Evidence-Based Treatments
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Anxiety, Depression, and Emotional Distress
Unified Protocol for Emotional Disorders (UP)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Insomnia
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment approach that effectively addresses the concerns of people struggling with a wide range of psychological distress. Some concerns CBT addresses particularly well are Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia, Specific Phobias, Social Anxiety Disorder among other mental health concerns.
CBT has been extended into several evidence-based second-generation therapies with the same basic structure but with different foci. In addition to the Unified Protocol for Emotional Disorders, Dr. Cover-Briggs uses ACT, DBT, CPT, EMDR, CBT-I, ERRT, and STAIR to address the unique needs and goals of clients.
The length of standard CBT treatment varies, but is typically 12-16 50-mnute weekly sessions.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is an evidence-based therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). CPT focuses on creating freedom from the upsetting thoughts and emotions about traumatic events.
People who survive traumatic experiences sometimes struggle with very upsetting beliefs about the cause of the event(s) they experienced. You may struggle with believing that the event might have occurred because of something you did or didn’t do, that you could have prevented it somehow, or you feel very conflicted or confused about why the event happened in the first place. It often seems impossible to shake the sense of deep shame, horror, or anger about the cause of the event. Some of these conclusions may not be entirely true, may be in conflict with each other, and allowing yourself to work through your beliefs can be the linchpin to healing.
CPT is a structured treatment where you learn skills to examine, challenge, and resolve the troubling beliefs you may have about traumatic events. In research studies, CPT has been shown to effectively reduce symptoms of PTSD in people who have experienced many kinds of trauma (e.g., childhood sexual abuse, rape and sexual assault in adulthood, military and combat-related trauma, physical assault and violence, witnessing death or violence, motor vehicle accidents, natural disasters, and other threats to life or physical safety).
The length of CPT is typically 12 50-minute sessions and involves daily written exercises involves daily written assignments between sessions.
Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for PTSD
EMDR is an effective, evidence-based intervention to reduce intensity of PTSD symptoms. This treatment focuses on resolving the intensity of the body’s response to trauma reminders to support the brain’s natural memory processing.
When a non-traumatic life event happens, the brain goes through a natural process that encodes the memory, moving its representation from short-term storage to longer-term storage areas in the brain. Through this process, the event becomes a representation of the event itself, filed away into the cabinet of your mind, where it can be recalled and examined when desired. When it is recalled, it is experienced as a memory—something that happened in the past but is not currently happening right now. You might have feelings about the experience, but there is no confusion—the event is a memory and it does not feel like it is happening now. Try this experiment. Think of the last time you went to a wedding? Or the earliest birthday you remember? Recall the day you took your driver’s license test? What about that time you saw El Capitan in Yosemite? These are all possible examples of “episodic memories” of your past experiences. They may be pleasant or unpleasant, but when you remember the event, you know for sure it is not happening again in this moment.
This natural process of memory consolidation is interrupted when a traumatic event occurs. In PTSD, traumatic memories are so intense that recalling the event overwhelms the nervous system and literally re-creates the same fight-flight-freeze response that occurred at the time of the life-threatening event. It feels as if the terrible event is happening again. Because being reminded of the event is so overwhelming and aversive, trauma reminders become avoided at all costs. When the traumatic event is remembered, the person experiences the memories of the event in the body, and desperately tries to stop thinking about it. Because the memory consolidation process gets interrupted, the trauma memories never get to be filed away into longer-term storage, like other episodic memories. This is why they continue to be experienced as highly emotional and as if event is happening all over again, over and over. Because remembering results in emotional overwhelm, a person with PTSD struggles to tolerate natural memory processing that could allow the traumatic event memory to be stored and experienced like any other memory.
EMDR supports the processing of traumatic memories to episodic memories, and in this way, can help you feel less overwhelmed and trapped by the events. EMDR is typically 6-12 sessions but the length of treatment varies from person to person.
Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescription Treatment for Trauma-Related Nightmares
If you struggle with recurring nightmares about a traumatic experience, Exposure-Relaxation and Rescripting Therapy (ERRT) can help. ERRT is a brief evidence-based intervention to reduce the frequency and intensity of trauma-related nightmares. This treatment can be used as a stand-alone treatment or as an adjunctive intervention.
ERRT is typically ten sessions (45 minutes) or five sessions (90 minutes) and involves daily/nightly practice assignments between sessions.
Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) for Childhood Trauma
STAIR is a skill-based treatment that uses cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques to help people who have experienced childhood trauma (e.g., sexual, emotional, and physical abuse) and other childhood adversity (e.g., emotional abuse; emotional or material neglect). Through STAIR, you learn new ways of understanding and managing your feelings, and you also learn strategies to improve relationships and communication with others.
STAIR is offered as a 12-session treatment. It can be used as a stand-alone treatment or used before starting other trauma-focused treatments (CPT, EMDR, or ERRT).
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) - Skills Training
DBT is a highly effective evidence-based intervention that has been used to help reduce symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD), complex trauma/PTSD, anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, and other concerns. Foundational DBT skills training can be helpful for anyone struggling with overwhelming emotions, problems staying present, and difficulties in relationships.
DBT Skills Training is 12 50-minute sessions and involves daily written assignments and skills practice between sessions.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Insomnia
While there are many possible reasons a person could be struggling with sleep, insomnia can often be effectively treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy. This treatment uses behavioral strategies to re-regulate your sleep cycle. CBT-I is 8 50-minute sessions and requires nightly sleep and wake tracking.