Mindfulness involves focusing your attention on the present moment in a non-judgmental way. With mindfulness practice, you learn to observe your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without getting caught up in them or reacting automatically. Focusing on the present moment can help to calm the mind, which decreases feelings of anxiety, depression, and anger.

Mindfulness can be practiced as a formal meditation or during everyday activities, like cooking, cleaning, or walking.

ACT emphasizes accepting your thoughts and emotions rather than fighting or feeling controlled by them. The goal is to live more in the present moment and commit to engaging in actions that align with your values.

We will work together to identify your personal values. Values are who you want to be and what you want your life to be about. When you connect with your values, you are able move your life in a meaningful direction, even in the face of difficult or painful experiences.

CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns that lead to emotional distress while also modifying behaviors that may be unintentionally reinforcing your distress.

Strategies for changing unhelpful thought patterns include:

• Recognizing distortions in thinking that lead to anxiety, depression, or anger and learning to re-evaluate these thinking patterns

• Using problem-solving skills to cope with difficult situations

• Developing a greater sense of confidence in your own abilities

Strategies to modify behaviors include:

• Acting opposite to what your emotion is telling you to do, such as facing a fear you want to avoid, taking a walk when you want to stay on the couch, or being gentle with someone who angers you

• Using role playing to prepare for potentially difficult interactions with others

• Progressive muscle relaxation techniques to relax your body

DBT combines acceptance and change strategies, helping you understand and accept your emotions while also learning to change behaviors that prevent you from living the life you want.

Coping skills are offered in the areas of:

• Mindfulness: Learn to focus on the present moment without judging, rejecting, or attaching to the moment

• Distress Tolerance: Learn concrete skills to help you tolerate strong emotions without "making shit worse" by acting on your emotional impulses and engaging in destructive behaviors

• Emotion Regulation: Learn to reactively manage difficult emotions you've already experienced and to proactively decrease the likelihood of having difficult emotions in the future

• Interpersonal Effectiveness: Improve your relationships by increasing self-confidence, self-respect, asking to get your needs met, and setting boundaries with others that allow you to prioritize your well-being

Note: I offer DBT-informed individual therapy. This level of DBT is not recommended for highly suicidal or self-harming individuals who would benefit from the structure of a full-model DBT program.