The "gold standard" for treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a specialized form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that teaches individuals to face their fears without engaging in compulsions.
This approach systematically desensitizes individuals to their triggers by having them voluntarily confront intrusive thoughts or situations while resisting the urge to perform the compulsion that serves to "neutralize" the anxiety.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is frequently used alongside ERP as a complementary evidence-based best practice, focusing on increasing psychological flexibility and changing one's relationship with unwanted thoughts rather than trying to eliminate them.
Together, these therapies aim to break the OCD cycle by helping individuals tolerate uncertainty and distress, allowing them to reclaim their lives from the demands of the disorder.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) serves as the primary evidence-based treatment for both depression and anxiety, helping clients identify and restructure maladaptive thought patterns and behaviors.
For depression, Behavioral Activation is a critical component that encourages re-engagement with rewarding activities to alleviate low mood, while anxiety is effectively treated using exposure techniques to reduce avoidance and fear.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is increasingly utilized as a powerful "third-wave" option, fostering psychological flexibility by teaching clients to accept difficult emotions while pursuing value-driven actions.
Ultimately, these therapies prioritize skill-building to improve emotional regulation and functional recovery rather than just symptom elimination.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is particularly beneficial for Bipolar Disorder because it directly addresses the core deficit of emotion dysregulation, teaching individuals to manage intense mood shifts rather than being controlled by them.
The Distress Tolerance skills are vital for curbing the impulsive, high-risk behaviors often seen during mania, while Emotion Regulation skills help navigate the lethargy and despair of depressive episodes.
Additionally, DBT emphasizes mindfulness, which trains individuals to spot the early warning signs of a mood swing, allowing them to intervene with coping strategies before a full episode develops.
Ultimately, DBT helps bridge the gap between medication and daily functioning by reducing the "secondary suffering" and self-judgment often associated with the diagnosis.
The leading evidence-based treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy - Prolonged Exposure (DBT-PE), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). These interventions work by helping individuals safely confront and process traumatic memories, thereby breaking the cycle of avoidance and reducing the power of intrusive symptoms.
While CPT focuses on reframing "stuck points" and beliefs, and DBT-PE utilizes imaginal and in-vivo exposure to habituate the individual to triggers, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to facilitate the brain's natural processing of the event. Ultimately, these therapies aim to integrate the trauma into one's life narrative, moving them from a state of constant survival to one of recovery and safety.
If you prefer to go into an office for therapy, we have a beautiful office in historical downtown Bristol.
If you prefer to have therapy in the comfort of your own home, we offer telehealth services. You are able to switch from in-office to virtual and vice versa at any time.
Warren takes United Healthcare, Connecticare, Oxford, Optum, Aetna, Meritain Health, Cigna, and Oscar.
Danielle accepts Aetna, Meritain Health, Husky, Cigna, and Oscar.
Out of pocket services are also available.
Unfortunately, we are unable to work with Medicare.
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