Our counselors provide therapy in Anchorage, AK

Cecilie: I like to approach individual therapy with a lot of curiosity and empathy to develop better understanding of each person's experience and how it has impacted them to the extent that they are asking for help.

Jennifer: My go-to approach for therapy is an eclectic celebration of methods and techniques. I do not subscribe to one or two specific methods because I select techniques based on the client's preferred style and needs. I have a wide range of methods I use to engage clients, but whatever we decide to do, it will be engaging and interactive. I engage methods from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Individual Psychology (Lifestyle Assessment), Art Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Positive Psychology, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and many more. I often use metaphor and stories to explain complex topics in a humorous and relatable way. I do not subscribe to the therapist as a blank wall type of therapy or give out lots of homework. I also use a whole body approach as psychological issues impact body, brain, social, work, and environmental functioning. This incorporates evaluation and stabilization of issues in the home, work, social, and school environments, somatic exercised such as yoga and stretching, sleep hygiene, stress reduction techniques, art, vagus nerve release, etc. to help the mind and the body heal concurrently. I have worked in rural Alaska for 14 years as a Psychotherapist, Critical Incident Stress Debriefer, EMT, and Firefighter and specialize in the treatment of developmental and complex trauma and Art Therapy.

Cecilie: Initially I focus on building self-esteem by reflecting on personal strengths and improving awareness of the negative self beliefs that have become habitual. Then we move into a stage of taking personal responsibility by practicing honesty and emotional regulation. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the model I use to build these skills.

Jennifer: I teach a wide variety of tools to help my clients succeed in all environments and life tasks. I generally begin by developing a strong, trusting relationship with my clients. I evaluate all immediate stressors and we attempt to minimize those that we can control to stabilize the client and reduce additional or unnecessary stressors that may interfere with therapy progress. These may include finding resources to address issues like food and housing insecurity, financial issues, work problems, social isolation, etc. Once the client is stable in all areas of life, we begin learning practical interventions and skills that can be used to make an immediate impact on the problem such as stress reduction, effective communication skills, rules for fair fighting, substance use reduction, sleep hygiene, developing social support systems, referrals to psychiatrists for testing or medication evaluation, stress reduction techniques, and nutritional issues.

• Psychoeducation ("The story of the stinky onion" - PTSD, "The Train" - trauma processing, "The rotten banana" - Shame, "The Nerve" - fight-or-flight, "Draw a Bridge" - self concept, The Symphony Orchestra" - ADHD, "The Wall" - overcoming blocks, "The Seesaw" - futility of fighting, "The 4 Goals of Misbehavior", "The Scribble"- creative problem solving, etc.)
• Art Therapy (Teaching painting, drawing, carving, sculpting, etc. as a way to heal the brain by tapping into and reinforcing pathways to the creative mind. This helps the brain function better and promotes flexible thinking, objectivity, perspective, problem solving, non-verbal communication, expression of emotion, mood improvement, stress reduction, and mind/body connection when client's don't have the words to express what they are experiencing.
• Vagus Nerve Release - A technique that teaches clients how to get out of fight-flight-freeze mode, resolve anxiety, and improve functioning under pressure.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Linking thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to gain awareness of the motive behind each, belief systems, and improve self-awareness, regulation, and responding intentionally rather than automatically.
• Lifestyle Assessment - An Adlerian technique that processes life events to identify mistaken beliefs, errant thinking, and perceptions developed at a young age, that become the rules by which we live our lives.

Cecilie: I know a client is making meaningful progress in therapy when they reflect on feeling better about themselves, are less overwhelmed, and setting healthy limits with others in a natural way.

Jennifer: I know a client is making meaningful process in individual therapy when 1) We have established a strong, trusting therapeutic bond that promotes open communication; 2) The client feels unstuck and starts making progress toward their goals; 3) The client's life stabilizes and functioning improves in all environments and life tasks; 4) The client begins to recognize patterns of behaviors and change how they react in response; 5) The client gains self-awareness, self-control, emotion regulation, and self-esteem; 6) The client gains a sense of belonging and autonomy with the confidence to tackle life's issues without me.

Cecilie: Using the time between therapy sessions to practice new cognitions and behaviors is an important part of recovery. I like to suggest reading, journaling, a creative pursuit and a physical pursuit.

Jennifer: Clients can supplement their time in individual therapy in so many ways. I often recommend engagement in creative pursuits (and teach skills in session) as it helps boost moods, provides stress relief, promotes self-expression, flexible thinking, objectivity, perspective, mind/body synchronicity, creative thinking, creative problem solving, and heals/promotes improved brain functioning. I also highly recommend engagement in social activities and development of a solid social support system. Exercise and diet are important for stress reduction, improved sleep, and providing the building blocks necessary for the brain and body to work efficiently.

Cecilie: Be prepared to answer a wide variety of questions for the assessment, which might not have a lot to do with the primary problem. Also, knowing any medications and dosage is really helpful. But overall, just take a deep breath and be open and honest about the problems you are experiencing.

Jennifer: To prepare for your first individual therapy session, I ask that you complete the intake forms and symptom rating scales. This provides the basic information necessary to complete the assessment and establishes a baseline by which we can determine progress over time. This will free us up to spend our time developing a relationship, identifying problem issues, and setting goals for our time together. There is no need to fret about finding something to discuss prior to the session. Just relax and be yourself.