I blend many ways of working to achieve the goal of meaningful and lasting change. I work with people to generate deep insight but also to create a new way of being and feeling in the world. I often incorporate brain/mind/body therapies, experiential therapies such as internal family systems (IFS), and cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT). Below are the major modalities within which I work.
talk therapy (depth work)
Depth psychotherapy is a method for understanding the unconscious factors that influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Through talk therapy, we become more self-aware. Ultimately, this knowledge can serve as a tool for transformation and human development. Depth psychotherapy integrates Jungian, Gestalt, humanistic, psychoanalytic, and existential therapies.
mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT)
MBCT is a newer form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It helps to reduce physical signs of stress, such as high blood pressure, chronic pain, and inflamation, as well as reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and panic. Mindfulness can liberate us from obsessive thought patterns that otherwise replay the same negative messages over and over.
internal family systems therapy (IFS)
Sometimes we feel torn about how we feel or the choices in front of us. IFS offers the view that all people have parts of themselves that can hold different (often radically different) views at the same time. Sometimes, these parts hold extreme thoughts and feelings or do extreme things that are troubling to us – these thoughts and feelings arise out of painful life experiences and can lead to symptoms such as anxiety, depression, suicidality, traumatic flashbacks, and low self-esteem. Through IFS therapy, people get to know their parts, reduce their symptoms, and unlock their healthy self-esteem.
eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a psychotherapy with a large body of research showing it helps people heal from the emotional distress that results from disturbing or traumatic life experiences. Back and forth eye movements or alternating tapping on the hands are used during one part of the session. This process activates neural networks that allow previously distressing memories to be recalled with less distress, allowing for the memories to be processed and transformed on an emotional level.
emotionally-focused therapy (EFT)
EFT is a clinically proven method for working with troubled relationships. Through EFT, couples learn to identify and examine their overall dysfunctional patterns of conflict instead of becoming caught up in the specifics of individual arguments. Partners come to see how they are pulled into dysfunctional patterns and how they can act differently to promote connection and intimacy.
exposure response prevention (ERP)
Exposure therapy is a newer form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It was designed to help people with OCD-based compulsions (including avoidance behaviors) and phobia sufferers. ERP is a method in which people learn to gradually confront their fears and discontinue their compulsive escape or avoidant responses. While this typically causes some short-term anxiety, it facilitates a long-term reduction in OCD and phobia symptoms.
shelley@shelleyschliefphd.com
617-862-9361
1330 Beacon Street, Suite 349
Brookline, MA 02446