my approach to therapy
the therapeutic model used isn’t the most important thing to therapy. the relationship built, hope and consistency are the most important. however, the therapists’ approach can impact the outcome.
the approach I like to use is multi-faceted (go figure since we’re all multi-faceted). at the core of everything I do is trauma-informed and nervous system rooted. your body always responds before your mind does and things that we experience get imbedded into our fascia. because of this, I like to be mindful of how your nervous system has developed and help you map your nervous system using Deb Dana’s polyvagal theory.
from here, I use a blend of Internal Family Systems (IFS), Narrative Therapy, and Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). I believe that combing these helps address the complex needs we have as humans.
IFS believes that we all have a core self that is anchored; however, over time through life experiences, we develop different parts of ourselves- protective parts and more vulnerable parts we’ve hidden away. sometimes these parts, while well intentioned, end up causing more distress than helping. through the use of IFS, we can bring compassionate care and understanding to our different parts to heal.
Narrative Therapy is impactful because we are meaning making beings and we are always telling stories. the thing is though, sometimes the stories we tell ourselves or believe, are not the most helpful. together, I like to explore different aspects of your story, find exceptions to the narrative and alter it together.
Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) can be incredibly helpful at identifying solutions to the problem. I firmly believe we already house the answers we need within, we just sometimes need additional help to find those again. Solution-Focused is utilized to help give us a roadmap of what it would look like to bring symptoms of mental health concerns down and increase the outcomes you’re looking for.