Heart of the Matter

In my current work, I mainly rely on the following therapy approaches:

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

 

EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) is an extremely well tested and fast approach to move through unresolved (traumatic) experiences and loosen their grip and effect on a person's current life. EMDR is widely and very successfully used to resolve trauma symptoms after accidents, sexual assault, or war trauma. It can also be very effective to ameliorate persistent grief, depressive and anxiety symptoms.

 

IFS (Internal Family Systems) - coming soon

 

In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) the goal is not to eliminate difficult feelings. Rather, it is to be present with what life brings us and to "move toward a valued behavior".  A full and meaningful life invariably includes sadness and pain; by allowing all feelings ("good" and "bad" ones), we can develop skills to cope more effectively with them.

 

In Ego State Therapy therapists frequently refer to a “family of selves.” They don't literally mean that a person has multiple personalities. Instead, each of us must navigate several discrete identities and roles. For example, a woman might adopt the role of protector toward her children but feel like a fearful or neglected child around her mother. Ego state therapy aims to identify these different roles and then integrate them into a coherent self. Ego states are an adaptation to various life circumstances, rather than innate states of being. Sometimes a person becomes stuck in an ego state, or finds that an ego state is no longer beneficial. A child abuse victim, for example, might get stuck in the role of frightened child. This could lead to anxiety, unhealthy relationships, and other behavioral patterns based on an ego state that's no longer functional. (from: goodtherapy.org)

 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) includes analyzing situations with regard to Triggers (situation, thoughts, feelings, body sensations) and your individual problematic response, such as depressive withdrawal, heightened anxiety, or unhealthy eating, and the thoughts and feelings that go along with it. Gaining a better understanding of these processes, and planning and practicing different responses is a main goal of CBT. CBT is very helpful in treating anxiety, panic attacks, and specific fears, such as fear of heights or enclosed areas.