Therapy

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a unique treatment approach which – contrary to its name – is used in individual therapy. IFS is based on the idea of multiplicity; that is, the belief that humans are not one-dimensional. Instead, we have many “parts” of ourselves that hold beliefs, emotions, and roles. For example, many of us have problem-solving parts, perfectionistic parts, and parts that dissociate, avoid, or distract.

Rather than trying to eliminate unwanted thoughts or behaviors, IFS helps us approach our parts with curiosity, compassion, and a desire to connect. We befriend the parts of ourselves that protect us from shame, embarrassment, or rejection, and we get to know how they are helping us. Through this process, we can also support and help the wounded younger parts of us who hold difficult memories of rejection, fear, and trauma. Through IFS, we learn how to connect to our inner wisdom, ultimately gaining increased clarity and self-acceptance. If you’re interested in IFS, reach out for a consultation with Dr. Joanna Will, who has completed Level 1 and Level 2 training in this approach through the IFS Institute.

Eye Movement Desensitization
and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a highly researched, evidence-based therapy originally developed to treat trauma — and it has since proven effective for anxiety, depression, phobias, and a wide range of distressing experiences. EMDR uses guided bilateral stimulation — most often side-to-side eye movements, but sometimes tapping or sound — while you briefly hold a difficult memory or experience in mind. This process helps the brain reprocess memories that got “stuck” during overwhelming experiences, so they lose their emotional charge and can be stored as ordinary memories rather than ones that continue to intrude on your present-day life. Unlike some talk therapy approaches, EMDR doesn’t require you to describe your experiences in extensive detail — many clients find that both reassuring and a relief. If you’re interested in EMDR, Madison Wilson is highly experienced in this treatment approach.

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is built on a simple but counterintuitive idea: that trying to eliminate uncomfortable thoughts and feelings often makes them stronger, not weaker. Rather than teaching you to challenge or push away difficult inner experiences, ACT helps you change your relationship with them — learning to notice anxiety, self-doubt, or sadness without being hijacked by them, so they no longer dictate your choices or shrink your life. The other half of ACT is about values: getting clear on what genuinely matters to you and building a life that moves toward those things — even when it’s hard and the uncomfortable feelings are still there. ACT is especially useful for anxiety, depression, and the kind of stuck, going-through-the-motions feeling that can come with major life transitions. If you’re looking for ACT therapy, Dr. Sarah Gonzalez incorporates this approach alongside CBT and DBT.

Psychodynamic & Relational Therapy

Psychodynamic and relational therapeutic approaches focus on the whole lifespan and early attachment experiences. In psychodynamic therapy, clients explore how early experiences and relationships shaped their development, identity, and current behavioral patterns. Clients use insights from the past to understand defensive responses in the present.

In relational psychotherapy, we view healing through the therapeutic relationship. We explore relationship and communication patterns that you learned early in life, and then we explore how those patterns get experienced in the therapy room. The therapeutic relationship becomes a primary mechanism of change, because when clients develop greater insight into their relational patterns in therapy, they can then generalize new ways of relating in their connections outside of therapy.