Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in plain language is thought-behavior therapy. The goal is to understand how the interplay of contexts, cues, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors interact in complex ways. Within CBT there are a plethora of tools and techniques to help guide the process (look up thought logs, behavioral chain analysis, and progressive muscle relaxation techniques).
As an approach, CBT works very well for some and not so much for others. We are great at collaborating with you and determining the best way to approach your specific challenges. Those that tend to do well with CBT enjoy a more structured, homework-oriented, goal-directed, and non-exploratory approach to treatment. Ironically, some that are immediately drawn towards this treatment often benefit more from a psychodynamic approach. Using a rigid therapy for trouble with rigidity often compounds the problem. This is important to discuss with your psychologist. Getting in touch with lost parts of the self that are more creative, flexible, and spontaneous require a different treatment method and still solve the problem but leave a more balanced personality in the end too.
CBT is the most amenable theoretical orientation to research (because it is easily manualized) and as a result has become one of the most empirically supported approaches to therapy.
Its focus is on thoughts and specifically how deeply intertwined patterns of thinking and feeling co-operate together and influence behavior and overall mental health. As a result of experience, we can develop unhealthy thought-reflexes or as CBT calls them “automatic negative thoughts” or ANTS. Generating these patterns are often deeply hurt parts of us that need our loving attention. The wounds at the center are called “Core Beliefs” in CBT. Overall, the goal is to expose and process this core while promoting insight and change into unhelpful thoughts patterns and behaviors.
Manage general symptoms of mental illness or prevent a relapse of mental illness symptoms
Psychodynamic therapy is a depth-oriented form of therapy aimed at targeting root issues. Its focus is on how patterns of our early environments are cemented into our adult styles of work, love, and play.
Psychodynamic therapy is a powerful, transformative type of therapy that helps people process emotions and develop insight at the deepest level. It relies on decades of research from master clinicians in psychoanalysis and attachment therapy. This is a unique and highly effective specialty of our group.
Psychodynamic therapy is all about processing emotion and developing insight. We collaborate with you in unearthing core memories and experiences in your life and drawing important connections to the challenges and suffering you are currently facing. You can expect major “aha!” moments and healing in some of the deepest ways therapy has to offer.
The available research shows enormous benefits to this form of therapy. In fact, the literature on psychodynamic therapy supports some of the most effective and long-lasting change possible. It is effective at treating anxiety, depression, relationship issues, attachment disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), addiction and trauma.
Our clients frequently share that this approach is different from anything they had experienced before and believe it to be a significant part of their change process and healing.
A fellow psychodynamic psychologist has written several engaging articles on the effectiveness of this approach, you can find them here:
Yes! We are one of the few groups in the area that specialize in this type of therapy. We believe this is the secret sauce of our group and one of the reasons we have such a positive reputation for providing quality, life-changing therapy. Reach out to us if you would like to find out more about this approach.
First, you’ve found one! Some other great ways to search for psychodynamic therapists near you is on Psychology Today or one of the local Psychoanalytic professional communities in the area.
One of the things that I encourage patients seeking therapy to do is look for reviews, personal experiences, and ask a prospective therapist if they practice this form of therapy specifically.
The key principles of psychodynamic therapy are:
A long-term commitment isn’t necessary. We encourage our patients to take it a session at a time before deciding to be all-in or all-out. The answer to this question becomes more obvious after the first few sessions after the depth and breadth of issues come into plain sight for both therapist and patient. However, we are very strict on session attendance meeting the standard of care, once per week. Any less and it’s just too difficult to go into depth on anything and the therapy becomes more of a check-in than a change process.
Of course! We encourage patients to do their own research and read reviews on the therapists they are interested in. Ours can be found on both our Google, Yelp, and Healthgrades pages. We think it’s especially important that anyone practicing psychodynamic therapy has actually done this type of therapy themselves. This is the case for us and we believe it is an art best learned through experience.
This is a great question! We like to make this question more of a conversation than give a blanketed reply. Some of the other therapies we offer are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT).
We typically use elements of each in tandem with other therapeutic approaches. Anything too stiffly implemented creates a rigid, ineffective therapy. However, most therapies tend to lean more on certain therapeutic approaches over others given the clients personality, goals, and clinical issues.
We would love to discuss who in our group would be a best fit and which approach you would likely benefit from. Give us a call!
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