ACT seeks to help individuals increase psychological flexibility through pairing a stance of mindfulness and acceptance towards internal experiences with commitment towards actions guided by value and meaning. Instead of trying to remove painful thoughts or emotions, ACT works to support individuals in building a different relationship with these experiences, and ultimately strives to support individuals in knowing and reaching for what matters to them even in the presence of pain.

DBT seeks to help individuals understand patterns of behavior that they are trying to change, and build skills that allow them to tolerate distress, regulate emotions, and communicate effectively. Central to DBT is the search for the balance between and the multiple truths within seemingly disparate ideas and experiences, as well as the pursuit of a “life worth living.” While I use several elements of DBT in my work, as researched and practiced adherently DBT is a multi-pronged approach that includes elements like group skills training and phone coaching that I do not currently offer in my practice.

In addition to ACT and DBT I use several elements of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP), an in-the-moment behavioral approach that focused on interactions in the therapeutic relationship, in my work. I also integrate Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) which strives to build out compassionate responding to ourselves and others. I’ve been trained in short-term exposure-based interventions including Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD and Prolonged Exposure for PTSD.