Different Therapy Modalities
The world of therapy is vast, this isn’t a one size fits all thing. The intention of this blog is to briefly introduce to my personal favorites. Trying to find the right fit can be overwhelming. The hope for you is to find clarity with these brief description’s making the process easier for you.
- S.E.P. – Somatic Experiencing Practitioner
Somatic experiencing practitioners use a framework known as SIBAM (Sensation, Imagery, Behavior, Affect, and Meaning). The SE lens supports a client’s ability to process trauma while involving the body. As a therapist utilizing SE – the mind-body relationship is utilized through exploration and exercises to help release body memory that negatively affects a client’s physical AND emotional well-being. Somatic Experiencing supports regulation of the autonomic nervous system, which underlies aspects of our physical, emotional, and psychological functioning.
- Somatic Therapy
“Soma’ is a Greek word for ‘the living body known from within’, or known to the Self. This ‘knowing’ signifies wholeness. Somatic therapy is an experiential approach. This mind-body approach allows for digestion of overwhelm in titrated ways and integration of trauma. The pain & overwhelm manifested by trauma take us away from our bodies feeling safe or even ours… as a result, there is often a split within ourselves. Somatic Therapy helps you come back HOME to your body:
- Restore the body as a place of safety while helping to expand the capacity to process body (preverbal and nonverbal – implicit and explicit) memory
- Metabolize unprocessed emotions
- Complete (incomplete) stress/protective responses
- Restore optimal relationship to ourself and the world around us
Somatic trauma therapy offers techniques for clients to sense and regulate their own physiology and states of being. This includes building more internal and external resources, building trusting and co-regulatory relationships, learning to turn inward with compassion, being invited deeper in the body, and given time and space to process the trauma. These somatic techniques unwind trauma and restore well-being.
- Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy
Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a treatment approach that uses low doses of ketamine in combination with therapy for potential treatment-resistant diagnoses like depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic medication and FDA approved. KAP is a cutting-edge treatment that fosters greater insights into oneself and one’s interpersonal relationships to enhance one’s overall sense of well being. I offer psychedelic-assisted therapy in a number of ways:
- You will get the medicine mailed to you or you picked up from your local pharmacy.
- On telehealth (a blood pressure check is required by the doctor collaborate work with) and you use the medicine mailed to you or you picked up from your local pharmacy.
- In a clinical setting with a physician administering ketamine while I offer psychotherapy
- In a home setting where I travel to your home, and you use medicine mailed to you or from your local pharmacy
- You use a psychedelic on your own or with another shaman or guide and I help you prepare beforehand and integrate afterward All of these options include psychotherapy
- Before use of the medicine. Preparation session (or sessions) available through telehealth or in person
- During (unless you’re choosing to do your medicine session by yourself)
- After the medicine offering integration session (or several) available through telehealth or in person
- Mindfulness
Incorporating mindful practices into everyday life can be a powerful tool to enhance overall well-being. The benefits of mindful approaches can promote calmness, decrease stress, reduce emotional reactivity, heighten awareness and increase focus (and much more). Mindful Modalities include:
- Meditation
- Breathwork
- Mindful walking
- Mindful movement
- Yoga session
- Person-Centered, Client Centered, Humanistic AKA Rogerian Therapy
Recognizes the human potential. It is a non-directive but supportive approach following the client’s lead. Sessions provide empathy and unconditional positive regard to help facilitate change. Supporting being one’s true self and lead a fulfilling life.
- Transpersonal Therapy
A holistic approach. Focusing on mental, physical, and spiritual health together, rather than mental health on its own. This allows for one to integrate spiritual growth and psychological healing. Examples of tools used in session are dreamwork, meditation, visualization, yoga therapy, breathwork, and creativity!
- Dance Movement Therapy
A holistic approach to healing using movement to promote cognitive, emotional, social, and physical integration for the individual. A therapeutic embodied, movement-based approach for the purpose of improving health and well-being. • Play Therapy Using the therapeutic powers of play, a child’s natural medium of communication, to help a client prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development.
