Our Approach
We prioritize client-centered care and we work with you to deliver treatment in a tailored and flexible manner that best meets your treatment needs and goals. We incorporate many different interventions that have been scientifically proven to be highly effective in the treatment of anxiety, OCD, and related emotional-behavioral disorders. Many of these treatments fall under the category of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure-based behavioral therapy. Effective treatment for anxiety, OCD, and related emotional-behavioral disorders involves targeting core areas of intolerance, building emotional tolerance, developing greater flexibility in thought patterns, and changing behavioral patterns through active skill-building and experiential exercises. Additionally, our treatment approach addresses both individual and relevant system-based factors to produce more long-standing change and greater improvements in the quality of life for each client and family.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a foundational scientifically proven treatment approach for anxiety, OCD, and related emotional-behavioral disorders. CBT is considered a large treatment category that includes a range of treatments that are action-oriented and explore the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to your emotional distress and core areas of intolerance. CBT incorporates a variety of interventions to help you identify and challenge unhelpful ways of thinking and change unwanted and undesirable behavioral responses that are getting in the way of you living the life you truly want. The goal of CBT is for you to learn tools to view situations in a more helpful way and take actions towards the life you want that results in less emotional distress and a greater quality of life.
Learn More About Our Treatment Approaches in Doylestown, PA
Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP) is an action-oriented CBT treatment approach that involves gradually facing your fears by intentionally putting yourself in planned situations or circumstances that provokes uncomfortable symptoms of anxiety and emotional distress while at the same time not engaging in any mental or behavioral actions that would provide immediate emotional relief. Throughout this process you are gradually building your tolerance for anxiety and developing greater confidence that you are capable of handling difficult emotional experiences. Exposure exercises are planned in collaboration between you and your clinician. Specific exposures are repeated as often as needed to build greater tolerance for anxiety and emotional distress before moving on to the next exposure exercise.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an action-oriented CBT treatment approach that focuses on learning tools to develop a mindful presence with your unwanted and undesirable internal and emotional experiences while taking actions towards the life you want. ACT includes experiential exercises and interventions focused building a greater mindful presence, emotional acceptance, and value-driven actions.
Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is an action-oriented CBT treatment approach that focuses on improving your ability to regulate your emotions, develop greater emotional resiliency, and improve your interpersonal relationships. DBT includes four main core areas for skill development: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills.
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is a parent-based treatment for children and teens struggling with anxiety, OCD, and related emotional-behavioral disorders. The family system is often a primary source of support and comfort for many individuals, especially during times of stress. It is normal and healthy to provide support and care for a loved one when they are experiencing distress. However, sometimes well-intended family actions of support and accommodation unintentionally strengthens and grows anxiety. For instance, family accommodation might look like modifying family schedules or routines, answering your loved ones repeated anxious questions, taking on extra responsibilities, or not doing or going to meaningful or important activities in attempts to alleviate your child’s or teen’s anxiety. These parenting actions do not mean that parents are at fault or caused their child’s or teen’s anxiety. It actually means that parents are an important part of the solution. SPACE works with parents to teach them skills and tools to help their child or teen overcome anxiety, OCD, or related disorders. Parents learn new ways to respond to their child or teen and reduce their engagement in their loved one’s anxiety symptoms. The key component of this treatment is that parents are focused on changing their own behavior rather than the child’s behavior. When parents change their own behavior, it has a natural influence on their child’s behavior.
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is a CBT treatment approach that focuses on building greater self-compassion skills by learning tools to recognize self-critical thoughts and associated distressing emotions such as shame and guilt. CFT teaches you how to respond to yourself in a more kind and understanding way that tends to reduce emotional distress.
Other Commonly Integrated Evidence-based Treatment Approaches
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Parent Management Training (PMT)
Behavior Activation (BA)
Behavior Modification
Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP)
Ready to Get Started? Schedule a Consultation for Therapy in Doylestown, PA