areas in therapy:

• Identifying challenging or maladaptive thoughts
• Discussing ways these thoughts create distress within our lives
• Creating realistic solutions to addressing and reforming these thoughts to best fit your specific goals

CBT, while a very common and well-researched form of therapy, may or may not be a good fit for you. To better understand if this approach works for you, think about the following: do you struggle in identifying the "kind" of thoughts you are having? Does this tend to cause you to "act out" or make decisions that create more conflict for you?

For example, does a thought enter your head and you tend to operate as if it is truth rather than "just" a thought? This form of therapy can help you begin to take healthy control of your thoughts and feelings so you can create a plan of action that aligns with your values rather than only your feelings.

Person-Centered Therapy

Person-centered therapy is all about you! But not in the way you may think.

What has been referred to as 'more of a worldview than a form of therapy,’ PC therapy focuses on providing you with unconditional acceptance no matter what you are experiencing and increasing the bond between you and your therapist. You can expect your PC therapist to always treat you as the expert of your experience. Person-centered therapy focuses on the strengths of an individual and their many identities and strives towards self-actualization. PC views the person, rather than the disorder.

This approach to counseling focuses on 3 core areas, and you can expect your person-centered therapist to display the following:

• Accurate Empathy: Feeling heard and understood is the core of therapy, according to this approach. Your PC therapist will actively listen to you, ask questions to help better understand the "private world", and express empathy through the reflection of the feeling you are conveying- not just the "content"- the situation that may have brought up the feeling.
• Unconditional Positive Regard: You can expect your person-centered therapist to create a warm environment that conveys complete acceptance. The therapist does not show judgment, approval, or disapproval, no matter how unconventional the client's views may be. Rather, the therapist is accepting of all parts of the value system the client may enter with. This can help the client to drop their natural defenses such as fear or critique, allowing them to freely express feelings and direct their self-exploration as they see fit- rather than how society sees fit.
• Congruence: A person-centered therapist conveying this quality does so transparently. They share feelings and thoughts to genuinely relate to the client to strengthen the relationship. Within the client-therapist relationship, the therapist is genuinely themselves and presents as authentic, not as the "expert" or "authority" in the room. The therapist does not hide behind a professional façade or deceive the client. Therapists may share their emotional reactions with their clients but do not share personal problems with clients or shift the focus to themselves in any way.

To see if person-centered therapy is right for you, explore ways you thrive. Do you thrive and accomplish goals when you feel highly supported, encouraged, and accepted no matter what? Maybe you are searching for a space to be utterly yourself and want a more non-direct approach to therapy. If this is you, you may benefit from trying out a person-centered therapist!

Attachment Therapy

Our early experiences (especially traumatic ones) with caregivers and parents alike can greatly influence our relationships, impact how we see the world, and create challenges in how we see ourselves within the world.

Attachment Theory is an approach to counseling that focuses on identifying your specific "type" of attachment, identifying the ways it presents in your life, and working toward building security in your relationships with others and yourself. These types of attachment are:

• Secure: This type of attachment, as the name conveys, means you feel relatively connected to others and safe. In your relationships, you can convey your feelings authentically and accurately without major fear of judgment or rejection. In your identity, you feel concrete and consistent in decisions that align with your values. You are confident in who you are and in who you are with and do not fear largely being or feeling abandoned. The securely attached person moves about the world curiously, thoughtfully, and knowing that they have a safe place and home to go back to.
• Anxious: The anxiously attached person feels lonely, stressed, and not good enough. Anxious attachment causes us to change any and everything we possibly can to improve the mood of others around us- particularly someone we love or feel connected with. This style can cause us to feel isolated and crave attention, recognition, and validation from others. Fearing abandonment, the anxiously attached person strives to manage and avoid that distress by constantly checking in on those around them. Anxious attachment can feel draining and cause you to feel like an "imposter".
• Avoidant: Avoidant Attachment style takes on fierce independence and withdraws from others during conflict. Identifying as avoidantly attached means that you often think "I don't need others" when you feel disappointed or let down by those close to you. Emotional connections can be viewed as frivolous and unnecessary as it "causes more potential for harm than good". The person who is avoidant in their attachment seems to retreat inward, unlike the anxiously attached outward presentation, and proceed to do things alone so as to not feel disappointed again.
• Disorganized: A mix of anxious and avoidant styles, disorganized attachment can present chaotic and unpredictable responses and reactions. The disorganized person oscillates between pushing and pulling others away during times of stress and conflict. This type of attachment often can be challenging to manage and understand in a relationship when one or both parties fail to identify it as an attachment style and instead incorrectly attribute it to personality. The disorganized individual may have a hard time self-regulating and fears abandonment while also being "too close."

