Our Approach

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy approach that was developed by Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. It is primarily used to treat individuals who have experienced trauma, particularly those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). EMDR is based on the idea that traumatic memories can become "stuck" and lead to psychological distress, and the therapy aims to help process and resolve these memories. EMDR involves the use of bilateral stimulation, which can be in the form of side-to-side eye movements, auditory tones, or tactile sensations. This bilateral stimulation helps to process distressing memories.

EMDR typically consists of eight phases, which include history-taking, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation. These phases guide the therapist and client through the process of addressing traumatic memories. The client is asked to identify specific traumatic memories or distressing experiences that they wish to target during EMDR therapy. These memories are the focus of the treatment.

During EMDR sessions, the therapist guides the client through revisiting the targeted memory while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation. This process is thought to help the client reprocess the memory and reduce its emotional charge.

The goal of EMDR is to help the client process the traumatic memory in a way that makes it less distressing and more adaptive. The client may experience shifts in their beliefs, emotions, and physical sensations related to the memory. EMDR incorporates self-soothing techniques to help the client manage distressing emotions that may arise during the therapy sessions. It's important to note that EMDR is typically administered by trained and licensed mental health professionals, such as psychologists, social workers, or counselors. The specific details of EMDR sessions can vary depending on the therapist and the client's individual needs.

Attachment-Focused Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic approach that combines principles of EMDR therapy with a focus on addressing attachment issues. Attachment-focused EMDR extends the original approach to address the impact of attachment-related experiences and traumas on a person's emotional well-being and relationships.

In Attachment-Focused EMDR, therapists work with clients to explore how early attachment experiences, such as those with parents or caregivers, may have contributed to their current emotional difficulties and interpersonal challenges. This therapy aims to help clients reprocess and integrate these attachment-related memories, emotions, and beliefs to develop healthier attachment patterns and improve their overall well-being.

The combination of EMDR and attachment-focused principles can be particularly useful for individuals who have experienced adverse attachment experiences, which can have a profound impact on their mental and emotional health. This approach seeks to facilitate healing and growth in the context of attachment relationships and past attachment-related traumas.

SE helps us release, recover, and become more resilient. when we are stuck in patterns of fight, flight, or freeze. Trauma may begin as acute stress from a perceived life threat or as the end product of cumulative stress. Both types of stress can seriously impair a person’s ability to function with resilience and ease. Trauma may result from a wide variety of stressors such as accidents, invasive medical procedures, sexual or physical assault, emotional abuse, neglect, war, natural disasters, loss, birth trauma, or the corrosive stressors of ongoing fear and conflict. This modality facilitates the completion of self-protective motor responses and the release of thwarted survival energy bound in the body, thus addressing the root cause of trauma symptoms. This is achieved gradually by gently guiding clients to develop increasing tolerance for difficult bodily sensations and suppressed emotions.

SE helps people understand this body's response to trauma and work through a “body first” approach to healing. It helps clients attune to what's happening in their bodies, slow down and pause the energies of activation, wake up, and balance sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. By developing the skills to consciously titrate, clients build self-awareness and confidence in their capacity to shift and heal. These basic and natural SE practices and tools support clients in slowly and gently re-entering a traumatized or dissociated body at their own pace while gradually experiencing more safety in their bodies.

NeuroAffective Touch® is a somatic, neurologically informed psychotherapy, created by Dr. Aliene La Pierre, that uses therapeutic touch to address psychological and emotional issues. This approach is rooted in the idea that the mind and body are interconnected, and it focuses on how therapeutic touch can be used as a psychobiological intervention to promote healing and well-being. NAT recognizes that touch is a powerful means of communication and connection, and it can be used to facilitate the release of emotional and physical tension. Through gentle, intentional touch, the practitioner works with the client to help them become more aware of their bodily sensations and emotional experiences. The aim is to create a safe and supportive environment for clients to explore and process their feelings and traumas.

NAT is often used to address issues related to trauma, stress, anxiety, and other emotional challenges. Working with the body and the nervous system can help clients regulate their emotions, reduce physical tension, and release stored trauma. It is considered a neurologically informed therapy because it takes into account the way the nervous system responds to touch and how touch can influence the regulation of emotions and stress responses. It's important to note that NAT should only be conducted by trained and certified practitioners, as it involves touch and a deep understanding of the mind-body connection. The approach is rooted in the principles of safety, consent, and therapeutic ethics to ensure that clients are comfortable and benefit from the therapy.

Trauma-sensitive yoga is the first yoga-based empirically validated, clinical intervention for complex trauma or chronic, treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder. It was originally developed at the Trauma Center in Brookline, Massachusetts by Dave Emerson and others. Trauma-sensitive yoga is an approach to yoga practice that is designed to be sensitive and responsive to the needs of individuals who have experienced trauma. It emphasizes creating a safe and supportive environment, allowing participants to make choices about their movements and postures, and focusing on gentle, body-centered practices. This approach incorporates mindfulness, breath awareness, and empowerment to help individuals with trauma histories reconnect with their bodies, regulate their responses to stress, and promote healing. It can be a valuable complementary therapy for those dealing with trauma-related issues.

Key features of Trauma-Sensitive Yoga include:

• Safety and Choice: Trauma-sensitive yoga classes prioritize creating a safe and supportive environment. Participants are encouraged to make choices regarding their movements and postures, allowing them to have a sense of control over their bodies.

