A Multitude of Approaches for Your  Individual Needs

None of us are the same, and no one comes to therapy for the exact same reason. That’s why I have several complementary approaches to help you with your needs. I like to think of it as a large toolbox that can be customized for your situation.

Mindfulness Based Therapy

As the name of my practice implies, I primarily use mindfulness-based therapy. I especially like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT),  which focuses on helping us

not get stuck with thoughts and feelings that are unhelpful.  It also emphasizes learning about what’s important to us and  taking action to make our lives better and more meaningful.

Another mindfulness-based therapy I utilize is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). DBT uses mindfulness to increase our relationship skills, serving crises, and working with our emotions better.

Finally, I use Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention. It’s been shown to be effective with addiction, depression, and many other common issues. Aa the name implies, it’s helpful to prevent problems from reoccurring after there’s been progress.

I find these therapy approaches work well together. They are “evidence-based” theories, which means they are supported by scientific research for their effectiveness.  They are newer, more effective updates of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I think you will appreciate that what we are doing in your therapy is supported by science, not something vague or esoteric.

A Compassionate, Present, and Authentic Relationship

All good therapy happens within the confines of a respectful and compassionate therapeutic relationship. I like to believe I am warm, present, and understanding of what  you are going through. I feel a large part of this has come out of my decade of mindfulness practice, which greatly improved my empathy and focus during our work.

Therapy is a rare opportunity for our experience to be validated.  Sometimes it is the only relationship that my clients have felt heard, understood, and cared for in their entire life. This therapeutic relationship alone is  transformative, and I strive for this to occur with all of my clients.

Additional Approaches

Here’s  a few more tools I think will be helpful to your problems:

• • Wellness should be a cornerstone of all of our lives, but it becomes particularly important when were struggling with depression or anxiety. I’ve found the Six Elements Approach to Wellness effective and easy to use.  It’s the cornerstone of my work at the Wellness Treatment Center, where we see consistent results for our patients.

• • Neuroscience has some significant information for effective therapy. It has validated the belief I have that we can change. It’s influenced which therapy skills I use because I know they actually change the way our brain works. Once again, mindfulness is an efficient way of changing the brain for the better!

• • I have long been fascinated by spirituality and religion from a variety of  faith and wisdom traditions. I know  an important resource for some of my clients, providing a path that has been tread on for thousands of years. (And of course, if this is not your thing,  I understand that too!)

• • I frequently incorporate Existential Psychotherapy at some level with my clients.  It’s a life-affirming philosophy that helps us create a meaningful and authentic  life,  even in the face of great difficulty.  You may be familiar with “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Victor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor who was able to find purpose out of his horrible experience. He went on to develop existential therapy  to share the insights he developed in concentration camps.

• • Attachment Theories help us understand how our relationships with our parents and families have impacted us. Our early years influence our adult relationships and our view of the world as a safe or threatening place.

• • I utilize the Enneagram  for helping you understand your personality.  I’ve used it the last decade my life both personally and can’t imagine life without it. If you like personality and typology systems such as the Myers-Briggs, you will find the Enneagram  fascinating,  transformative, and endlessly deep.

• • My background as a professional musician and athlete cannot help but seep into my sessions. Performance psychology provides insights and skills that are applicable to other areas of our lives. Athletics and the performing arts are also great examples of development, and moments where we experience our greatest sense of aliveness.  They require open-mindedness, scrutiny, and great attention to detail to make progress.

• Finally, counseling doesn’t always have to be so serious! I’m not afraid to incorporate humor, fun, and learning into therapy where appropriate.  Lightness and irreverence can help us take some otherwise painful situations less seriously.

Get In Touch!

If you’d like any other information about my techniques or approaches, I would love to discuss them with you in a free 30 minute consultation, either on the phone or in-person.  You can schedule a time with my pop-up window, or email me at robin@mindfulcounselingsolutions.com.

– Robin