Anxiety, depression, and relationship problems are experiences that we all have from time to time. If you're feeling overwhelmed by negative, unwanted feelings or believe you're dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, or any combination of stress that's affecting your peace of mind or relationships, then we might be a good match. You're not alone in your struggle and deserve to regain the peace of mind and joy that have been missing from your life. I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Board-Certified Behavior Analyst with over 30 years of experience, and I can help you live better. I use compassion, positive psychology, and understanding to help adults and adolescents become their best selves. Therapy is a safe space to address mental health struggles or challenges while also helping you overcome obstacles. My approach is heavily influenced by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Positive Psychology, and Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT). This approach is most effective in treating addiction, anxiety, depression, anger, and trauma and helping individuals or couples experiencing relationship or parenting difficulties. When it comes to anxiety and depression, ACT emphasizes that thoughts, private events, and feelings are not inherently problematic. It's only when we react to them in rigid, inflexible ways, such as trying to control or avoid them, that they become disturbing or unsettling. Through ACT, you'll learn to be more psychologically present, connect with your values, make room for life's inevitable pain, take effective action despite emotional discomfort, and appreciate each moment of your life.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

The goal of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), combined with Solution Focused Therapy, is to help individuals maximize their potential and live a meaningful life while effectively managing the inevitable pain that comes with it. During our initial session, I will assist you in identifying what truly matters to you and teach you the skills needed to effectively handle challenging thoughts and emotions, fully engage in your activities, and appreciate and savor the fulfilling aspects of life. I will also inquire about your therapy goals and how you will measure the success of our time together. In subsequent sessions, my primary questions will be centered on identifying improvements and positive changes in your life.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

I focus on solution-building instead of problem-solving in my work. Similar to positive psychology, Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) is a type of psychotherapy that emphasizes what the client can do with solutions rather than the origins of the problem. SFT practitioners focus on when problems do not occur or the exceptions to the problems, rather than when problems do occur. When working with clients who have concerns such as anxiety, depression, or relationship difficulties, the technique in SFT involves highlighting the exceptions - moments when things worked well despite the problem. This approach, combined with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), is derived from traditional behavior and cognitive behavioral therapy and is particularly effective in treating anxiety, depression, addiction, self-harm, post-traumatic stress, and helping individuals or couples with relationship or parenting difficulties. In my practice, I am primarily interested in observing behavior or what is objective and visible, rather than focusing on diagnoses or labels. The therapeutic relationship involves understanding the client's perspective on a problem, whether the issue involves loneliness, anxiety, depression, anger, or family conflicts. The key to therapy in my practice is being sensitive to a client's or family's way of understanding the problems, taking into consideration factors such as age or stage of life.

About Dr. Walter Prather, Ph.D., LMFT, BCBA-D