Information for Patients
Psychotherapy
How do you know if psychotherapy can help you? Many people become overwhelmed with life stressors and find themselves lacking the skills to cope effectively or make healthy decisions. We can help. Individual psychotherapy does not necessarily need to be a lifelong commitment to intensive, daily sessions with a counselor. Our approach to psychological treatment uses a short-term, problem-focused methodology called cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
CBT is an effective treatment strategy for depression, anxiety, chronic worry, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obesity. We are skilled in CBT techniques including goal-setting, cognitive restructuring, stress inoculation, sleep hygiene, imagery, contingency management, and assertiveness training. Our overriding emphasis is on shifting how you think about your problems while resetting activities and functional goals. We provide individual CBT on an hourly basis, typically in 8 to 12 session increments, with continuous assessment of treatment progress.
Often, significant behavioral, cognitive, and emotional change is achieved by psychotherapy without the need for psychiatric medications. Sometimes, combining psychotherapy with antidepressant or anti-anxiety medications is more effective. We are happy to collaborate with your prescribing psychiatrist or family physician or provide a referral to a local psychiatrist for medication evaluation if necessary.