Interested in Attachment Theory? If you find yourself nodding or relating to any of the above listed styles of attachment and can see ways that your life has been potentially impacted, an attachment approach to your counseling may be the best fit.

Your attachment-based therapist will focus on building a sense of safety and security within the counseling space, focus on developing healthy attachments, and model how to do this outside of therapy.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Otherwise known as DBT, this form of therapy is most effective for those looking to improve their quality of life by increasing effective coping skills, improving emotional regulation and interpersonal connection, and integrating mindfulness. DBT is most commonly used with individuals experiencing significant emotional challenges and looking for ways to find more balance in their life and their relationships.

As a "cousin" of CBT, DBT builds off cognitive principles and expands therapy to focus on identifying effective ways to manage strong emotions while creating meaningful relationships.

DBT typically focuses on these areas:

• Distress Tolerance: Your DBT therapist will help you find ways to manage challenging emotions. Learning to "tolerate" distressing emotions without letting them take over your actions is one of the first steps towards taking ownership of your life and reaching your goals.
• Interpersonal Skills: Relationships, friendships, and all forms of connection are integral to mental and physical health. DBT therapy will take time to focus on creating and sustaining healthy, balanced relationships while navigating how to end destructive ones.
• Emotional Regulation: Learning how to manage change in life and with emotions is a necessary step towards solving problems. Regulating emotions is a journey in which a counselor who specializes in DBT will explore skills and strategies to decrease conflict while increasing well-being.

A DBT approach takes into account these factors while also encouraging you to be mindful and non-judgemental in achieving your goals and living a most fulfilled life. You may be interested in this form of therapy if you find yourself having difficulty managing strong emotions and building healthy relationships.

Play Therapy

"Toys are children's words and play is their language."

Play is the language of kids that as adults we sometimes forget. Our trained child play therapists will create unique and engaging conversations with your child through games. Through the language of play, our play therapists will help 'interpret' what your child is experiencing and trying to communicate.

Play therapy allows children an engaging and interactive environment while also assisting in building skills for communication, processing, and self-expression. You can expect your play therapist to be patient and attentive, allowing your child to take control and play.

Play therapy can look crafty and chaotic. It helps your child as play is the language of children. Many children under the age of 10 are still learning how to feel things in their bodies, let alone express them. Play therapy uses toys, crafts, and games to create a safe space for your child to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a developmentally appropriate way.

Narrative Therapy

Have you ever felt like you were a part of a story that you never necessarily agreed to be in? Or perhaps that you are trapped by the narrative in your own head? Your narrative therapist will come alongside you to help you externalize those self-judgements you grew up with or were told about and create space for ones that better serve you and help achieve your goals.

Your life is a story. There are several plots, key themes, and actors that are a part of your every day. Your narrative therapist will take time to understand your story, from your eyes and your perspective. In Narrative-based therapy, you will navigate learning to take control of your story, or your narrative, and separate yourself from it. You may enter into therapy feeling as if life happens "to you,” that things are out of your control, and that you cannot do anything to fix it. Narrative Therapy helps give you the skills and tools to begin to externalize your problems and challenges and create more self-resiliency, confidence, and solutions to your biggest challenges.

Narrative therapy is helpful for a wide range of individuals. You may be interested in seeing one of our narrative-based therapists if you are ready to take charge of your life and understand the reasons behind certain patterns.