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Our approach

Different ways in, the same steady care.

Every clinician here is trained in more than one approach, and most sessions draw on a few. Here’s what each method is, in plain words, what a session tends to look like and who on our team offers it.

Illustration: a cairn of smooth stones on a beach at low tide, with a cedar branch and ripples in the sand.

Choose an approach

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Noticing the link between thoughts, feelings and what we do, then testing out new ways of responding.

In plain words

CBT starts from a simple idea: the way we interpret what happens to us shapes how we feel and what we do next. Together you notice the patterns that keep you stuck, like assuming the worst or avoiding things that feel risky, and try small, practical experiments to loosen them.

What a session looks like

Sessions are structured and collaborative. You’ll usually agree on a focus at the start, look at a recent example together, and leave with something small to try before next time.

Often helpful for

  • Anxiety, panic and worry
  • Low mood and depression
  • Sleep problems
  • Stress and perfectionism

Who offers it here

    Exposure and response prevention (ERP)

    A form of CBT for OCD and anxiety: facing feared situations in small, planned steps, without the usual rituals.

    In plain words

    OCD and anxiety keep themselves going through checking, avoiding and asking for reassurance. Those habits bring short-term relief but make the fear stronger over time. ERP helps you face what you fear in small, planned steps, and learn that you can cope without the ritual.

    What a session looks like

    You and your therapist build a ladder of situations from mildly uncomfortable to hard. You choose every step and the pace. Some practice happens in session, some between sessions, and nothing is sprung on you.

    Often helpful for

    • OCD and intrusive thoughts
    • Health anxiety
    • Phobias
    • Panic

    Who offers it here

      Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)

      A structured way of processing traumatic memories so they feel less raw and intrusive.

      In plain words

      Some memories stay stuck, as vivid and upsetting as the day they happened. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, such as side-to-side eye movements or alternating taps, while you briefly hold a memory in mind. Many people find the memory becomes less charged and easier to live with.

      What a session looks like

      EMDR is never the first step. The early sessions focus on history, safety and skills for calming your body. Processing sessions are often longer (80 minutes), and you can pause at any time.

      Often helpful for

      • Trauma and PTSD
      • Distressing single events, such as an accident
      • Grief after a sudden loss
      • Some phobias and performance anxiety

      Who offers it here

        DBT-informed skills

        Practical skills from dialectical behavior therapy for intense emotions, urges and relationships.

        In plain words

        Dialectical behavior therapy balances acceptance and change: accepting yourself as you are while learning new ways to cope. We use its four skill sets (mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and getting along with others) in individual sessions and in our teen skills group. We describe our work as DBT-informed because we don’t run a full DBT program with phone coaching and a consultation team.

        What a session looks like

        Sessions mix skill teaching with real situations from your week. Teens often use a diary card to notice patterns, and parents may join some sessions to learn the same language.

        Often helpful for

        • Intense or fast-changing emotions
        • Self-harm urges (alongside a safety plan)
        • Conflict in relationships
        • Teens who feel overwhelmed

        Who offers it here

          Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

          Making room for difficult thoughts and feelings, and moving toward what matters to you.

          In plain words

          ACT isn’t about getting rid of painful thoughts and feelings. It’s about changing your relationship with them, so they don’t get to make every decision. You get clearer on your values, the kind of person you want to be, and take small steps toward them, even when it’s uncomfortable.

          What a session looks like

          Expect metaphors, short mindfulness exercises and practical commitments. Sessions often look at where you feel pulled away from what matters and what a small step back might be.

          Often helpful for

          • Burnout and feeling stuck
          • Chronic stress and worry
          • Low mood
          • Living with long-term illness or pain

          Who offers it here

            Gottman Method couples therapy

            A research-based approach that strengthens friendship, manages conflict and builds shared meaning.

            In plain words

            The Gottman Method grew out of decades of research into what helps couples last. It focuses on three areas: friendship and fondness, handling conflict without it turning destructive, and building a life that has shared meaning for both of you.

            What a session looks like

            It usually starts with a joint session, a short individual session with each partner and an online questionnaire. Then you work on specific skills, often practicing a real conversation in the room with support.

            Often helpful for

            • Arguments that go in circles
            • Feeling distant or like roommates
            • Rebuilding trust after an affair
            • Big transitions, like a new baby

            Who offers it here

              Emotionally focused therapy (EFT)

              Understanding the emotional cycle between partners, so you can reach each other again.

              In plain words

              In EFT, conflict is seen as a cycle that both partners get caught in, often one pursuing and one withdrawing, driven by deeper needs for closeness and safety. Your therapist helps you slow the cycle down and say what’s really underneath it.

              What a session looks like

              Sessions are slower and more emotional than skills-based work. Many couples find it helps when they know what to do but still can’t seem to reach each other.

              Often helpful for

              • Emotional distance
              • Repeated hurts
              • Attachment worries
              • Couples and parent–child relationships

              Who offers it here

                Play therapy

                Helping children work through feelings and experiences in the language they know best: play.

                In plain words

                Young children rarely have the words for what’s bothering them, but they show it through play. In our playroom, with sand tray, art supplies, puppets and small figures, children can work through worries, changes and losses at their own pace.

                What a session looks like

                Children usually come weekly for 45 minutes. Parents meet the therapist regularly without the child, to understand what’s coming up and how to support it at home.

                Often helpful for

                • Worries and fears
                • Big changes like divorce or a move
                • Grief
                • Behavior that has everyone stuck

                Who offers it here

                  Family therapy

                  Working with the whole family, or part of it, to change patterns no one can change alone.

                  In plain words

                  When one person is struggling, the whole family feels it, and families often get stuck in patterns no one chose. Family therapy brings people together to understand those patterns and find new ways of talking, setting limits and supporting each other.

                  What a session looks like

                  Sessions may include everyone, or just the people who can come. Your therapist keeps things balanced, so each person gets heard, including the quietest one.

                  Often helpful for

                  • Conflict at home
                  • Blended families and co-parenting
                  • A child or teen who is struggling
                  • Adjusting after a loss or a diagnosis

                  Who offers it here

                    Mindfulness-based therapy

                    Learning to notice the present moment with curiosity, rather than being swept along by it.

                    In plain words

                    Mindfulness is a skill, not a mood: noticing what’s happening in your mind and body right now, without judging it. It doesn’t have to mean long meditations. Even a few minutes of practice can help with stress, rumination and sleep.

                    What a session looks like

                    Your therapist may weave short practices into sessions and suggest brief exercises between them. You can always say no to anything that doesn’t feel right, especially if focusing on your body feels unsafe.

                    Often helpful for

                    • Stress and rumination
                    • Recurring depression
                    • Sleep
                    • Grounding after trauma (gently)

                    Who offers it here

                      This is general information about therapy approaches, not advice about your situation. Your clinician will talk with you about what fits.

                      Whatever the method

                      What all of our work has in common

                      • You set the pace

                        Nothing is pushed on you. You decide what to talk about and when, and you can say “not today”.

                      • Goals you choose

                        We agree what you want to be different and check in regularly about whether therapy is helping.

                      • Affirming care

                        We welcome people of every race, faith, body, gender, sexuality, neurotype and relationship style.

                      • Privacy first

                        What you share stays between you and your clinician, within the limits we explain at the start.

                      Not sure which approach you need?

                      You don’t have to know. Answer five short questions and we’ll suggest the clinicians who might fit, or talk it through on a free 15-minute call.