My Approach

The term Mindfulness refers to a set of psychological skills that all involve paying attention with flexibility, curiosity and nonjudgmental acceptance to our present moment experience. Formerly associated mostly with contemplative practices such as Buddhist meditation and practices in other ancient wisdom traditions, mindfulness is now widely viewed as a central component of modern psychotherapy largely due to an incredible depth of research demonstrating is effectiveness for many different issues. Mindfulness has even been shown in brain imaging research to help our brains grow in positive ways!

A focus on values adds an existential dimension to traditional CBT. Bringing values into therapy means not just trying to help you feel better (although we will certainly aim for that!), but also helping you clarify who and what it is that you most care about, who you want to be in life and how you want to spend your precious time on this earth. Your values can then serve as a kind of guide, or inner “compass”, that can guide your forward in life, and help motivate you to do that hard work of confronting your challenges and problems.

Compassion simply means noticing when we or others are hurting and responding with kindness. In recent years, research has demonstrated that having compassion for ourselves improves mental health and performance across many areas of life, and also to help create a more stable sense of wellbeing and self worth.

Psychological Flexibility is the foundation of the main model of therapy I use in my practice—Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT. It means being able to stay aware and present, tune into what matters most to us (our values), and take effective action toward what matters, even when painful thoughts and feelings show up.

Research has shown that greater Psychological Flexibility is associated with better mental health and functioning across a wide variety of issues and populations, and arguably makes more of a difference in how we live than any other set of skills in psychology. (Source)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, is a modern, evidence-based behavioral therapy that helps people develop greater Psychological Flexibility—the ability to be more aware of ourselves, more tuned into what really matters to us (our values), and more able to act on what matters, even in the presence of painful thoughts, feelings, and memories. Rather than simply aiming to solve problems in our lives or address “symptoms,” ACT places a strong emphasis on living full, rich, meaningful lives, regardless of our circumstances.

ACT has extensive empirical support for its effectiveness with a wide range of issues, including well over 1,500 randomized controlled research trials (one of the highest standards of research in psychotherapy). I have extensive training in ACT, including completion of multiple advanced-level ACT trainings, regular and ongoing individual consultation with senior ACT trainers, and ongoing participation in multiple training and consultation groups for ACT therapists in Austin, of which I am a founding member. I am also a co-leader of the Central Texas chapter of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science, the professional organization for ACT.

You can read more about ACT Here

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a type of behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that involves gradually exposing individuals to their fears while preventing them from engaging in their usual compulsive behaviors, and instead practicing new, more helpful ways to respond. ERP helps us break free from the vicious cycle of anxiety and develop skills to respond more flexibly to anxiety and obsessions, so that we are more able to do what we matters to us in our lives.

I attended multiple trainings on exposure/ERP, and continue to train regularly with experts in exposure therapies.

Emotion Efficacy Therapy (EET) is a newer therapy protocol that integrates elements of ACT, emotion regulation skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and exposure methods from ERP into one powerful approach. EET provides a series of practical skills to increase our ability to respond to emotions effectively and do what matters most to us, even when our emotions are activated.

I have received training in EET from its creator, Dr. Aprilia West, and have pursued advanced training through individual consultation with Dr. West.

Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) is a behavioral therapy that places a strong emphasis on the therapeutic relationship as a context for meaningful change. FAP focuses on understanding patterns of behavior that show up in our relationships with others, including patterns that may be getting in the way of the relationships and life we want. Through the therapeutic relationship itself, FAP creates opportunities to practice new ways of relating to others, while developing greater awareness, flexibility, and connection.

I have received introductory training in FAP from its creator, Dr. Mavis Tsai.is a

Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is a type of CBT developed especially for people who struggle with shame, self-loathing, and harsh self-judgment and criticism. CFT can help you develop a more supportive, understanding, and kind relationship with yourself, so that you can build true confidence and self-acceptance, motivate yourself without shame, heal emotional wounds, face your difficulties, and thrive.

I have received training in CFT from experts in the field, including Dr. Dennis Tirch and Dr. Laura Silberstein-Tirch, as well as from CFT’s founder, Dr. Paul Gilbert.

You can read more about CFT Here

Schema Therapy

Behavior Activation

Cognitive Therapy