How I Work
Two practical, skills-based methods. Plain language, real homework, and room for your actual life.
Explained Plainly
CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel and what you do. Say you snap at your kids every evening at six. We would slow that moment down, notice the thought underneath it ("I'm already behind on everything"), and test whether it holds up. Then we try a different response and see what happens.
DBT teaches skills for handling strong emotions and hard conversations. It holds two ideas at once: you are doing the best you can, and you can learn new ways to cope. We practice things like getting through a wave of panic, asking for what you need, and staying steady when a family argument heats up.
In the Room
We start with how the week went and what feels most pressing today.
We choose a single situation to focus on, such as a fight about homework or a sleepless night before a work deadline.
We map what happened, look at the thoughts and feelings involved, and practice a skill together.
You leave with one small thing to try before we meet again.
Between Sessions
Most of the change happens between our appointments. The practice might be a two-minute breathing skill in the school pickup line, writing down one anxious thought a day, or saying no to one extra commitment. Small and doable beats big and abandoned.
Goal Setting
Early on, we decide together what you want to be different. Maybe it's fewer evenings that end in tears, or one hour a week that is only yours. We check in on those goals regularly and adjust them when life changes.
Who It Suits
This way of working suits people who want practical tools and a clear sense of direction. It works well for anxiety, stress, low mood, OCD in teens and young adults, family conflict and the stretch of a big life transition.
What can shift varies from person to person. For some people, it gets a little easier to pause before reacting. I can't promise a particular result, but I can promise we'll work on it together each week.
Questions
No. I'll explain each skill as we use it, in everyday language.
Usually one small practice each week. If the week falls apart, we talk about that instead.
My work is grounded in CBT and DBT.
Yes. I work with teens ages 12 and up and young adults, including those dealing with anxiety and OCD.
In a free consultation we can talk through what you'd want to work on first.