Therapeutic Approach

In general, I consider myself a behavioral therapist. I like to ask the question “What behaviors are helping you in your life right now? Which ones are hurting you?” I have trained intensively in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and have spent the last several years as a member of a gold standard consult team with DBT Eastside in Bellevue. Most of the therapy I provide is informed by DBT even if clients do not opt for a gold standard approach, which includes weekly skills groups, individual sessions, diary cards, and coaching calls. The DBT approach is behavioral; it emphasizes building skills in mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance. DBT encourages individuals to follow a "middle path" in life, helping clients to find peace and balance in a stressful and tumultuous world.

I am also trained in and offer individual sessions in Radically Open DBT, which helps individuals coping with anxiety, OCPD, eating disorders, and treatment-resistant depression. This treatment is great for individuals who are perhaps high-achieving and successful, but feel as if they are disconnected from others or feel that perfectionism is getting in the way of true life enjoyment. It can also be helpful for those who tend to avoid their feelings as well as tasks that generate feelings of anxiety or distress. Radically Open DBT helps build greater openness, flexibility and connectedness. It helps us to break free from our own perspectives and rigid ways of doing things that may no longer be effective for us by willingly doing a deep dive into some self-examination.

Regardless of behavioral intervention chosen, I also believe in the power of our own thoughts to shape our lives and impact general satisfaction. I often incorporate elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy into my sessions as well. I always like to remind clients that “Just because you think it, doesn’t make it true!”. Getting more comfortable examining and questioning our own thought patterns can be incredibly beneficial to improving mental health.

Below are brief summaries of some of the approaches used at Lookout Counseling Services: 

Radically Open DBT

Created for those suffering from excessive self-control, Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO-DBT) builds upon the success of traditional DBT to treat a unique spectrum of symptoms. Individuals suffering from disorders of over-control, such as anorexia nervosa, obsessive compulsive disorder, chronic depression, chronic avoidance, perfectionism, treatment-resistant anxiety, and paranoia may be able to find relief using RO-DBT.

If you are struggling with chronic overthinking, being hyper-detailed focused and overly cautious, having difficulty connecting with others and expressing emotions, RO DBT can help you learn ways to create greater openness, flexibility and intimacy with others.

EMDR

EMDR is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of having experienced disturbing life events. EMDR is based on the idea that if the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound lingers long-term and can cause intense suffering. Once the block is removed through appropriate trauma treatment such as EMDR, healing resumes.

Standard DBT

Dialectical behavior therapy was created initially to treat people with suicidal behavior and borderline personality disorder, though it has now been adapted for a variety of other mental health concerns that can potentially threaten one's relationships, work, emotional well-being and own safety.

The term "dialectical" comes from the idea that bringing together two opposites in therapy (validation and acceptance versus problem solving and change) can produce greater results than focusing on either one alone.

Standard DBT can teach you the skills to help regulate difficult emotions, avoid problematic and potentially dangerous behaviors, and gain greater mindfulness of yourself and others.