Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy that centres around the idea that your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected and influence one another. The aim is to help individuals identify and manage thoughts and their influence on feelings, moods, and behaviors. CBT is effective for a range of mental health concerns including anxiety, depression, self-esteem building, and burnout. It focuses on the present day challenges that come up in our busy day-to-day lives.

Mindfulness is a non-judgemental awareness of the present moment. It’s the ability to track our current, in the moment body sensations, thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy combines the practice of mindfulness with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to gain control over our body’s automatic responses to stress, challenges, and uncomfortable thoughts and feelings.

Radially Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO-DBT) is a type of cognitive therapy that helps people who struggle with overcontrol (such as perfectionism) and emotional avoidance. Radical openness is the core principal and there are three key aspects of emotional well-being: Openness, flexibility, and social connectedness.

The term “dialectical” means that two opposing things can be true at once. DBT is focused on acceptance and change with 4 core strategies made up of distress tolerance, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness. This intervention is beneficial for those who experience overwhelming and heightened emotions.

Solution Focused Brief Therapy is aimed on finding solutions in the present instead of solely focusing on analyzing problems and the past. It emphasizes individuals’ strengths and resources to build hope, create positive emotions, and drive behavioral change.

Somatic based practices relate to the body. Research shows that the body holds stress on a cellular level and often without us realizing it. Somatic therapy helps release these pent-up emotions by using mind-body connection tools. This can look like body awareness exercises, breathwork, and utilizing physical self-touch. The techniques used in my practice are Hakomi Method, Havening, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT Tapping), and somatic experiencing.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on fostering the acceptance of difficult sensations, feelings, and thoughts while also committing to taking action that’s in-line with one’s values. Practicing acceptance can lead to psychological flexibility which improves emotional regulation and can help build sustainable habits and action.

“Gestalt” means “whole” and is based around the idea that people are made up of the mind, emotions, and body and should be treated as such instead of treating each part separately. It also revolves around the idea that people can understand themselves best when viewing the world through their own lens instead of that of the therapist or outside sources. Gestalt exercises include “inner child”, “empty chair technique”, and “therapeutic letter writing” which help with self-exploration and emotional healing .

Stories are a powerful tool that have been used for the entirety of humanity. The stories we tell ourselves and the ones we internalize can influence how we see ourselves and the world - affecting our beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors. Narrative Therapy can help us rewrite these stories by externalizing the issues, practicing detachment, and finding a new voice.

Research has shown us that those who have high levels of optimism experience more joy, meaning, and fulfillment. It fosters resiliency (the ability to cope with difficult times in life) by practicing to focus on our positive qualities, characteristics, and good experiences. By training your brain to search out the good, you can rewire the way your mind processes information.