Services
Diagnostic Assessments
Individual psychotherapy
Trauma/PTSD
Grief/Bereavement
Depression
Substance Use
Conjoint psychotherapy for PTSD
*This is a PTSD treatment done in a couples format. This can be any supportive individual you would like to involve in your treatment.
Psychological Testing and Evaluations
Clinical Specialties
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
· Combat trauma
· Physical/sexual abuse or assault (childhood or adulthood)
· Intimate Partner Violence
· Motor Vehicle Accidents
· Natural Disasters
· Racial trauma/discrimination
· Medical trauma
Complex PTSD
Grief/bereavement
* Other conditions I have experience treating but do not consider specialties include depression, generalized anxiety, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and substance use disorders.
Treatment Modalities
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a treatment for PTSD that utilizes the body’s natural healing ability to reduce emotional distress and physical reactivity to memories and reminders of the trauma. After a brief assessment and formulation of a treatment plan, you will be asked a series of questions about a particular disturbing memory. While holding in mind the disturbing elements of the memory, we will use some form of bilateral stimulation to distract you from the memory. Typically this consists of moving your eyes back and forth by either watching moving lights or your therapist’s fingers; however, it can also involve self-tapping, holding alternating vibrating pulsers, or auditory tones. After a short time (generally 30-45 seconds), the eye movements will stop and you and your therapist will discuss any changes noticed during the set. Common changes include recall of memory details and changes in thoughts, images, and feelings. With repeated sets of eye movements (or other bilateral stimulation), people tend to notice that the memory loses its painful intensity and transitions to an event that lives firmly in the past and is viewed much more neutrally. Once past memories have been processed, the focus of treatment is on reducing reactivity to present triggers and creating future templates for desired behavior. EMDR is especially good for those with a complex trauma history and those who do not want out-of-session work. EMDR can resolve single-incident trauma in a matter of a few sessions for many people.
Prolonged Exposure (PE)
PE is an 8-to-15 session protocol for the treatment of PTSD. PE uses two different exposure techniques: In Vivo or exposure and Imaginal exposure. In Vivo or “real life” exposure involves identifying the situations that you have been avoiding as a result of trauma-related reactivity/symptoms, and creating a hierarchy of these situations from lowest to highest distress. Each week, you would be assigned to complete In Vivo exposures by approaching the situations you have been avoiding and remaining in the situation long enough that your anxiety reduces. This allows your body and brain to realize that these situations are not actually dangerous, and helps you to differentiate between a trigger and actual danger. In Vivo exposures begin at the lower end of the distress spectrum and gradually increase in difficulty. Imaginal exposures take place during the therapy session and involve recounting your trauma aloud, in the present tense as if it were happening now. A recording taken of the Imaginal exposure is also assigned to be reviewed on a daily basis between sessions. The Imaginal exposure allows your brain the opportunity to realize that this is a memory that is in the past, to answer any lingering questions you may have about what happened, and to allow the distress to dissipate as you realize you can handle it. PE is good for those with significant avoidance and re-experiencing symptoms (e.g., intrusive memories, nightmares). Please note that there is significant time spent outside the therapy session on out-of-session assignments (approximately 1-2 hours per day).
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
CPT is a 12-session protocol for the treatment of PTSD that is based on a cognitive behavioral model. Following the completion of a short essay or “Impact Statement,” a series of structured worksheets will be used to help you examine the relationship between events, thoughts, and feelings. The worksheets will help you learn to evaluate whether your thoughts are realistic and helpful, and we will work together to devise a new way of thinking that is more balanced and helpful. CPT is helpful for those who have significant beliefs of blame surrounding their trauma and who have developed extreme and over-generalized thoughts about other people and the world. Please note that there is an expectation of out-of-session work, approximately 30 minutes per day.
Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) for PTSD
CBCT is a 15-session cognitive behavioral treatment for PTSD that is delivered in a conjoint format (i.e., as a partnership with an important person in your life, such as a spouse, partner, parent, or friend). The focus of this treatment is on reducing PTSD symptoms and improving relationships. Following education about PTSD and the provision of relationship-enhancing skills to improve communication and reduce conflict, the remainder of the protocol will focus on examining one’s thoughts about the reasons their trauma(s) occurred and how those events have impacted one’s beliefs about themselves, other people, and the world. Similar to CPT, a structured worksheet will be used to draw connections between one’s cognitive appraisal of events and to evaluate whether those thoughts are accurate, balanced, and helpful. Please note that there is an expectation of out-of-session work, approximately 30 minutes per day.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) for Depression
IPT is a 15-session protocol for the treatment of depression. IPT operates on the premise that depression is significantly impacted by problems in interpersonal relationships, and relationships are significantly impacted by depression. IPT utilizes practical skills to address four problem areas: Interpersonal Role Conflicts; Role Transitions; Grief; and Interpersonal Deficits. You will learn to identify the connection between your depression and interpersonal areas of functioning, and to notice how depression improves as these areas are addressed.
