How Treatment Works
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the most evidenced form of therapy available for anxiety disorders. CBT focuses on cognitive (thinking) components and behavioral (things we do) components. People struggling with anxiety have been found to have certain thinking patterns that are illogical and once changed enable them to feel less anxious. In anxiety treatment the behavioral component includes Exposure Therapy.
Exposure Therapy, sometimes called Exposure and Response Prevention, involves working with your therapist to create a ranked list of fears that will eventually be confronted. There are different ways to “expose” oneself to their fears and you will be expertly guided in this process. You may participate in both scripted “narrative exposures” and “in vivo” exposures. Exposure therapy is a very powerful intervention that can help you make dramatic changes in your life.
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
The goal of ACT is to increase psychological flexibility. ACT is related to CBT and also uses behavioral interventions like Exposure Therapy to help people confront and work through their fears. Like CBT, This approach is action and present oriented.
However, ACT focuses on mindfulness and acceptance and encourages participants to focus on their values while using these as motivation to fully engage in life. One doesn’t have to wait for problems to be resolved to richly engage in life.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
I have received post-doctoral training in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). OCD is an anxiety-related disorder. Treatment involves understanding the the subtype and severity of the OCD you struggle with. Assessment forms will be used to better understand your OCD and measure progress during treatment.
The first portion of treatment will involve education about how OCD works in the brain and ways the OCD sufferer inadvertently reinforces and strengthens obsessive thoughts. Common OCD subtypes include contamination, checking, harm, relationship, and scrupulosity OCD. we identify your OCD subtype we can create a treatment plan and began using exposure therapy to dramatically reduce your symptoms and get you back into your life.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Some people struggle with anxiety the feels like a moving target. You worry about everyday situations but the associated anxiety is excessive. When the anxiety-causing situation is resolved you move onto something else to worry about. When people struggling with GAD are pressed they acknowledge a belief that their worry protects them from real or imagined danger.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used to address illogical thoughts that contribute to worry. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help you learn lessen your anxiety by confronting it. Both of these approaches work together to help you to either change your thinking or distance yourself from the thoughts and worry that are causing your anxiety.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Do you struggle with anxiety that is severe enough it causes you to avoid social situations? Do you fear being negatively evaluated by others? Do you worry about social embarrassment or humiliation? If so, you may be struggling with social anxiety.
Social anxiety involves cognitive components (specific types of thoughts), physiological components (increased heart rate, trembling hands, flushed face), and behaviors (avoiding certain social situations). I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address all three of these components.
As we progress further in treatment, exposure therapy will be used to effectively confront feared situations while dramatically reducing your anxiety. This will allow you to pursue valued activities you have been avoiding.
Panic Disorder
Panic Disorder involves anxiety so acute that people commonly mistake this anxiety for symptoms of a heart attack. It is also common for people having this type of anxiety to fear they are “going crazy.” Symptoms of panic disorder can include racing heart, sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, feeling of choking, feeling dizzy and numbness or feelings of unreality.
Treatment for panic disorder involves learning that panic attacks can not physically hurt you. You will be taught how to lean into your acute anxiety instead of avoid it. Specific cognitive behavioral techniques can be very effective with this disorder.
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia involves acute anxiety or panic. People with agoraphobia often fear going to certain places including wide open places. They may also fear leaving their home. Because panic attacks can be incredibly distressing the mind seeks to understand if something specific triggered the attack. This can result in the individual avoiding an increasing number of places until they are afraid of leaving the home.
Exposure therapy is the treatment of choice for Agoraphobia. You will be given the tools necessary to confront your fears. This will. involve creating a ranked list of feared places. You will also be given tools to mange or eliminate any associated panic attacks.
Simple Phobia
A phobia is a severe and unreasonable fear of an object, animal, place, situation, or feeling. Symptoms of a phobia are very similar to symptoms of acute anxiety or a panic attack. Some people organize their lives around avoiding a phobia.
Treatment involves exposure therapy. You will create a hierarchical list of fears related to you phobia(s). You will learn how to confront items on your list while learning to manage your anxiety. It is not uncommon for people to completely get their phobias by following exposure therapy treatment guidelines.
Treatment for Habits and Addictions
I use both sobriety and harm-reduction models during treatment and am well versed in traditional 12-step based treatment models and models of treatment for individuals who do not desire sobriety. It is my job to meet you where you are at and help you to reach your goals related to habits and addictions.
I understand addiction from personal experience as well as years of professional experience. Although I have personally chosen a sobriety-based model I have deep respect for anyone reaching out for help regardless of their individual treatment goals.
Some people are not sure if sobriety or harm-reduction is right for them. I can help you explore various treatment options while helping you to pick the one that is right for you. Some people experiment with harm reduction strategies and ultimately decide to work on a sobriety-based model. Other people have success with harm-reduction and go on to pursue a meaningful life with increased freedom and improved interpersonal relationships.
FAQs
Who do you treat?
I treat individuals 18 or older who struggle with anxiety, habits and addictions, or both. I do not do couples work.
Do you take insurance?
I am an out of network provider. I can provide you with a superbill that you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement. Check with your insurance company to see how much they will reimburse you for therapy.
How much does therapy cost?
Therapy costs $225 per 50 minute session, which is due at the start of each session.
What if I have to cancel a session?
Sessions canceled with less than 24 hours notice will be charged the full fee.
How often and how long do I see you?
I usually see clients weekly and ask potential clients to commit to three months of weekly treatment. After that we can discuss your progress and any appropriate changes to treatment intervals. The duration of treatment is influenced by the nature of your presenting problem(s) and your preference.