No two individuals are alike. In fact, the great philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “If two people were exactly alike in every way, one of them would be unnecessary.” If that’s true (and I believe it is), then it stands to reason that no two individuals have the exact same struggles, nor is there only one way to address and work through those in therapy. That’s why I utilize several different methods/theories/concepts in my practice—working diligently to taper your experience to your specific needs and preferences. Here are a few of the evidence-based practices I rely on to do that:

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a problem-focused form of behavioral treatment that helps people see the difference between beliefs, thoughts, and feelings, and free them from unhelpful patterns of behavior. CBT is grounded in the belief that it is a person’s perception of events – rather than the events themselves – that determines how he or she will feel and act in response.

Reality/Choice Theory

The goals of Reality and Choice based therapy interventions focus on gaining awareness of current total behavior, including how a person acts, thinks, and feels. By doing so, the hope is that the individual will learn to develop a strong internal locus of control—or the belief that you have personal agency over your own life and actions. The focus is on present issues and current behaviors as they affect you now and in the future.

Person-Centered Theory

The person-centered approach to therapy focuses on the individual’s responsibility and capacity to discover more appropriate behaviors based on a growing sense of self-awareness. This is accomplished through your experience with a genuinely accepting, caring and empathetic counselor who will help you overcome feelings of helplessness or powerlessness.

Gestalt Therapy

The term gestalt is derived from a German word meaning “whole” or “put together.” Gestalt therapy seeks to explore, discover, and confront the total self—body, mind, and emotions—in order to help individuals increase self-awareness and accept responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that come from those. Gestalt therapy is grounded in the here-and-now and emphasizes personal choice and responsibility.