What is Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy?

IFS is an experiential, evidenced-based model of therapy. IFS takes a non-judgmental stance by viewing the thoughts and behaviors that bring clients to therapy as coming from “parts,” or sub-personalities, and assumes that each of these parts is trying to protect the client from suffering in some way.

 

Using a mindfulness-based approach, an IFS therapist guides clients in interacting with their parts so that they can better understand how their parts are trying to help and ultimately heal any unresolved pain that the parts are trying to prevent from overwhelming the client, so that the part does not have to work so diligently. Through this process, clients gain more access to their “Self,” which naturally allows for more clarity, calmness, connectedness, compassion, courage, confidence, curiosity, and creativity.

 

What is Treated with IFS Therapy?

IFS can be used to treat a wide variety of concerns, including but not limited to:

• Trauma

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Suicidal thoughts

• Impulse control issues

• Addiction

 

Experience Clarity, Calm, and Self-Compassion with IFS

You already have these qualities within you, and we are here to help you access it. With Internal Family Systems Therapy, you can look within, relate to yourself in a more curious and accepting way, and release pain from your past so you can experience your best self. If you’d like to get started or have any questions, please feel contact us to schedule a free consultation.

What is EMDR?

EMDR is a mind-body based therapy that can provide relief from symptoms faster than traditional talk psychotherapy approaches. EMDR works by understanding that under upsetting or traumatic times, the brain cannot process information as it ordinarily does.  One moment can become “frozen in time” and remembering the event may feel as bad as going through it the first time because the images, sounds, smells, and feelings have not changed.  Such memories have a lasting negative effect that interferes with the way a person sees the world and relates to other people. EMDR can change a person’s relationship to the trauma. When the troubling side effects are processed in both the left and right hemispheres of the brain with non-intrusive bilateral stimulation (primarily through the use of hand pulsers), the traumatic experiences will recede into the past where they belong. Though the memory remains, it no longer interferes in current relationships and daily functioning.

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​How Long is EMDR Treatment?

A typical EMDR session is 50 minutes. The length of treatment varies depending on what is being treated, whether you are addressing one specific event or a series of recurring events, the severity of trauma, and other related factors. Of course, we will work together to ongoingly evaluate your progress.

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What is Treated with EMDR Therapy?

EMDR has been proven effective in treating chronic PTS (post-traumatic stress) symptoms that are the result of recent or past traumatic experiences. Such experiences include:

• Abuse (emotional, physical, sexual)

• Childhood trauma

• Assault

• Negative relational experiences

• Witnessing near death experiences or violence

• Medical trauma

• Car accidents

 

EMDR Therapy for Other Conditions

EMDR is also an effective treatment for activating the natural healing processes and relieving symptoms of:

• Anxiety

• Panic attacks

• Depression

• Relationship conflicts

• Body dysmorphic disorders

• Eating disorders

• Pain disorders

• Addictions

• Phobias

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Get Unstuck with EMDR

You deserve to experience relief and feel unconstrained by your past. If you are interested in working with an EMDR therapist or have any questions, please contact us today for a free consultation.

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? (CBT)

CBT is a structured, practical form of psychotherapy in which the therapist helps the client overcome symptoms and improve overall functioning by developing skills to cope with the thoughts and behaviors that maintain the problem. A core principle of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is that by changing how you think about a problem, you will experience different feelings about it and be inclined to behave differently. CBT also focuses on helping clients notice and challenge unhelpful thoughts, as well as try new behaviors to disprove thoughts and beliefs.

Skills Taught in CBT:

Common skills taught by therapists in cognitive behavioral therapy include:

• Mindfulness

• Tracking thoughts

• Thought challenging

• Activity scheduling

• Role playing

• Exposure therapy

• Behavioral experiments

• Relaxation techniques

 

What is Treated with CBT?

Cognitive behavioral therapy can be effective in treating:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder

• Social Anxiety Disorder

• Panic Disorder

• Phobias

• Mood disorders, such as Depression or Bipolar Disorder

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Substance Use Disorders

• Eating Disorders

 

Develop Tools to Overcome Challenges with CBT

If you’d like to learn skills to gain confidence in handling distress, contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our CBT therapists.

What is Psychodynamic Therapy?

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a modality that involves working with clients in a deep and meaningful way and identifying the impact of the past on the present.  There is no one size fits all approach.  However, the modality focuses on exploring long-term patterns of how you live your life in relation to family, friends, work, and community, as well as to yourself.  A big part of the work includes a focus on the dynamic that emerges between therapist and client as a helpful tool for managing dynamics outside the therapy room.  The goal of this modality is supporting clients in getting more out of life by working towards creating greater self-awareness and, thereby, working towards change.

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What is Treated with Psychodynamic Therapy?

Psychodynamic psychotherapy can be used to treat a variety of concerns, including but not limited to:

 Relationships

• Self-defeating behaviors

• Trauma

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Co-dependency

• Finding meaning and purpose

 

Experience Insight, Understanding and Resiliency with Psychodynamic

Often times, we are stuck using coping mechanisms that worked at one point in our lives, but are now no longer needed or even useful.  Psychodynamic therapy is a way to identify those patterns, explore how they were helpful in the past, gain understanding of how they impact the present and find out ways on how to move forward.

What is Family Systems Therapy?

Family systems therapy draws on systems thinking to view the family as an emotional unit.  Systems thinking evaluates the parts of a system in relation to the whole. When applied to families, systems thinking suggests that an individual’s behavior is informed by and inseparable from the functioning of her/his family of origin. Therefore, individual growth occurs by addressing the structure and behavior patterns of the family. Similarly, by changing the behavior of one family member, you influence the way that the family functions over time.

 

How Does Family Systems Therapy Work?

In Family Systems Therapy, the therapist will work to explore each family member’s perspective of the issue(s) bringing them to therapy. In doing so, the therapist will help family members understand how their behaviors are interconnected, and encourage them to try new ways of interacting in order to break patterns of interaction. The ultimate goal is to relieve tension in the family system and shift towards a more balanced, healthy way of interacting.

 

What is Family Systems Therapy Used to Treat?

Family Systems Therapy can be an effective approach for:

• Substance use issues

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Eating disorders

• Family conflict

• Child behavioral issues

• Couples conflict

• Adjusting to a family changes, such as a divorce, blending families, new sibling, incarceration, or loss

 

Resolve Issues Together with Family Systems Therapy

If you are interested in learning more about this approach or would like to get started, please contact us today for a free consultation.

What is Play Therapy?

Play is an integral part of a child's growth, development, and emotional health. Through play, children learn about themselves and their world. They also discover healthier ways to cope and process difficulties. In Play Therapy, children are encouraged to act out or create their fantasies, frustrations, or fears and thereby express their feelings through play or art.  Play therapy uses children's natural language to give them the opportunity to communicate what's troubling them in an environment of fun exploration. It also helps build coping skills, resiliency, empathy, and better social skills.

 

Children’s Issues Treated with Play Therapy:

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD), Non-Verbal, and other learning difficulties

• Anxiety/Worry/Panic Attacks

• Depression/Sadness

• Grief/Loss

• Impulse Control Issues

• Managing Difficult Health Issues

• Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) Spectrum

• Phobias and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Sexual Identity

• School-Related Difficulties

• Sleep Issues

• Social Challenges

• Transitions - Divorce, Moving, New Family Structure, etc.

• Trauma

 

Get Emotional Support for Your Child With Play Therapy 

Working with children is one of our specialties at A New Leaf Therapy Group. We would be happy to support your child’s growth and healing through play and partnering with you as their caregiver(s). To learn more about how we can help or to get started, please contact us today for a free consultation.