It Is Not the Strongest of the Species that Survives But the Most Adaptable

• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): 

An action-oriented approach to therapy  that stems from traditional behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Individuals learn to stop avoiding, denying, and struggling with their inner emotions and, instead, accept that these deeper feelings are appropriate responses to certain situations that should not prevent them from moving forward in their lives. With this understanding, individuals begin to accept their issues and hardships and commit to making necessary changes in their behavior, regardless of what is going on in their lives, and how they feel about it.  

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) 

These modalities help clients identify and understand problematic thought and behavior patterns and learn how to shift these patterns into ones that help them reduce suffering, achieve desired goals, and improve their quality of life. 

• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

CPT follows a series of structured steps, where each session has a specific focus or goal. This approach helps address the emotions surrounding trauma, like anxiety, shame or anger. CPT aims to help a person understand how they have processed a traumatic experience, and works to challenge problematic thinking surrounding trauma.  The techniques used are designed to help give exposure to traumatic experiences and to change thought patterns surrounding those experiences. There are several methods and strategies used in CPT sessions. Some techniques can be challenging for those living with PTSD in the short-term but are demonstrated to be effective in improving PTSD symptoms.

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) 

When a person is very upset, their brain cannot process information as it does ordinarily. One moment becomes “frozen in time,” and remembering a trauma may feel as bad as going through it for the first time because the images, sounds, smells, and feelings haven’t changed. Such memories have a lasting negative effect that interferes with the way a person sees the world and the way they relate to other people.  EMDR seems to have a direct effect on the way the brain processes information. Following a successful EMDR session, a person no longer relives the images, sounds, and feelings when the event is brought to mind. You still remember what happened, but it is less upsetting.