Working together to make life better.

Whether you are here advocating for yourself, or are a parent advocating for your child, we understand that it’s impossible to have all the answers, all the time.  By acknowledging that things don’t feel “right” –  you’ve already taken the first step toward better mental health.

Health and well-being is a lifelong journey and we have dedicated our practice to supporting our clients at all ages and stages. We provide therapy services across the lifespan: to children, teens, and adults.

Our experienced team of therapists has varied specialties and uses integrated and individualized approaches to best serve the needs of each client. Working together, we will find a plan of action to make things better today than they were yesterday.

Learn more about the various therapies we utilize across our practice below.

CBT

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that focuses on understanding and altering thoughts and behaviors that are impacting one’s well-being. Treatment focuses on identifying faulty thought patterns that are causing distress and replacing them with more flexible and realistic ways of thinking. Strategies to change thinking patterns typically involve recognizing distortions in thinking, developing enhanced coping skills, and better understanding the motivations of self and others. CBT treatment also involves changing problematic behavioral patterns through exposure, role play, and mindfulness techniques. The therapist and client work collaboratively to identify goals and strategies to help the client develop more effective ways of coping.Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological testing is an important first step in understanding the nature of an academic, behavioral and/or emotional concern. Testing is an opportunity to gain valuable information regarding students learning styles in order to optimize their academic experience and confidence. Evaluations include tests of intellectual functioning, information processing, executive functioning, academic achievement, and social-emotional/psychological functioning to clarify diagnosis and develop a roadmap for treatment.

ACT

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based form of behavior therapy that encourages clients to learn how to live a full and valued life in the moment while also experiencing difficult thoughts or feelings. In contrast to other therapeutic models, ACT proposes that it is futile to change or control our thoughts and feelings and focuses on other processes to lead to change. To use the acronym of ACT, this approach focuses on encouraging clients to Accept that difficult experiences are a part of living, Choose a direction they would like their life to move toward, and Take action to move towards their life goals.

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a form of psychotherapy that helps individuals heal from the emotional distress caused by difficult life experiences. It includes 8 phases of treatment that begin with history-taking, psychoeducation, and rapport building. Next, the therapist teaches the client various stress-reduction strategies to use during and in-between sessions. Once the client feels comfortable using these skills, they work with the therapist to identify a specific traumatic memory. The client is guided through a visualization of the memory as well as any thoughts and feelings associated with it while the therapist provides sets of bilateral stimulation. These sets include gentle tactile stimulation of the hands through a device held by the client.  This process is repeated until the client reports no distress related to the target memory and can reframe their thought process associated with the target memory. EMDR does not require the client to talk about any part of the target memories.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic, or Insightful therapy’s goal is to develop a person’s insight about how their past experiences influence their present functioning.  Therapists encourage clients to speak freely and openly about what is on their mind and support them to identify unconscious patterns that have developed over time. By bringing to light these unconscious feelings, thoughts and beliefs, clients can make shifts in their current behavior and relationships to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. Treatment typically involves meeting weekly with a therapist for several months up to multiple years.

Trauma-Informed Care

A trauma informed approach to therapy emphasizes understanding how a traumatic experience impacts one’s emotional, behavioral, mental, and physical health. The 5 guiding principles of trauma informed care are safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, and empowerment. Individuals who have experienced trauma are often in a chronic state of crisis. For that reason, the therapist will work to create an environment that is safe and fosters connection. Trauma informed therapy includes learning new ways to manage emotions and impulses, engage in healthy relationships, and regain a feeling of power and control.

Trauma-informed treatments can be specially tailored to children and teens who often feel helpless and overwhelmed beyond their limits after one or many adverse events. Trauma causes their internal resources to become overtaxed which impacts emotional-regulation, self-perception, sense of trust, and understanding of relationships. Trauma-informed therapy with children and teens includes establishing a sense of safety, learning strategies to regulate emotions and arousal, increasing body awareness and self-understanding, development of reciprocal relationships, and helping them to turn helplessness into mastery.

LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy

Our clinicians provide affirming therapy for clients of all genders and sexualities. Through working with an affirming therapist, clients will be provided an inclusive space aimed at helping them embrace their identity and empower them to live as their authentic self. Our therapists are sensitive to the stigma, pressures, and stress placed on LGBTQ+ people in our society and prioritize working at a pace that feels comfortable and safe for each person.

We provide support for individuals in all stages of their exploration of self. Each therapy session will look a little different, but common themes may include:

  • exploring gender identity, role, and expression
  • coping with the negative impact gender dysphoria and stigma may have on mental health
  • working through the coming out process
  • enhancing social and peer support
  • strengthening self-compassion and promoting resilience

We commit to continually grow as allies and advocates for all members of our community. Our team works closely with Beck Gee-Cohen, our LGBTQ+ consultant, to support our work with clients and to continue our professional and personal growth.

Play Therapy

A child’s primary language is play. During play therapy, children work one-on-one with a therapist who supports their ability to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas through play, the primary mode of communication. While the therapist is an active participant, the child is directing the play. The therapist utilizes a variety of toys, such as action figures, sand trays, animals, modeling clay, art supplies, etc., to appeal to a variety of interest, and comments during the session on the ways in which the child utilizes various objects during the play. Through this relationship with the therapist, the child learns to express themselves in a supportive, empathic, safe, accepting environment. This ultimately brings greater awareness of their feeling states and interpersonal needs. While parents often work with their child’s therapist in adjunct meetings, play sessions are individual sessions for the child.

Art Therapy

Expressive arts therapy is an alternative process to express thoughts and feelings, reduce stress and to learn how to manage behaviors and emotions.  Combining psychotherapy and art encourages exploration of emotions through a different mode of communication.  Young children especially, may not have the ability to express themselves verbally. While using familiar materials, expressive arts therapy helps them to explore their worries and emotions more organically, allowing for expression and better understanding.

SPACE Treatment

Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is a parent-based treatment program developed by Eli Lebowitz at the Yale Child Study Center for children and adolescents with anxiety, OCD, and related problems.

The program includes psychoeducation about anxiety disorders and about ways in which parents can help alleviate their children’s symptoms and enhance their functioning. The program also involves important practical steps such as identifying ways in which parents can modify their own behavior to help their child, as well as specific tools and techniques on how to implement the treatment at home. The main changes that parents learn to make are to introduce or increase supportive responses to the manifestations of their child’s anxiety, and to reduce accommodations they have been making to their child’s symptoms.

Schedule your session with us today!