- Jungian Therapy
A form of talk therapy bringing together the conscious and unconscious parts of the mind. Utilizing the ideas of archetypes, complexes, symbols, dreams, active imagination and personal meaning to support a person feeling balanced, whole and stepping into one’s authentic self.
- Attachment-based Therapy
This approach aims to help people address and resolve past traumas and attachment wounds that stem from childhood. The client-therapist relationship is based on developing or rebuilding trust and expressing emotions. Supporting one in breaking unhealthy patterns that do not serve them and building a foundation for healthier communication and relationships.
- Existential Therapy
Focuses on free will, self-determination, and the search for meaning. Centering on the individual rather than on their symptoms. Exploring one’s lived experiences honestly, openly and comprehensively. Through this spontaneous, collaborative process of discovery, one gains a clearer sense of their experiences and the subjective meanings held. The approach emphasizes a person’s capacity to make rational choices and to develop to their maximum potential.
- Experiential Therapy
This is designed to recreate real experiences that allow feelings, attitudes, and beliefs in the subconscious, below the level of conscious experience, to emerge into awareness. Designed to focus on actual involvement with different types of experiences, including emotional processing, interactions with others, creativity, and reflections on events that go beyond traditional “talk therapy.”
- Expressive Arts Therapy
Incorporates encourages creative expression through writing, drama, dance, movement, painting, and/or music and . Providing a safe space to express feelings, manage intense emotions, foster self-awareness and self-worth, and decrease stress and anxiety feel more in control over one’s life. Exploring one’s responses, reactions, and insights through an art process.
- Feminist Therapy
Clients are an expert on their own experience. This lens supports examining the stressors that women experience due to biases, discrimination, and other areas that may affect one’s mental health. Empowering woman by increasing confidence and developing insights about how social roles and forces impact one’s life.
- Motivational Interviewing
This method assists people in resolving ambivalent feelings and insecurities paving a way to internal motivation, that leads to changed behavior and outcome. Change can be difficult. This is a practical short term, empathetic process that supports change.
- Strength-Based
The focus is on one’s existing resources, resilience, and positive qualities, then uses these abilities to improve their quality of life and mindset. Learning how to apply our strengths, and encourages one to become the hero of one’s own life. Empowering one to be an agent of change.
- Trauma Informed Care
This is based on knowledge and understanding of how trauma affects people’s lives. The understanding that trauma exposure can impact an individual’s neurological, biological, psychological and social development. Actively avoiding interactions or care experiences by being aware of patient triggers, taking note of body language, and promoting holistic, person centered, culturally aware, and strengths-based care. Helping client implement Empowerment, Voice, and Choice.
- Walk and Talk Therapy
Movement propels people forward – literally and figuratively. Research has shown that physical movement assists in the therapeutic process supporting a client in feeling comfortable to open up freely. Walk and talk therapy is a unique approach that allows client establishes their own rhythm/pace in their body that supports mental clarity. Incorporating the outdoors and nature in service of healing. If you or a loved one is looking for a new therapeutic experience consider this. (Depending on location & time availability this service is something that can be offered and navigated in our consultation.)
- Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
A form of talk therapy that is an evidence-based, goal-oriented psychotherapy that identifies and addresses the connection between a person’s thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behaviors.
- Trauma Focused Therapy (TF-CBT)
This is an evidence-based approach to treating trauma utilizing psychoeducation. Then, supporting in identifying, coping, and learning how to regulate emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Therapy can support the experience of a new relationship to your body and the world around you through sensing. Therapy can also get to the root cause of the symptoms you are experiencing. The process supports a reframe of thought patterns, and change in habits. In the therapeutic container creating new meaning and releasing old patterns happen so you can finally let go, move on and live the life you deserve! If you or a loved one is looking for therapeutic support these services listed above are all under the umbrella of what I offer. I wish you the best on your healing journey.
