I am a therapist passionate about listening to the stories of others. I provide a safe space to tackle difficult issues and heal from the affects of trauma. In the past I found myself in therapy, and when my therapist helped me improve the quality of my life I decided I wanted to sit in his chair one day. I've devoted my career to that pursuit.
You may be seeking therapy due to crippling anxiety, exhausting depression or to lift the weight trauma has placed on you. You may want to learn strategies to improve your focus and move you closer to your goals. Perhaps you want to get closer to loved ones and communicate in a healthier way with those around you. Whatever you bring I am here to guide you through it so you can then guide yourself through life. I'm confident that if we work together you can make changes, feel better and get more out of life.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
Our first session is a chance to get to know one another. I'll ask you questions to explore why you are seeking therapy, if you have had therapy before, what has worked and what has not. You are the one in control of your therapy and future sessions will be tailored to your needs. The first few sessions are also a chance for you to find out if I am a good fit for you or not. I ask all of my clients to be honest with me and to talk to me openly if something I am saying or doing is bothering them in session. If we are honest with one another you will be more comfortable and open. The more open you are, the more you get our of therapy. If you feel I am not a good fit, I will help you find a better fit. If I need to make changes to accommodate you, I will. Therapy is a team effort between us. We spend that first session building the foundation of that teamwork.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I listen, and no matter what you bring to me I am here to work with you to accomplish your goals. I do not force my own opinions or solutions onto you. Instead we focus on drawing out your strength. You are the expert on your own life. My job is the arm you with tools to navigate life, a judgement free space and the support you need to move forward. You'll find I create a relaxing and focused atmosphere in therapy. I will hold you accountable to the goals you set while giving you grace and empathy.
About Gage Peavler
Address
44444 Hayes Road, Clinton Township, MI, USAAppointments
Virtual & in-person
My treatment methods
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
Imagine yourself as a bus driver trying to reach a destination. There are many loud people on the bus screaming at you as you drive, making it hard to focus on your goal of driving. The people won't quiet down. They yell insults at you, tell you you aren't good enough and tell you to give up. At times you just want to stop the bus or drive off the road. Your thoughts are those loud people on the bus, and you are the driver trying to reach your goals. Negative thoughts can be hard to get rid of, and usually even if you kick those loud people off the bus for a moment they get right back on at the next stop. In ACT, rather than kicking those loud people off the bus, we learn how to acknowledge them while continuing to drive. We explore your core values and goals as our compass to guide you on life's journey. Every choice you make and behavior you engage in goes through a value check which tells us if the behavior will enrich your life or sabotage you.
With ACT we can explore who you really are beneath those negative thoughts and feelings. In time those people on the bus will start to quiet down making the drive through life easier. Acceptance does not mean you give up. It allows you to free up energy to commit to behavior that improves your life.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Trauma impacts most of us in some way throughout our lives. If you had a difficult childhood, a bad accident, the loss of a loved one or endured emotional, sexual or physical abuse then you likely experience symptoms related to trauma. Loss of energy. low self esteem, anxiety, anger or even thoughts of suicide are all linked to trauma. When your brain is traumatized it loses its ability to store memories safely. Triggers remind the brain of a traumatic event and the brain goes into crisis mode. This shuts down good decision making and instead sends you into fight or flight where impulsivity is much more common. After an episode of fight or flight your body is filled with adrenaline leading to a feeling of heaviness. Depression and anxiety feed off that left over adrenaline which impacts your life.
IFS is a way to process trauma to keep you in control of your life and reduce the intensity of these trauma symptoms. In IFS we examine your traumatized parts, those parts of you frozen in time from trauma. Instead of trying to push those parts down we acknowledge them and learn how to accept these memories. This allows you to move forward and utilize what you have been through to bring you closer to the self - your core values. We cannot remove trauma from the body, but we can teach you how to manage and even utilize your brain's remarkable capacity to heal. When all your parts, even those traumatized ones, work together you will have an easier time reaching your goals.
Trauma-Focused CBT
Think of your thoughts like leaves in a stream. There are some beautiful leaves floating by, and some worn down ugly ones. Negative thoughts are those ugly leaves. If you focus your energy onto plucking those ugly leaves out of the stream and examining them you find yourself becoming miserable. CBT challenges us to shift our focus onto the beautiful leaves in the stream. By changing the focus of our thinking we start to feel better. As we feel better we engage in healthier behavior.
With CBT you will learn mindfulness skills to increase your ability to reframe negative thoughts. The frontal lobe, which controls our rational thinking and good decision making, is often neglected in life. We spent much of our time in the survival part of our brain. Mindfulness reprograms those default settings which enriches life experiences. Through CBT you will find yourself more able to live in the moment.
