LMFT, 25 years of experience
New to Grow
I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 20 years of experience in trauma and trauma related injuries, crisis interventions, first responders, critical incident debriefing, and serious mental illness. I am also experienced in symptom management for serious mental illness as well as family support for crisis management. I am skilled in creating a supportive environment where clients feel safe. I work closely with each client to foster resilience, self-compassion, and lasting change.
Build Rapport and Explain CPT: I would introduce the structure and purpose of CPT. Explain how thoughts influence emotions and behaviors, especially after trauma. Normalize PTSD symptoms and emphasize that recovery is possible. Provide Psychoeducation Introduce the concept of “stuck points” (rigid, maladaptive beliefs). Explain the Treatment Structure: Usually 12 sessions, each with specific goals. Homework is an essential part of therapy. Introduce the Impact Statement Assign the first homework: write an Impact Statement about how the trauma affected beliefs about: Safety Trust, Power/control, Esteem, Intimacy Set Expectations Emphasize collaboration and confidentiality. Discuss potential emotional discomfort and coping strategies.
I have over 20 years of experience working with clients. My therapeutic approach and methods depend on the client and their needs.
My therapeutic style is structured, empathetic, and collaborative, guiding clients through a series of sessions that help them identify and challenge unhelpful beliefs related to their trauma. I use evidence-based techniques to help clients reframe distorted thoughts, reduce avoidance behaviors, and regain a sense of control and safety.
Conduct structured sessions with homework assignments (like thought records). Use worksheets and guided questioning to help clients reframe beliefs. Address five key domains: safety, trust, power/control, esteem, and intimacy. Encourage writing exercises to process trauma narratives and beliefs CPT is highly collaborative and focuses on empowering clients to become their own cognitive therapists over time.
Begin with psychoeducation about the CBT model. Use structured sessions with clear goals. Apply thought records and behavioral experiments to test beliefs. Incorporate exposure techniques for anxiety disorders. Track progress using symptom measures (e.g., PHQ-9, GAD-7). CBT is widely applied for depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, eating disorders, and more.