Individual Therapy: A Deeper Look.
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When many of us think of individual therapy, visions of Freud smoking a pipe while writing on a pad, listening to us talk about our “deepest and darkest” while lying on a couch flood most of our minds. While that IS a specific kind of individual therapy, it is not what the majority of therapists utilize in session. There are many different modalities that are used by therapists today. Today I will be discussing what individual therapy is, the modalities that I utilize in session.
What is individual therapy?
Individual therapy is when the client (you) meets with a therapist (me) for individualized sessions. These sessions usually last around an hour. They are personalized to your individual needs. Maybe you are struggling with a career decision. Or maybe you experienced some sort of trauma in your childhood or later and it is affecting your present relationships. Individual therapy can help with so many different situations and allows people the space they need to process or work through these things that happen in their lives.
Without going into a detailed history lesson, versions of talk therapy have been around since ancient times. There is even mention of “healing through words” in ancient Egyptian and Greek writings. From the early beginnings to Freud’s work on psychoanalysis to the modalities used today, therapy is an ever-changing form of healing that is time tested and proven to help people overcome their struggles.
Individual therapy at Fractured Light Counseling
At Fractured Light, I specialize in a couple of different modalities. It is important to note that I have a conversation and collaborate with you, the client, before deciding on the best approach and that may change over time depending on how you are responding to the modality chosen.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – CBT focuses on negative thought and behavior patterns that we develop through our life experiences. In working with me, we will begin by identifying negative thoughts and behaviors that are affecting our lives. Some examples of these include: jumping to conclusions, catastrophizing, and all-or-nothing thinking. These negative thought and behavior patterns are called cognitive distortions and involve inaccurate or exaggerated ways of thinking that negatively how we feel and act. After identification of these thoughts and behaviors we will begin working toward replacing them with more positive ones and integrating them into your life.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – DBT combines concepts of CBT with mindfulness and acceptance techniques. It is different from CBT in that it focuses on emotion regulation and coping with stressful situations. In working with me we will begin by identifying your specific triggers or stressors. We then will work on integrating various coping strategies in your life to manage and regulate your emotions. Group sessions may be involved in this as well.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) – CPT is an evidence-based treatment for individuals that have experienced various traumas in their lives. In our first sessions we will discuss your traumatic experiences and identify negative thoughts and beliefs related to those experiences. We then will challenge these thoughts and beliefs in session with my guidance. From there we will develop coping strategies for managing symptoms and practice skills to improve your emotional regulation.
Final thoughts
There are a ton of modalities that are used in individual therapy. How well these modalities work for you is really subjective in that it depends on a multitude of factors that are personal to you. If you are thinking about starting therapy and would like to know more before committing, reach out…