Many people come into therapy having no idea what the root problem is causing distress, but they know something isn't quite right. You might be feeling anxious, depressed, have trouble sleeping, having difficulty focusing and concentrating at home and at work. You might be isolating more and find you have no interest in doing things that you used to love to do. You want to reclaim your old self but just thinking about going out, talking to people is just too much to handle right now. You start to worry about what might happen and then feel anxious... so you stay home. The cycle repeats itself over and over and you find your life has gotten smaller and smaller.
Often times, my clients know why this is happening, there was a specific event or trigger they can identify that changed everything. Other times, the changes in mood, emotions and behavior over time have been more subtle Whatever the case, we'll work together to figure out what's going on and how we can help you to reconnect with what is important to you. If you are not even sure what is important to you because you have not felt anything in a long time, that is okay. We will figure that out together.
Skills you might learn from me include learning how to recognize unhelpful patterns of thinking that negatively impact emotions and behavior, tolerating discomfort that shows up when things in our life are uncertain, flexibility, problem solving, understanding and naming emotions, emotion regulation skills, setting boundaries and other assertiveness skills you need to learn how to say no and ask for things, skills to learn how to respond more effectively when difficult thoughts, memories and feelings show up, how to be more present in your life, how to interrupt patterns of worry or negative thinking that exacerbate your distress and more.
I primary utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in my practice including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (informed care only, not full protocol DBT individual therapy at this time), Unified Protocol for adults, children and adolescents and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.
Individual Therapy for Adults and Teens
Heal from Trauma
Trauma is a broad category, covering a range of profoundly negative and impactful life events. The pain experienced during and after a traumatic experience is physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual. Trauma pulls the rug out from under you, it changes how you feel about yourself, other people and the world. It disrupts our sense of safety, trust, security and more. Recovery is possible and the first step to recovery is reaching out for help.
It’s normal for people who are involved in a traumatic or life-changing event to experience sleeplessness, fear, stress, shock, anxiety or even guilt. They may have unwanted and intrusive thoughts about the event, feel distressed when reminded of the event and struggle with changes in mood and behavior. Over time, some people find that these feelings go away and things return to normal. In fact it is more normal that abnormal to experience these symptoms, at least for a short while.
For others though, they get stuck, do not recover and symptoms persist. Therapy can help. The two most researched and supported therapies for the treatment of PTSD are Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE). A third option which has been found to be as effective as CPT is Written Exposure Therapy (WET). WET is a brief, 5 session protocol for the treatment of PTSD.
CPT is a treatment for PTSD that addresses the two factors that prevent recovery from PTSD. CPT targets avoidance of thinking about what happened and avoidance of people, places or things that remind you of the traumatic event, and addresses the thoughts and beliefs you have developed as a result of the trauma. Traumatic experiences change how you think and feel about yourself, other people and the world in general. CPT will help you develop a more realistic way of thinking about what happened and to experience the natural emotions associated with the traumatic event.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), PE lets the client take control and safely confront trauma reminders that cause the symptoms of PTSD. This type of treatment can be especially helpful for patients who have more intense flashbacks and nightmares, or avoid trauma related memories, people, places and situations that might remind them of their trauma.
The good news is, both treatments are short term, averaging about 12 sessions and have research backing them to prove they are effective. Approaching difficult and unpleasant thoughts, memories and the emotions that arise is the exact opposite of what you want to do. However, avoidance is exactly what keeps you stuck, with symptoms likely getting worse over time.
Insurances Accepted
I am an in network provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield, Point32Health-Tufts Commercial Plans andHarvard Pilgrim Health Care, United Healthcare/Optum, Aetna, Tricare, VA Community Care Network (VA CCN), Military One Source and Lyra Health.