Hi! I'm Dr. Laurel Buxbaum, a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Pennsylvania since 1989. I have a background in cognitive neuropsychology and extensive experience helping people with stress, anxiety, depression, career, family, and relationship issues. By combining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with many other different approaches, as needed, in a warm and supportive atmosphere, I can offer clients a number of strategies for success and growth.
In our first session, we'll talk about the issues that you would like to work on in therapy and any thoughts or ideas you may have about what has helped you in the past. As we go forward, we'll focus first on the things that are causing the most distress with the goal of helping you gain relief, and together, we'll develop a plan of action that can mediate lasting change.
My background as a cognitive neuroscientist means that I value evidence-based approaches that work for many people, delivered with empathy and compassion. The relationship you have with your therapist is an important agent of healing and growth.
My job is to compassionately help you along the path toward feeling better by working with you to identify the sources of difficulty and the things that stand in the way of change, and developing a clear, approachable plan of action. My approach in therapy is based on the evidence of what works, along with the importance of the collaborative and supportive relationship you have with your therapist. Together, we'll identify thoughts, feelings, and situations that cause distress, and develop an actionable and realistic plan that will help you adjust your responses and approaches to difficulty.
My practice incorporates solution-focused sessions that often help with shorter-term goals. Together, we will identify concrete goals and develop a strategic plan of action that will make use of your natural resilience and strength to cope with problems and make changes.
In addition to understanding and modifying thought patterns and behaviors, the third important agent of change often focuses on the body. Body-based practices can take a number of forms depending on personal preferences, but often include mindfulness meditation, breathing, yoga, and/or pleasurable exercise. Depending upon a client's interests, we can together define goals for practicing these evidence-based approaches to help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression and help cope with pain or medical issues.