learn more about therapy techniques
Brainspotting.
"where you look affects how you feel."
-Dr. David Grand
This form of therapy focuses on finding specific eye positions and sitting with one’s bodily and emotional sensations and reactions to specific events, feelings and so forth. Brainspotting taps into the more primitive processes of the brain. This means that there may be a more internal focus to notice your thoughts and sensations in a non-judgmental manner. Your therapist is there to support you and sit with you through your emotions so you do not have to feel alone. In this form of therapy, you are the comet and the clinician follows in the tail of your comet to support your journey of processing. You can also expect biolateral music and pointers to be used to enhance the processing experience. Lastly, your clinician and you will work together to create a safe and grounding experience suited for you after your session. To note, this type of therapy is great for people of all ages. When used with children, toys and images are often used versus pointers. Click the button below to learn even more about Brainspotting.
TF-CBT.
TF-CBT, or Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, is a type of therapy used for children aged 3-18 and who have experienced trauma. Unlike some other forms of therapy, this treatment modality is guided by phases and has a set number of sessions (typically 12-15 sessions), determined by each person’s needs. Additionally, this modality is bolstered by implementing caregiver skill building alongside the child’s session. This can be structured in a way that works best for your busy life. The general outline of the process is as follows: psychoeducation, caregiver and child skill building, processing and integration. Each phase builds on the previous with the goal of helping your child define who they are versus a traumatic event defining who they are and how they react to their environment (this is typically what therapists mean when they say “integrate their trauma”). Click the button below to learn even more about TF-CBT.
play therapy.
There are many different ways clinicians can use play therapy techniques in session with children. For me, I focus on using sand trays and setting up play houses, scenes, etc. to identify themes and thus better assess areas of need. Additionally, using games and structure in sessions help with needs such as but not limited to: attachment, impulsivity, social skills and empathy. As a clinician, my aim is to find ways to naturally integrate skill building for children and their families so while children may feel like they are “just playing”, caregivers can really see how their child is growing and learning. To note, while I have been trained in play therapy, I do not specialize in a specific type of play therapy but rather pull from these techniques and integrate them into sessions.
cognitive behavioral therapy.
This therapy technique is often referred to as “CBT”. It is based in the concept that one’s thoughts, feelings and reactions are all connected. It can be seen as “solution-focused”, as one can come to therapy with a specific situation and use CBT-skills to, for example, reframe negative automatic thoughts. While CBT-related skills can be used to help the process of integrating past trauma, the focus of this modality is typically used for more current needs. This view of therapy focuses on exploring where one is engaged in what has been coined “distorted thinking” (i.e. catastrophizing "or “making a mountain out of mole hill”) and gently learning to challenge these distortions. A person wanting to try out CBT can expect to end session identifying at-home skills practice to try throughout the week until our next session. Lastly, CBT can be applied to people of all ages!