How I Do Therapy
Want to learn about how I practice?
I created this article to help you understand the active ingredients in my clinical work, and my hope is that you will feel encouraged and have a good sense of fit as you learn how I help people just like you overcome life’s challenges.
I provide an integrative approach to therapy that combines the best techniques from two main branches of psychotherapy: Positive Psychology and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (or CBT). Read on to learn about how I use these in the therapy experience, and feel free to contact me with any questions or schedule an initial session.
What is Positive Psychology?
Many approaches to therapy focus entirely on “the problem” – abnormal behavior, unhealthy thoughts and feelings, and dysfunction. Positive Psychology, on the other hand, is all about focusing on empowerment and building you up as a person.
Positive Psychology seeks to enhance your skills and abilities in three main areas:
First, you have the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of yourself and your inner experiences of positivity. This provides you with the awareness needed to develop improved positive experiences of gratitude, joy, and meaning. With practice, you can actually learn how to have greater happiness and improved life satisfaction.
Second, Positive Psychology therapists actively look for your personal strengths. Rather than spending all of our time drilling down on “what is wrong” with you, I am much more interested in discovering your talents and abilities. We can use those strengths to your advantage as you learn to deal with whatever challenge life throws your way.
Third, we work together to understand your social resources so that you can begin to develop uplifting and life-giving connections. This can range anywhere from personal relationships, such as romantic partners or friends, to the home and community environment. Positive Psychology seeks to foster lasting change, which includes helping you build connections that raise you to new heights and give you strength.
Positive Psychology firmly believes in the resiliency, hope, and potential of all people. Life’s challenges can be painful, stressful, and sometimes overwhelming – but they can also be opportunities for learning and personal growth. This is why Positive Psychology is recommended and evidence-based for a wide range of psychological issues, such as depression, anxiety, grief, and burnout.
What is CBT?
Sometimes it can be helpful to address the problem head on, which is why I also will integrate techniques from CBT in my therapy practice.
CBT is one of the most evidence-based forms of psychotherapy available for treating mental health issues. You can find thousands upon thousands of research studies that support using CBT to treat anxiety, panic attacks, relationship issues, obsessiveness, insomnia, you name it.
Here is what CBT is all about:
CBT therapists focus in on three things: your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Your mind and body are inseparably connected, which means that your thoughts, feelings, and actions are constantly informing and being informed by one another. In some cases, we can address whatever challenge you are facing by making changes to one of those areas.
Additionally, CBT helps you learn specific coping skills for dealing with difficult experiences. Certain coping strategies work differently from person to person, and so I do my best to specifically tailor those to you and your needs.
How do CBT and Positive Psychology go together?
As you can see, CBT and Positive Psychology focus on different aspects of the human experience. CBT works to address what isn’t working, while Positive Psychology works to enhance what is. By employing both of these strategies together in one treatment model, I provide a holistic approach to therapy intentionally designed to help you reach your goals as quickly and effectively as possible. This also provides the flexibility to meet your needs from session to session as you make progress in therapy and in life.
My aim in my practice is to help adults in East Cobb, Marietta, Roswell, and beyond find freedom from their struggles, such as:
- Depression
- Anxiety and worry
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Grief or loss of a loved one
- Career burnout
- Life transitions
- Relationship problems and conflict
- Feeling “not good enough”
- Self-criticism
- Low self-esteem and self-worth
What does therapy look like at WellPath?
My job is to work myself out of a job.
My goal is to provide you with the tools and insights you need to overcome your struggles and move forward in life. In a sense, you can learn to be your own best therapist.
All appointments are held here in the comfort of my office located in the heart of East Cobb, which is ADA-accessible and intentionally set up to provide you with a break from the hustle of day-to-day living.
My sessions are entirely confidential, collaborative, and specifically designed to help you meet your goals quickly and efficiently. During our first meeting (known as the initial assessment or intake interview), I will ask you questions about your story to understand your journey and get a sense of what might be contributing to the problem. This also gives us a chance to get to know each other and answer any questions you might have before moving forward with therapy.
My practice is called WellPath for a reason.
I believe that wellness is a journey that all of us follow. Sometimes, a small course correction can make a world of difference.
I do not “fix” people, because people are not broken. Instead, I work to enhance your quality of life by bolstering inner strengths, shifting old and unhelpful patterns, and teaching useful skills that can help you reach your goals.
You deserve a life filled with joy, success, and fulfillment. And I believe that, together, we can make that happen.
Interested IN LEARNING MORE?
Click on the contact menu above to send me a message, ask a question, or get started on your wellness journey.
My office is now located in East Cobb serving individuals in East Cobb, Roswell, Marietta, Sandy Springs, and Woodstock. I also provide individual therapy to adults from throughout the Greater Atlanta area and Georgia by offering virtual appointments.