Treatment Options
Therapy is a big commitment and finding a treatment that works is essential. The following treatments are offered at Wise Mind Counseling:
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Full, comprehensive DBT is the gold standard of treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), as well as when people have multiple areas of dysregulation. This includes individual therapy, skills training, phone coaching, and DBT therapist on a DBT team.
DBT-PE (Prolonged Exposure)
DBT-PE is used to treat trauma while people are in DBT and having multiple symptoms beyond PTSD (suicidal, self-harming, unstable relationships, etc.). DBT-PE teaches people to approach trauma reminders, any situations that are avoided due to depression, anxiety, and trauma beliefs (in-vivo exposure). It also teaches people to experience the trauma story without a feeling of being re-traumatized (imaginal exposure). Due to the additional symptoms beyond PTSD, DBT-PE is a treatment that approaches trauma through an emotional lens. DBT Skills are taught to support a person during trauma treatment.
DBT Skills Only
DBT skills (mindfulness, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance) are helpful for anyone. Skills as a stand alone treatment is used when people do not meet criteria to participate in a full DBT program. Skills can be taught to individuals, families, and couples.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
CBT refers to a group of psychotherapies that are widely researched and efficiently treat a variety of concerns including mood and anxiety disorders and trauma. CBT connects how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors affect one another and offers skills to solve present day problems and reach goals.
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
ERP is a type of CBT used in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The “E” in ERP means “Exposure” and helps people gradually face fears by creating structured plans and experiencing the anxiety or discomfort. The “RP” in ERP means “Response Prevention” and this means removing compulsive or repetitive behaviors to relieve the discomfort. The goal of ERP (Exposure + Response Prevention) is to learn that fears and uncertainty can be tolerated without having to engage in compulsions. When compulsions are removed, people can engage in a more goal directed and value driven life.
Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is the leading treatment for other anxiety disorders, including panic attacks. The goal is to learn breathing and thinking skills, then face situations (in-vivo exposure) and body cues (interoceptive exposure) that cause panic in order to overcome the fears.
Prolonged Exposure (PE)
PE is a form of CBT to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This type of treatment is used for a diagnosis of PTSD alone, different than DBT-PE that is used for PTSD and other diagnostic concerns. PE teaches people to approach trauma reminders, situations that are avoided due to depression, anxiety, and trauma beliefs (in-vivo exposure). It also teaches people to experience the trauma story without a feeling of being re-traumatized (imaginal exposure). Treating trauma can be scary, and exposure treatment is done in a gradual, supportive way.
Behavior Activation (BA)
BA is evidence based to treat depression and anxiety. BA helps us understand how behaviors influence mood and how to decrease depression and anxiety by consistently engaging in non-depressive behaviors (decrease avoiding and isolating, get active and social) and living more in line with values.
Mindfulness
Developing a mindful practice and learning mindfulness skills is helpful for everyone. DBT added mindfulness to psychotherapy many years ago and it has evolved as a proven way to decrease anxiety, stress, depression, mood swings, pain, poor concentration, sleep, and unhealthy eating.
Self-Compassion Therapy
An approach that teaches how to be mindfully kind, understanding, and accepting of oneself rather than self-critical and judgmental. Self-compassion approaches can reduce perfectionism, shame, and disgust.
Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS)
CAMS is especially effective at treating suicide near the onset of urges. DBT is more effective at treating persistent life threatening urges along with other symptoms. CAMS is an evidenced based treatment for suicide and collaboratively integrates a variety of treatments to increase reasons for living.