Therapeutic Approaches

You are unique. A type of therapy that works well for one person, may not work well for you. I like to use a combination of approaches. If you choose me as your therapist, we will explore together what therapeutic approaches are most effective for you and your situation. Although I use a variety of methods, below are some of the main ones:

Focusing-Oriented Therapy

Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy is a mind-body approach that helps you find more ease, clarity and freedom from old emotional patterns.  Developed by Eugene Gendlin, PhD in the 1960’s, Focusing is based on the understanding that your body contains a vast amount of wisdom that you can’t access through simple talk therapy. As your therapist, I will guide you to listen to your body in a gentle, accepting, and curious way. When you are able to do this, you are open to receiving the healing messages it is sending you without being censored or distorted through the biases of your mind.

Gestalt Therapy

Gestalt Therapy is a type of psychotherapy developed by Fritz and Laura Perls in the 1940’s. Like Focusing, Gestalt puts attention on the experience in the present moment…what is directly felt, perceived and being done rather than on analyzing, talking about what was or what should be.

As your therapist, I will guide you to focus on your present feelings or perceptions, body sensations, behaviors, ideas and memories as they arise in the now.  I may do this by bringing your attention to your body language, encouraging you to exaggerate certain body movements, or by engaging you in authentic dialogue.   I might also invite you to experiment with the open-chair technique.

Nonviolent Communication ™(NVC)

Nonviolent Communication™ is a communication process developed by Marshall Rosenberg, PhD. It focuses on three aspects of communication: self-empathy (defined as a deep and compassionate awareness of one’s own inner experience), empathy, defined as listening to another with deep compassion), and honest self-expression (defined as expressing oneself authentically in a way that is likely to inspire compassion in others).

NVC is based on the idea that all human beings have the capacity for compassion and only resort to violence or behavior that harms others when they don’t recognize more effective strategies for meeting needs. Habits of thinking and speaking that lead to the use of violence (psychological and physical) are learned through culture. NVC theory supposes all human behavior stems from attempts to meet universal human needs and that these needs are never in conflict. Rather, conflict arises when strategies for meeting needs clash. NVC proposes that if people can identify their needs, the needs of others, and the feelings that surround these needs, harmony can be achieved. (as defined in Wikipedia)

Mindfulness

Paying attention to our experience: listening to our thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations, in the present moment, and non judgmentally. Through the practice of mindfulness, we become present to, but not identified with these mental, emotional and sensory experiences.

Spiritual Psychology

Spiritually focused approach to psychology; the study and practice of the art and science of human evolution in consciousness.