I am a relational-cultural therapist which means I believe growth and healing occur through mutual and authentic relationships, paying close attention to how our histories impact connections.  In addition to Relational Cultural Theory, I use the Unified Protocol to target underlying belief symptoms, promote cognitive flexibility, and cultivate emotion awareness in mind & body; EMDR to help process trauma; and EFFT when supporting caregivers.

For more information on these approaches, please see below.

What is The Unified Protocol?

The Unified Protocol (UP) is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorders, depression and related disorders, including eating disorders (referred to as emotional disorders). The UP is evidence-based as it combines elements such as mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, and exposure therapy.

The UP is research supported to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms and is efficient as the UP targets multiple disorders simultaneously.

By targeting the core features that maintain multiple disorders (i.e. eating disorders, OCD, panic, depression), this intervention can simultaneously reduce symptoms across many conditions. This means more efficient relief from symptoms for you! Like other cognitive-behavioral (CBT) interventions, the UP is goal-directed and present-focused.

More information on the UP: http://www.unifiedprotocol.com/About/49/

What is EMDR?

While many times traumatic experiences can be managed and resolved spontaneously, they may not be processed without help. That’s where EMDR comes in. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences.

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, rather than focusing on changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issue, allows the brain to resume its natural healing process.

For more information on EMDR: https://www.emdria.org/

Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)

I truly believe that to best way to support someone in pain is to get their supports involved. Healing does not happen in isolation.

Read more here: http://www.renfrewsupport.org/blog/bringing-support-persons-into-the-healing-process/

EFFT was initially developed by Adele Lafrance and her colleagues for caregivers of loved ones with eating disorders. Its application has since been extended for those struggling to support a loved one with a wide range of behavioral and emotional challenges.

Influenced by the theory and science of interpersonal neurobiology, the essence of Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) is to support caregivers to increase their role in their loved one’s recovery from mental health issues. In fact, the EFFT clinician believes that it is most therapeutically worthwhile to empower caregivers to help their loved one, regardless of age, given that they are “wired” together. Thus, their main responsibility is to support parents to become an active agent of healing.

Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) is a lifespan approach that can be delivered with entire families, caregiver-child dyads, and with parents/caregivers only. In fact, one of the key strengths of the EFFT approach lies in the fact that clinicians can support caregivers to take on these roles regardless of their loved one’s age or involvement in formal treatment themselves.

For more information: https://www.emotionfocusedfamilytherapy.org/