APPROACH

With all treatment, we must start with relationship building.

Without trust and rapport, processing and discussing some of the core issues that led you to therapy is challenging. Through discussion, education, skill building, and time; we can build a healthy relationship and work together in helping you achieve your goals.

I have a casual treatment style. Treatment focus is on you, to help improve your life. With this in mind, please know that change and improvement comes from you, your efforts, and your commitment.

Treatment is what YOU make of it.

I will provide the tools for self improvement, but you will have to use them in order to progress. I provide action plan assignments for you to work on outside of therapy which include practicing tools and skills gained in sessions. I provide strength based treatment. I like to operate on the premise of progress, not perfection.

Together we can work towards your goals.

I will be there to support and encourage you throughout the process.

I use evidenced based therapy practices with an eclectic approach. My life purpose is to help others and I am grateful for the opportunity to help you along your journey.

Anxiety and Depression

When treating anxiety and depression, the focus is on gaining knowledge of healthy coping skills, educating you on what and why this mood is occurring, informing you of a variety of techniques to help alleviate symptoms including mindfulness, foods that nourish the body, and healthy thinking. I like to look at the whole person and offer insight as to various modalities that can assist in self improvement.

Trauma

Trauma treatment starts with building and developing coping skills and mindfulness to assist with processing trauma in the future. I also like to provide education to help gain understanding of the potential effects of untreated trauma, general education on trauma, and the process of healing. Pending on the individual, I like to use Mode Deactivation Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy to address and process trauma.

Bariatric Evaluations

So, you’ve decided to move towards a healthy lifestyle and take care of your body through embarking on the path to bariatric surgery. This is a lifelong commitment to your health and wellness and comes with significant lifestyle changes to maintain following surgery.

The Mental Health Evaluations for Bariatric Clearance are completed in preparation for bariatric surgery. Many insurance companies and bariatric surgeons require this evaluation to determine your readiness, commitment, and understanding of the changes you will undergo physically, emotionally, and mentally and the lifestyle changes that will need to be maintained.

You will need to complete several forms and assessments during and prior to the actual evaluation. The evaluation will consists of additional assessments and a one on one discussion regarding your understanding of the bariatric surgery elected, lifestyle changes, and psycho-education regarding health, wellness, changes, and emotional health.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cognitive Behavior Therapy?

"Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders and severe mental illness. Numerous research studies suggest that CBT leads to significant improvement in functioning and quality of life" (American Psychological Association, n.d.). Cognitive Behavior Therapy looks at how your thinking affects your mood and behaviors and helps you gain knowlege of skills to manage your thinking, which in turn affects the latter.

What is Mode Deactivation Therapy?

"Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT) (Apsche, 2010) is an evidenced-based psychotherapeutic technique. It is designed to treat the complex interplay between trauma, personality factors and a child’s belief system that often lead to conduct problems such as aggression. Clinician and patient manuals guide the treatment process and ensure fidelity to the method. Mode Deactivation Therapy includes centering, imagery and relaxation techniques (mindfulness) to facilitate cognition"(North Spring Behavioral Healthcare, n.d.). MDT is derived from CBT and other therapy models to help individuals to gain understanding of how their life experiences has led them to have certain beliefs that are relative to their feelings and behaviors. Individuals then learn to deactivate or modify these beliefs (modes) for healthier living.

What is EMDR- Eye Movement Desentization Reprocessing?

"EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes. The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR therapy training sessions, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes" (EMDR Institute, n.d.).

What is Structured Family Therapy?

"Structural family therapy (SFT) is a treatment that addresses patterns of interaction that create problems within families. Mental health issues are viewed as signs of a dysfunctional family; therefore, the focus of treatment is on changing the family structure rather than changing individual family members. The goal of SFT is to improve communications and interactions among family members and to highlight appropriate boundaries to create a healthier family structure (Psychology Today, n.d.)".

What is Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy?

"Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents impacted by trauma. TF-CBT has proved successful with children and adolescents (ages 3 to 18) who have significant emotional problems (e.g., symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, fear, anxiety, or depression) related to traumatic life events. It can be used with children and adolescents who have experienced a single trauma or multiple traumas in their lives" (NCTSN.org, n.d.). It provides coping skills resources to understand and manage emotions as well. TF-CBT is a short term treatment lasting between 8- 25 therapy sessions based on the individual and their needs.

What is mindfulness?

"Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. While mindfulness is something we all naturally possess, it’s more readily available to us when we practice on a daily basis. Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses, or to your state of mind via your thoughts and emotions, you’re being mindful. And there’s growing research showing that when you train your brain to be mindful, you’re actually remodeling the physical structure of your brain. The goal of mindfulness is to wake up to the inner workings of our mental, emotional, and physical processes" (Mindful.org, n.d.).

What type of treatment is used for sexually reactive youth?

In my work with sexually reactive youth, I find that first and foremost the treatment must focus on coping skills to maintain emotional stability, gain knowledge of ways to manage mood in a healthy manner, and have resources to cope throughout treatment. I usually utilize the TF-CBT workbook as I find that majority of the youth that I have worked with have their own traumatic experiences that need to be processed. Through TF-CBT, the youth can gain knowledge of healthy coping skills, understand the effects of trauma, and process their own traumatic life experiences. Once the foundation of healthy coping skills are gained and trauma is processed; we start with the education piece. It is imperative in this form of treatment, for youth to gain knowledge of healthy and appropriate behaviors and those that are not. I utilize the Pathways and Roadmaps workbooks as guides and structure in treatment. These workbooks assist with education, understanding, processing, and tools to help youth decrease sexually reactive or sexually aggressive behaviors. Every youth is different therefore I utilize a variety of approaches based on learning level, reading level, and age. I utilize Mode Deactivation Therapy as well to help youth gain an understanding of how their life experiences relate to their beliefs, feelings, and behaviors.

What is an eclectic therapy style?

I use an eclectic therapy style in treatment meaning that I don't stick to only one modality. I believe that no two people are the same and therefore treatment shouldn’t be. We discuss your goals for treatment and I utilize the treatment approach that best suit your needs. Sometimes this can be one approach, but mostly I find I utilize several approaches and styles to help you achieve your goals.

Sources: American Psychological Association. (n.d.) What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/ptsd- guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral, EMDR Institute Inc. (n.d.) What is EMDR? Retrieved from https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/, Mindful.org. (n.d.) What is mindfulness? Retrieved from https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/, North Spring Behavioral Healthcare. (n.d.) Mode Deactivation Therapy. Retrieved from https://northspringleesburg.com/programs-and-services/children/, Psychology Today. (n.d.) Structural Family Therapy. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy- types/structural-family-therapy, The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (n.d.) What is TF-CBT? Retrieved from https://www.nctsn.org/interventions/trauma-focused-cognitive-behavioral-therapy