approach
From the beginning of my training, I have learned to question diagnostic labelling as sole defining aspect of effective intervention practices. I approach each person as a complex being in a continuous process of construction, which may include symptoms as coping strategies for a situation perceived as challenging (present or past).
Attachment theory has always been an important reference in my work, due to the collaboration I have maintained with research teams in this area.
Developed by John Bowlby based on Freud's psychoanalytic theory, attachment theory recognizes the importance of early experiences, attributing a central role to early relationships in how experience is organized (strategies of self-regulation and exploration of context), as well as in the possibility of constructing difficulties.
A secure therapeutic relationship is emphasized by this perspective as a central element of the therapeutic process, facilitating a sense of stability that allows for the development of alternative ways of exploring life contexts.
I approach psychotherapy from a Constructivist perspective (Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Michael J. Mahoney, Jonathan D. Raskin), which starts from the understanding of people as complex beings in continuous construction of themselves and as consequence their context.
Methodologically, I base my practice on Prescriptive Therapy (Larry E. Beutler) and Process-Based Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (Steven Hayes).
I utilize strategies from classic Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (mainly focused on the behavioural and cognitive aspects of experience) and its more recent developments – Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT, Linehan) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, Hayes) – which include working around emotional and bodily dimensions, as well as exploring values and valued directions.
I identify with Abraham Maslow's perspective when he says:
Good psychology should include all methodological techniques, without loyalty to one method, idea, or person in particular.
I aim to help you diversify the strategies you have available to face challenges, in order to create more coherent ways of experiencing yourself.
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Depending on your goals, I may include:
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Understanding the symptoms, their meanings, and implementing strategies to manage and reduce them;
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Exploring and expanding self-care strategies;
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Exploring your relationship with the various dimensions of yourself (emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual) and to developing alternative ways of experiencing and expressing yourself;
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Developing specific skills that you can use to cope with challenges;
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Clarifying and exploring how you were built, the lessons learned, and how these may be limiting you in the present;
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Exploring your values, your unique identity, and what motivates you, in order to create a greater sense of coherence and broaden the possibilities of pursuing valued goals.
