THERAPY SPECIALTIES
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the Unified Protocol, and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Many of us seek therapy because we feel stuck - trapped in worry, sadness, fear, chronic stress, or patterns that that are just not going well.
Therapy is always tailored to the individual—there is no one-size-fits-all formula. Sessions focus not only on understanding problems, but learning tools that can be used long after therapy ends. This approach can help reduce distress and avoidance, and deepen resilience, self-compassion, and purpose. It supports both symptom relief and long-term personal growth.
Therapy is active and collaborative and sessions often include practical exercises, reflection and processing, and optional between-session practice so that skills can be applied in daily life.
Two of the most well-researched and effective approaches for helping with these concerns are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
What are CBT and ACT commonly used for?
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Anxiety, rumination and worry
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Panic attacks
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Social fears
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Phobias
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Insomnia and other sleep difficulties
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OCD and other obsessive-compulsive patterns
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PTSD and trauma-related distress
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Depression and low mood
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ADHD and other attention and focus difficulties
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Chronic stress or burnout
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Overwhelming emotion
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Perfectionism or harsh self-judgment
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Major life transitions (career changes, relationships, illness, loss, or relocation)
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
CBT teaches skills and strategies for learning to self-regulate our emotions by understanding and interacting differently with our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and behaviors.
How can CBT help me?
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Be more aware of thoughts, emotions and behaviors
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Understand emotions and what triggers them
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Develop more flexible and helpful ways of thinking
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Look closely at beliefs in relation to real-world evidence
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Build strengths that support emotion regulation
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Reduce avoidance and learn new ways of responding to emotional distress
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Gradually and safely face fear and other things we avoid in life
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Develop skills, strategies, and resilience for long-term well-being
What is Acceptance & Commitment Therapy?
ACT is closely related to CBT and shares its strong evidence-based foundation. ACT is practical, compassionate, and tailored to each person. ACT is pronounced as the word “Act” rather than the letters A-C-T.
How can ACT help me?
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Develop deeper mindfulness skills
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Learn more about the helpfulness of values and values-based living
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Understand more about taking meaningful action in your life
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Learn how to make space for emotions instead of fighting them
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Develop addition strengths to handle distress with greater flexibility
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Gradually develop ability for deeper self-compassion
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Build a more meaningful and fulfilling life - even when life feels hard
What is the Unified Protocol?
In my work, I typically practice CBT using the Unified Protocol, a modern, evidence-based form of CBT that addresses many kinds of emotional distress within one powerful approach.
It is powerful because of it’s flexibility and customization. Rather than focus on only one specific problem at a time, the Unified Protocol is designed to help with a wide range of emotional struggles by targeting our unique ways of being that are no longer working for us. For example, anxiety, panic, trauma-related distress, and low mood often involve similar processes such as strong emotional reactions, sensitivity to physical sensations, rumination and worry, and avoidance.
"Chris is very flexible with his availability and not rigid with his schedule. I have recommended him to a few people because therapy with him has been very helpful and productive. Therapy with Chris has been validating and beneficial. If I need therapy again in the future, I will be reaching out to him."
- J.L. -