Methods
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
“People’s beliefs about their abilities have a profound effect on those abilities.”
-Albert Bandura
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT focuses on targeting problematic thoughts and behaviors, in the present, to reduce suffering. With this approach, clients learn and use techniques such as identifying/labeling distortions, challenging negative self-talk, reality-testing and problem-solving to significantly improve coping, symptoms and quality of life. The therapist also encourages behavioral changes through activities such as exposure therapy, role-playing, relaxation and stress reduction. CBT utilizes an educational model with structured interventions that have been proven effective in numerous studies.
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
-Carl Jung
Psychodynamic Therapy focuses on bringing a person’s unconscious, unexplored influences into conscious awareness. With this approach, clients examine their present and early life to identify common patterns, uncover the sources of suffering and gain self-knowledge. The therapist provides a non-judgmental, explorative space to facilitate emotional processing. Additionally, the therapist-client relationship is used to provide information about how one functions in relationships and the world.
PSYCHODYNAMIC THERAPY
PERSON-CENTERED THERAPY
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.”
-Carl Rogers
Person-Centered Therapy focuses on a client’s subjective view because the client is seen as the expert of their life. With this approach, the client leads and the therapist responds with supportive statements and clarifying questions to deepen understanding. The therapist provides an atmosphere of authenticity, non-judgment and empathy in order to facilitate self-discovery, self-acceptance and inherent resourcefulness. When used alone or in combination with other therapeutic methods, Person-Centered Therapy increases one’s awareness, confidence and sense of self.
“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”
-Nelson Mandela
Existential Therapy focuses on the inner conflict that arises from both personal and universal concerns like freedom, death, isolation and meaninglessness. With this approach, clients are able to confront the anxiety and fear that often underlie the human existence instead of reacting with overwhelm or avoidance. The therapist supports the client in processing thoughts and emotions, building insight and making more willful decisions. In addition, creativity, relationships and authenticity are seen as transformative paths toward healing. Ultimately, one will be able to design and sustain a life with more meaning, purpose and volition.
EXISTENTIAL THERAPY
MINDFULNESS
“What a liberation to realize that the ‘voice in my head’ is not who I am. Who am I then? The one who sees that.”
-Eckhart Tolle
Mindfulness focuses on the practice of becoming aware of the present moment, without judgment, while acknowledging and accepting one’s thoughts, emotions, actions and bodily sensations. The use of mindfulness-based interventions in therapy is secularized and has become increasingly popular in combination with other modalities like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). With mindfulness, clients are able to become more grounded, enhance self-connection and increase self-regulation. Mindfulness is critical to healing as it allows a person to become aware of, observe and harness their inner-voice.
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
-Maya Angelou
Text-based therapy focuses on delivering therapeutic support through live or delayed messages* in a secure chat platform. With this approach, clients identify and type out difficult thoughts, feelings and experiences, which can produce relief, clarity and be less intimidating than other forms of therapy. The therapist provides feedback, emotional support and helps guide positive behavioral changes. Although it cannot replace regular therapy on its own, it is useful for stress and milder mental health issues.
*At Recharge Online Therapy, messages via our message therapy service are live.