Descriptions of Theraputic Approaches

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the important role of thinking about how we feel and what we do.

Solution-Focused Therapy is a brief, present-oriented therapy which focuses on establishing therapeutic goals. SFT utilizes the client’s strengths to help them move toward their envisioned future.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy – Research studies find that 70-75 percent of couples move from distress to recovery and approximately 90 percent show significant improvements with this therapy.

The 3 main goals of EFT include:

• Expanding and re-organizing emotional responses
• Initiating new cycles of interaction
• Fostering the creation of a secure bond between partners

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy operates on the assumption that avoiding emotions and engaging in over-thinking lead to destructive behaviors in which people become stuck. ACT helps clients be mindful and aware, choose a direction based on values, and take action.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a form of psychotherapy which helps the client identify and resolve areas of conflict. It is a present-centered, emotionally focused, values-based approach which focuses more on long-term goals rather than immediate ones. The main goals for the client are to accomplish their objectives, see their situation more clearly, and develop plans more effectively. DBT utilizes homework assignments in between sessions as one way to teach client one of the 5 core skills: Mindfulness, Meaning-making, Emotion-regulation, Distress-tolerance, and Strategic behavior.