I'm Zach, I use a number of approaches to help clients reach greater wellness. This may mean healing, understanding of self, resolving toward a new goal, or developing new motivations. I use a validating, kind, yet direct approach which involves a humor. As with most therapists, I let my clients' needs and desires dictate the direction of care while using a goal-focused while simultaneously flexible approach.
In the first session clients can expect me to understand their challenges, validate the difficulty and provide thoughtful feedback about how I can help, and if necessary, other services which may be effective. My delivery of this feedback is both hopeful and honest. They can also expect validation and understanding, as all challenges are unique to the individual.
I rely on evidence-based practice to the extent that it is possible, while making space for a non-judgmental examination of individual perspective. This is informed by my curiosity regarding the human condition, the complexity of our existence, and my awareness that we are all lost to some extent at some point. As for my ability to practice, I hold multiple certifications in a variety of approaches, teach at the graduate level, and pride myself on my clinical expertise as well as my acknowledgement of its limitations. I have been practicing for 8 years, and while I feel extremely confident in my abilities, I am humbled by the limitations of my own knowledge. As a result, you can always expect your knowledge of self to be respected and heard.
CBT encompasses all of the examination that we do with corrective thinking and the way that impacts our thoughts and behaviors. This includes challenging out thoughts, redirecting them, identifying distortions. I also use newer CBT based techniques such as ACT which involves identifying out values and establishing valued direction.
Establishing presence is paramount in understanding ourself, our desired outcomes, and examining effectiveness. I use meditation, mindfulness-based activities, grounding exercises, and occasional body awareness to help clients check-in with the entire self.
This is a question-based intervention which helps people resolve ambivalence (internal conflict or uncertainty) toward a committed direction.
There are a number of ways that internalized beliefs or schemas impact the way that we see ourselves, the world, and significantly influence the way we interact with it. This is utilized in developing a trauma informed view of the self or examining ineffective beliefs about ourselves and others.