unitas mental health uses methods supported by research:
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EMDR is a highly-researched modality designed to treat PSTD and trauma, though research indicates it may help with other mental health conditions.
EMDR involves learning to calm big emotions, then using a unique method of combining talk therapy and eye-movement to facilitate the reprocessing of memories, beliefs, and feelings that trauma left us with. EMDR is a structured therapy that can be interwoven throughout traditional talk therapy.
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Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS), designed to treat trauma, is a unique approach to therapy that acknowledges that our minds are multifaceted and made of parts, some of whom are in conflict with one another.
IFS involves getting to know the parts of ourselves that have been burdened by trauma, restoring access to our core Self, and healing our wounded parts. IFS is a gentle, compassionate approach that assumes the best intentions of the burdened, challenged parts of ourselves (even the ones that cause lots of harm). Like EMDR, IFS was developed for trauma, but research indicates it may help with various mental health conditions.
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The Gottman Method is a structured method of couples therapy based on decades of research on happy (and unhappy) couples. This method involves thorough assessment to identify problem areas, training in core skills like self and co-regulation, and guided sessions aimed at building and repairing the core areas of relationship.
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Considered by many to be the “gold standard” of mental health treatment, CBT is perhaps the most-researched counseling modality. Like many modern therapies, CBT acknowledges that our feelings are often based on our thoughts and beliefs, and that errors in thinking can be resolved, leading to feeling better.
Research indicates that CBT can help with anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns that hinge upon the interplay between our thoughts and behaviors. While CBT does not show as much promise on complex mental health conditions, such as CPTSD, many elements of CBT are generically helpful, especially for between-session activities.
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DBT was made for folks experiencing borderline personality disorder, which often involves intense emotional challenges and suicidality. The founder of DBT describes the therapy as an attempt to help folks “build a life worth living,” and it achieves this through teaching and applying skills that help endure, manage, and prevent overwhelming emotions. Many therapists specialize in DBT and seek certification; at Unitas, I sprinkle in DBT skills as needed to help with emotional regulation.
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The Active Ingredients Approach to treating PTSD (Gentry, Baranowsky & Rhoton) organizes and consolidates decades of research and theory on trauma. It organizes the treatment of PTSD into common factors that all successful modalities share, offering insights into the categories of intervention that successful treatment requires. This model assists in the treatment of trauma by providing reliable structure for clinical intervention.
Trainings:
EMDR Basic Training
This EMDRIA-certified training focuses on integrating EMDR into clinical practice and sets clinicians up to begin receiving specialized training in EMDR. EMDR is among the most researched modalities for the treatment of trauma, and it continues to accrue evidence for its effectiveness for general mental health issues.
Gottman Method Couples Therapy - Level 1
This couples therapy training, offered by the Gottmans, offers the foundational information and instruction for implementing the Gottman method with couples.
https://www.gottman.com/product/gottman-method-couples-therapy-level-1/
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) Intensive Training Course
This course, hosted by PESI and Evergreen Certifications, summarizes and synthesizes decades worth of research on treating trauma and provides clinicians with an intellectual foundation for conceptualizing the treatment of trauma in clinical practice.
https://catalog.pesi.com/sales/bh_c_001876_cctp_organic-699910
Codependency, Narcissism, & Trauma Bonding: CBT, DBT & EMDR Strategies to Free Clients from Toxic Relationships
This training summarizes current research on codependency, narcissism, and trauma bonding for the purpose of delivering effective clinical interventions to assist clients in breaking free of toxic relational patterns.
Comprehensive Internal Family Systems Therapy Course: A Step-by-Step Guide Through Clinical Applications of the IFS Model
This course, hosted by PESI, outlines the basic methods and practices of Internal Family Systems Therapy, a modern therapy designed by Dr. Richard Schwartz for the treatment of trauma and various mental health concerns.
https://catalog.pesi.com/sales/bh_c_001383_internalfamilysystems_organic-135499