Individual Counseling

Individual counseling is a process through which clients work one-on-one with a therapist to explore their feelings, beliefs, or behaviors, work through challenging or influential life moments, identify aspects of their lives that they would like to change, better understand themselves and others, set personal goals, and work toward desired and lasting change. The environment is made to be safe, compassionate, and confidential.

 

Below are some of the following modalities I may use when providing individual counseling:

• Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT):

CBT is based on the theory that the way individuals perceive a situation is more closely connected to their reaction than the situation itself. Individuals’ perceptions are often distorted and unhelpful, particularly when they are distressed. CBT helps people identify their distressing thoughts and evaluate how realistic the thoughts are. Then they learn to change their distorted thinking. When they think more realistically, they feel better. The emphasis is also consistently on solving problems and initiating behavioral changes.  https://beckinstitute.org/about/intro-to-cbt/

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• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT):

DBT is a comprehensive multi-diagnostic, modularized behavioral intervention designed to treat individuals with severe mental disorders and out-of-control cognitive, emotional and behavioral patterns.  DBT uses a framework that balances the treatment strategies of acceptance and change - the central dialectical tension in DBT.  Therapists work to enhance the capability (skills) of their client as well as to develop the motivation to change.  Maintaining that balance between acceptance and change with clients is crucial for both keeping a client in treatment and ensuring they are making progress towards their goals of creating a life worth living. The four modules of DBT is Emotion Regulation, Distress Tolerance, Mindfulness, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Clients will learn skills from each module.  https://dbt-lbc.org/index.php?page=101119

 

• Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT):

ACT gets its name from one of its core messages: accept what is out of one's personal control and commit to action that improves and enriches their life. The aim of ACT is to maximize human potential for a rich, full and meaningful life. ACT does this by helping clients to develop psychological skills to deal more effectively with difficult thoughts and feelings, and to reduce their impact and influence over them. It also helps to clarify client's values - one's heart’s deepest desires for how they want to behave as a human being, how they want to treat themselves, others and the world around them. Clients then use these values to guide, inspire and motivate themselves to take action: to do what matters, face their fears, live meaningfully, and change their life for the better. Finally, ACT helps clients focus their attention on what is important and engage fully in whatever they are doing. https://www.actmindfully.com.au/about-act/

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• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR):

See EMDR section to learn more.

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No matter the modality used, clients can expect me to use empathy, compassion, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard.