FAQs

Frequently-asked questions

Outcome research on psychotherapy since the 1930s tells us first and foremost that therapy works. According to the research, 75 % of patients will improve with psychotherapy. For the most part, psychotherapy works better then medications for most disorders and that treatment effects are enduring. Interestingly, it has also been shown that these gains are consistent across most major models of psychotherapy, e.g. psychodynamic, cognitive-behavior, humanistic, systemic, motivational enhancement, solution-focused, etc. In other words, no one school of psychotherapy has been shown to be more effective then the others. For more information on what works in psychotherapy go to www.talkingcure.com or www.therapyadvisor.org.

How do I choose a therapist?

There is no right answer to this question. Many clients want someone with whom they feel safe talking about their problems. For some people meeting with a therapist can make them nervous. This is normal. However, don't confuse nervousness with poor fit. In general, if you are not feeling like progress is being made in the first 8-12 sessions then it may be time to re-think the therapy, the therapist, or how you are using therapy. It is also useful to interview several therapists before committing to one. That way you get a sense of different approaches and can make a more informed decision about which one is a fit for you.

From what models of therapy do you draw?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR is a researched model of psychotherapy shown to decrease and/or eliminate the symptoms of post traumatic stress. The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the US Department of Defense, the United Kingdom Department of Health, the Israeli National Council for Mental Health, and many other agencies/organizations have deemed EMDR an effective treatment for PTSD. EMDR has also been used to treat personality disorders, addictions, panic, anxiety, pain disorders, and many other disorders. For more information on EMDR go to www.emdria.org.

Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET): MET is considered a researched-based, brief form of psychotherapy. It has been designed to help people move along the stages of change. The stages of change are precontemplation (not considering change), contemplation (thinking about change), determination (making the decision to change), action (actually changing behavior), maintenance (holding on to behavior change), and relapse (falling back into old patterns). Research on MET shows that it can be effective in helping people change behavior relatively quickly and works for teens and adults alike.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a well researched model of psychotherapy that is designed to help people change their thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. CBT will very often include skill training in topics such as mindfulness, recognizing and changing self-defeating thinking, mood regulation, tolerating feelings, and interpersonal effectiveness. CBT has been shown to be effective with many types of disorders including PTSD, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, personality disorders, substance abuse disorders, sleep disorders and many others. A form of CBT called Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy (DBT) has been shown to be effective with the self-harming aspects of Borderline Personality Disorder. I also employ techniques from DBT.

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: Psychodynamic psychotherapy is an exploratory form of therapy that helps clients gain insight into the origins of their problems. I prefer a form of psychodynamic psychotherapy based on attachment theory. Attachment theory draws from the latest brain research which focuses on how relationships change the brain throughout the lifespan.

Strategic and Structural Family Therapy: Strategic and Structural Family Therapy were designed to help families function better by providing parents with the tools necessary to parent effectively. I prefer a model developed by Scott Sells designed to help parents with restoring lost love and providing limits that work. For more information go to www.difficult.net.

What produces change in psychotherapy?

Over forty years of research on psychotherapy has shown that there are four factorsthat produce change common to all schools of psychotherapy. These common factors are usually termed extratherapuetic factors, the therapeutic alliance, technique, and expectancy. Extratherapuetic factors refer to any internal and external strengths of the client and the client's environment. The therapeutic alliance refers to the quality of the relationship between therapist and client. Technique refers to the interventions that the therapist employs to effect change. Expectancy refers to the feeling of hope that psychotherapy often instills in clients. For more information on what works in psychotherapy go to www.talkingcure.com or www.therapyadvisor.org.