Modalities | mysite

Other Therapy Modalities:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy—(CBT) is a short-term, goal oriented psychotherapy that is solution-focused in nature. The goal is to change negative thoughts that are at the core of your difficulties. CBT can be a stand-alone treatment and is also a component of EMDR. We all have one or many core negative beliefs around being defective, “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not lovable”; around responsibility, “I should have done something” or “I did something wrong”; around safety/vulnerability, “I cannot trust anyone” or “I am not safe”; or around power and control, “I am powerless” or “I cannot get what I want.” These core beliefs develop as a response to wounding and fuel how we feel about ourselves, how we operate in relationship, and how satisfied we are about life in general.

Psychodynamic—is an analysis of how early experience affects who you are today in terms of thoughts, feelings and behaviors. The interplay between the unconscious and conscious parts of the psyche is taken into consideration. The image of an iceberg explains how only the tip of awareness of who we are is available to us, whereas most of who we are lies below the surface. Crisis often happens when the ship (ego) hits the unseen part of the iceberg (the unconscious). The unconscious often holds the more difficult inner conflicts, but with work can reveal your greatest potential for lasting change. This work can be done through experiential therapy techniques, dream analysis, Gestalt and “parts” work. Once your unconscious becomes more available, you can begin to clear old patterns of defending yourself from the past and connect to a more free flowing authentic and undefended Self with all of its healing power. Once you access your deepest Self, you can begin to live happily and effectively in the world despite outer circumstances.

Hakomi/Focussing/Core Energetics—are body-centered somatic, mindful and spiritual approaches to therapy that fully recognize how trauma, energy and emotions lie in the body not in the mind. If we could think our way through problems, we would all be innately joyful all the time. Based on past traumas, we all develop “characterologies” or systematized ways of dissociating our feelings up and away from life, reaching towards others (not ourselves) to fill ourselves up, walling against or contracting inward as protection, attacking or belittling others when we don’t get what we want, or rigidly becoming perfect to cover up real need. Characterologies trap or block energy leading to numbness or non-feeling and providing an illusory sense of safety. This may have helped in the past but only lead to more problems now. Body centered therapy modalities help us break free from these patterns. We can learn to tolerate the dynamic flow of energy in our bodies even when the world feels unsafe or when our needs aren’t perfectly met.

Eclectic/Integrative—the use of multiple or a mixture of therapy modalities depending on what each client brings to therapy on any given day. Therapists who are effectively eclectic or integrative are those who are not only trained in and experienced with using evidence based modalities, but also “do their own work” and can meet clients where they have already travelled inside. Intense emotions or life experience from clients is welcome and not feared. The creation of a safe place to reveal anything, especially what is hidden in the shadows, is celebrated.