Our counselors provide therapy in Charlotte, NC

Molly: My go-to approach for helping people in individual therapy is to first get to know them by exploring their values and their vision for a meaningful life, then addressing discrepancies in their thoughts, emotions, quality of relationships, and how their time is spent. I find the best benefit in increasing flexibility in thinking because it can help people accept and feel better about things that they can't change and find the agency to make changes in ways they didn't know they could.

Jess: In individual therapy, my go-to approach is to put the client & their needs & preferences first! I utilize an eclectic approach to therapy; I find that taking pieces from various different techniques & using the ones that best fit my clients' needs give the best therapeutic outcomes. I enjoy learning about my clients, their needs, & their preferences for therapy & taking a collaborative approach to help them reach their treatment goals.

Samuel: I understand how daunting it can be to address your mental health. For this reason, my approach is to look at how we can set small, manageable goals to help you move toward your bigger goals. You may not get there overnight, but slow progress is often the best progress because it's what leads to sustainable change.

Molly: I teach the following tools in individual therapy:

• Identifying emotions: Being mindful of body cues and developing language to label nuanced feelings
• Distress tolerance (coping skills/grounding techniques): Finding ways to do something different to change feelings or distract from them/grounding oneself in the here and now versus what is going on in the mind
• CBT techniques: Thinking about things in a different way to change how you feel about them or doing things differently to cultivate more positive emotions
• Assertiveness and boundaries: Improving one's ability to recognize their needs and wants, communicate them effectively to others, and recognize when to walk away from a relationship when someone can't or won't provide what they need

Jess: I teach the following in individual therapy:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy: Skills to challenge negative & irrational thoughts, ways to identify cognitive distortions, how emotions/behaviors/thoughts all impact each other
• Emotion regulation: Ways to control emotions rather than let your emotions control you
• Distress tolerance: How to cope with difficult scenarios in a less reactive way
• Interpersonal effectiveness: Ways to build/maintain healthy relationships with yourself & others
• Mindfulness/grounding techniques: Ways to stay present in what is happening now
• Communication skills: How to effectively express yourself & your needs to other people along with how to effectively hear other people when they express their needs to you
• Attachment style information: Information on the 4 different attachment styles, how they are formed, & how they impact us in our adult lives/relationships

Samuel: Here are some examples of tools I teach and encourage you to use:

• Deep breathing: It may be cliché to tell someone to “take a deep breath,” but there's a reason for that: it works! Taking slow, deep breaths through your diaphragm is a very effective way to calm your body down during times of high stress.
• Grounding techniques: These are exercises that help tune you into your senses. The purpose of doing this is to redirect your mind away from negative thoughts and feelings and help you regain control when your mind is pulling you in a bad direction.
• Journaling: Keeping a journal is a great way to process and organize your thoughts, which can make your stress less overwhelming and help you gain new insights into how to address life's challenges.
• Cognitive reframing: This is the process of examining the way your mind naturally interprets things and challenging some of your unhelpful thought patterns. Our minds can often be our own worst enemies, and this skill can help you turn yours into more of an ally!
• Assertive communication: Learning to communicate assertively will help you learn to express your needs and set appropriate boundaries in a healthy, respectful way. This is a crucial process in navigating conflicts and resolving disagreements.

Molly: I know a client is making meaningful progress in therapy when they begin to question their ingrained patterns of thinking and push themselves to behave in new ways. I also like to use measurable indicators like questionnaires about the frequency and intensity of their symptoms.

Jess: I'm able to tell my clients are making meaningful progress in individual therapy when they are able to point out moments of growth that they have had, versus me being the one showing them. They are able to say “Hey! I did that!” or “I had a moment when...” & acknowledge & praise themselves.

Samuel: I know a client is making meaningful progress in therapy when they express an enhanced sense of well-being, happiness, and resilience toward managing life's challenges. This is often reflected in lower overall stress levels, increased self-awareness, better communication skills, and healthier daily habits.

Molly: Clients can supplement their time in individual therapy by creating weekly mini-goals or challenges to put into practice one thing they take away from each session, speaking to others with whom they feel comfortable about their new ways of thinking or behaving, and reading books or listening to podcasts that address the issues they are experiencing.

Jess: There are so many ways clients can supplement their time in individual therapy, not the least of which is taking care of their physical health. Physical & mental health go hand-in-hand & they each impact each other. Reading books on personal growth, doing things that fill them up & are growth-promoting for them as an individual, & things that help them feel secure in who they are are also really great things to do to help supplement therapy!

Samuel: Clients can supplement their time in individual therapy by prioritizing what they enjoy! If you are unsure what this is, we will explore that together, and how you can realistically implement it into your life.

Molly: To prepare for your first individual therapy session, you can ensure that you will be able to make time in your schedule to prioritize yourself and consider the problems you are experiencing and how you want your life to be different.

Jess: To prepare for starting therapy, you can think about what you want to achieve throughout your time in therapy. What goals do you want to work toward? Coming into your first session knowing what you're struggling with and what you want to work toward is a great first step!

Samuel: To prepare for your first therapy session, I encourage you to think about what you want things to look like at the end of treatment, what steps will need to be taken to get there, and what sorts of barriers may be getting in the way of those steps. This can include barriers in your environment as well as within yourself.