• Mindfulness: The practice often incorporates mindfulness techniques to help individuals become more aware of their sensations, emotions, and thoughts without judgment. Mindfulness can help individuals regulate their responses to stress and trauma triggers.

• Gentle and Body-Centered: The yoga postures are typically adapted to be gentle, focusing on comfort and self-compassion rather than performance or flexibility. Poses are designed to help individuals reconnect with their bodies in a non-threatening way.

• Breath Awareness: Breath work is a significant component of trauma-sensitive yoga. Participants are guided in developing a mindful relationship with their breath, which can assist in reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation.

• Empowerment and Resilience: Trauma-sensitive yoga aims to empower individuals to regain a sense of control over their bodies and emotions, helping them build resilience and promote healing.

Polyvagal-informed therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that incorporates the principles and insights of the Polyvagal Theory, which was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges. This theory explores the role of the autonomic nervous system in regulating emotional and physiological responses.

In polyvagal-informed therapy:

• The therapist helps clients understand how their autonomic nervous system responds to stress and emotions, emphasizing the role of the vagus nerve in social engagement and self-regulation.

• Clients learn to identify their own physiological responses and gain a greater awareness of their body's cues.

• Therapy techniques are tailored to help clients regulate their autonomic nervous system, manage stress, and improve emotional well-being.

• The therapy aims to create a safe and supportive therapeutic environment, where clients can explore and process their experiences while feeling in control of their own nervous system responses.

Overall, polyvagal-informed therapy focuses on enhancing self-regulation, improving emotional resilience, and fostering a greater sense of safety and connection in clients' lives. It can be particularly useful for individuals with a history of trauma and those experiencing anxiety, depression, or other emotional challenges.

PIT is a therapeutic approach designed to address the underlying issues and wounds, often long-term effects on individuals' mental and emotional well-being, that result from complex childhood trauma, neglect, and dysfunctional family dynamics. It is commonly employed in the treatment of issues related to codependency, addiction, and relationship difficulties, with the goal of helping clients achieve greater emotional health and healthier connections with others. This model was developed by Pia Mellody, a prominent therapist and world-renowned author known for her work in the field of codependency and relational trauma.

Key features of Pia Mellody's Post-Induction Therapy model include:

• Identification of Childhood Trauma: The therapy begins with identifying and understanding the impact of childhood trauma, including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect.

• Developmental and Attachment Focus: PIT explores how early attachment experiences and developmental disruptions may contribute to emotional and relational struggles in adulthood.

• Codependency and Boundaries: The model addresses codependency patterns and the lack of healthy boundaries that often result from childhood trauma. Clients learn to establish and maintain appropriate boundaries in their relationships.

• Trauma Resolution: Clients work on resolving the unresolved trauma from their past, which can manifest in self-destructive behaviors and difficulties in forming healthy relationships.

• Cognitive and Emotional Work: PIT combines cognitive and emotional processing to help clients understand and heal the emotional wounds from their past.

• Inner Child Work: Clients engage in inner child work, focusing on re-parenting and nurturing their wounded inner child to facilitate healing and self-compassion.

• Relational Healing: The therapy emphasizes healing and transforming relationships, both with oneself and with others, through improved communication and emotional regulation.

The Gottman Method is evidence-based and focuses on improving couples' communication, understanding, and connection. The therapist typically assesses the strengths and weaknesses of a relationship, teaches couples practical skills, and provides guidance on how to maintain a healthy and fulfilling partnership. The goal is to help couples build a strong foundation for a lasting and loving relationship.

Key components of the Gottman Method include:

• The Sound Relationship House Theory: This theory outlines the seven principles that are essential for building and maintaining a healthy and satisfying relationship. These principles include trust, commitment, emotional intimacy, positive communication, conflict resolution skills, and shared values.

• The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Dr. Gottman identified four toxic communication patterns that can be destructive to a relationship: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling. Couples are taught to recognize and address these negative behaviors in therapy.

• Conflict Resolution Skills: The Gottman Method places a strong emphasis on teaching couples effective ways to manage and resolve conflicts. This includes techniques such as active listening, compromise, and finding common ground.

• Building Emotional Intelligence: Dr. Gottman believes that emotional intelligence is crucial for a healthy relationship. Couples are encouraged to become more aware of their own emotions and to empathize with their partner's emotions.

• Love Maps: Love Maps refer to a couple's understanding of each other's inner worlds, including their dreams, fears, and concerns. Gottman therapists help couples deepen their knowledge of each other's emotional needs and vulnerabilities.

• Rituals of Connection: Creating regular and meaningful rituals, such as date nights or special traditions, can help couples stay connected and maintain a strong emotional bond.

• The Magic Five Hours: Dr. Gottman's research suggests that couples who spend at least five hours of quality time together each week tend to have more successful relationships. This time can include activities that promote intimacy and connection.

• Repair Attempts: When conflicts arise, it's important for couples to make "repair attempts" to de-escalate tension and reconnect. These can be verbal or non-verbal gestures that indicate a desire to resolve the issue.

Blending Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and exposure therapy into a brief 8-session treatment, the emotion efficacy protocol developed by Dr. Aprilia West, helps individuals learn to respond more intentionally, flexibly, and creatively to intense emotion triggers. The skills training is highly experiential and helps clients not only learn what they can do differently, but how. Multiple studies suggest EET is effective for significantly increasing emotion regulation and distress tolerance, as well as reducing relapse rates among people struggling with chemical dependency.