Tulare Mott
Helping Adults, Couples, and Families Build Secure Connections and Healthier Relationships
Treatment methods
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, to help clients develop a healthier relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions. Instead of trying to eliminate every uncomfortable feeling, we work on understanding what is happening internally, responding with greater flexibility, and making choices that reflect the person or family they want to be. In my work with adults, couples, and families, I help clients recognize patterns such as anxiety, self-criticism, emotional avoidance, codependency, conflict, or reacting impulsively when overwhelmed. We practice slowing down, noticing thoughts and feelings without immediately acting on them, and choosing responses that support personal and relationship goals.
Attachment-based
Attachment-based therapy looks at the ways our important relationships have shaped what we expect from others and how we protect ourselves emotionally. When people have experienced inconsistency, rejection, betrayal, loss, or unmet emotional needs, they may develop protective habits such as withdrawing, people-pleasing, becoming overly independent, seeking constant reassurance, or reacting strongly to perceived rejection. I help clients make sense of these responses without labeling them as flaws. Many were originally learned as ways to maintain connection or avoid being hurt. Once clients understand where these patterns come from, they can begin deciding whether those patterns still serve them.
Interpersonal
I use interpersonal therapy to help clients understand the connection between their emotional well-being and what is happening in their relationships. Rather than focusing only on symptoms, we look at current experiences such as conflict, loneliness, grief, changing family roles, or difficulty asking for support. Together, we identify the relationship concerns creating the most stress and choose a practical area of focus. This might include adjusting to parenthood, divorce, illness, employment changes, children leaving home, or another major life transition. It may also involve resolving an ongoing disagreement, processing the loss of an important relationship, or developing a stronger support system.
Solution-Focused Brief Treatment
I use Solution-Focused Brief Therapy to help clients identify what they want to change and develop practical steps toward that goal. Instead of spending most of our time analyzing everything that caused the problem, we focus on strengths, available resources, previous successes, and the changes the client would like to see. I ask questions that help clients picture what life would look like if things began improving. We then look for times when the concern was less intense or handled more successfully. These exceptions can reveal skills and strategies the client already has but may not recognize.
Strength-Based
I use strengths-based therapy to help clients recognize the abilities, personal qualities, relationships, and resources they can draw upon when facing difficulties. Emotional distress can make it easy to focus only on what feels wrong or what is not working. This approach creates space to acknowledge the problem while also identifying the resilience and capabilities the client already possesses. Strengths may include perseverance, compassion, insight, creativity, spirituality, humor, problem-solving, cultural traditions, supportive relationships, or the courage it took to seek help. Together, we explore how clients have handled previous challenges and how those experiences may guide them through their current concerns.