Treatment Modalities
A treatment modality is a style of therapy and a perspective your therapist takes when working with you. No one modality is better than the other, they are all just different, with different strengths and areas of focus. Below are the modalities that I have been specially trained in:
Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT)
Emotionally Focused individual Therapy (EFIT) is a well-known style of therapy that emphasizes the science of adult attachment, a profound developmental theory of personality and intimate relationships. Looking at our difficulties through the attachment lens, we can grow to understand our difficulties and health in a different way. Attachment views each of us as innately relational, social and wired for bonding with others. This style of therapy prioritizes emotion and emotional regulation as the key organizing agents in individual experience and key relationship interactions.
The EFIT approach is based on the premise that human emotions are connected to human needs, and therefore emotions have an innately adaptive potential that, if activated and worked through, can help people change problematic emotional states and interpersonal relationships.
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
Often, when we go through difficult life experiences, including difficulties with mental, we can get wrapped up in self criticism and judgement. This makes the difficult experience even more difficult.
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) promotes wellbeing and healing by inviting people to be compassionate towards themselves and others, particularly during moments of pain and difficulty.
As a result, clients learn to manage their emotions and thoughts with greater ease.
Specifically, they gain knowledge on how to decrease anxiety and negative self talk. They also learn how to increase self acceptance. Certainly, all types of therapy are about compassionate care. However, CFT places self compassion as the main goal throughout treatment.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most researched and empirically-validated forms of therapy. It is a structured form of therapy that focuses on helping you explore the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
There are two parts of CBT. First, cognitive strategies aim to disrupt the automatic negative thoughts and help you to develop more helpful and balanced thoughts. Second, behavioural strategies focus on bringing more intentional action to patterns in your behaviour that may not be working well for you.
CBT has proven to be effective for a number of psychological issues including depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, substance use disorders and sleep difficulties.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages people to embrace their thoughts and feelings rather than trying to resist them or fight against them.
The goal of ACT is to enhance our psychological flexibility in an effort to create a rich and meaningful life, while accepting the pain that inevitably goes with it.
“ACT” is a good abbreviation because this therapy is about taking effective action guided by our deepest values and in which we are fully present and engaged. It is only through mindful action that we can create a meaningful life. Of course, as we attempt to create such a life, it is human nature to encounter all sorts of barriers, in the form of unpleasant and unwanted "private experiences" (thoughts, images, feelings, sensations, urges, and memories). ACT teaches mindfulness skills as an effective way to handle these private experiences.