My THERAPY APPROACH

Person-centered

Create a safe, non-judgmental space in which my clients: 

~ Feel heard, understood and accepted.

~ Feel free to fully express and to be themselves.

~ Develop trust within each person's own timeline and comfort level.

~ Receive empathy, compassion and kindness, particularly when sharing sensitive or difficult information.

~ Feel safe to ask questions, disagree, voice negative emotions (etc.) without fear of being rejected or penalized.

~ Engage in exploration of life experiences to promote processing, healing and insight.

~ Feel empowered and supported in making meaningful changes of their choosing.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Understand the connection between thoughts and feelings:

Positive (+) thoughts cause positive (+) feelings. When I have a positive (+) thought, I feel good.

Negative (-) thoughts cause negative (-) feelings. When I have a negative (-) thought, I feel bad.

ACTION: I can edit my current thoughts, and I can choose new thoughts.

OUTCOME: By changing my thoughts, I improve how I feel.

Understand how behavior, thoughts and feelings affect each other:

If I do something that I think is good, I have positive (+) feelings.

If I do something that I think is bad, I have negative (-) feelings.

ACTION: I can edit my current behavior, and I can choose new behavior.

OUTCOME: By changing my behavior, I improve how I feel.

STEP 1: Increase awareness of how your current thoughts and behavior are helping or "hurting" you.

STEP 2: Identify personalized ideas for new thoughts and behavior that can be immediately put into action.

My AREAS OF FOCUS include:

~ Anxiety and stress (day-to-day)*

~ Grief, loss and bereavement

~ Ineffective self-care

~ Fear or uncertainty about "being yourself"

~ Lack of happiness and fulfillment

~ Procrastination and feelings of being "stuck"

~ Low self-love, low self-acceptance and low self-esteem

*Please note: If you contact me and it seems as if you would benefit from more intensive treatment, I will be happy to help you connect to another therapist who may better suit your needs.

I am increasing my learning on the following subjects, and I am happy to incorporate them into our sessions upon request:

~ Inner Child Exploration

~ Dream Interpretation

~ Feng Shui (basic principles)

~ Law of Attraction/Manifestation

Examples of source material and teachings:

~ Inner Child Exploration ~ Trauma-informed training and clinical experience

~ Dream Interpretation ~ Clare Johnson, PhD (deepluciddreaming.com)

~ Feng Shui ~ Karen Rauch Carter (karenrauchcarter.com)

~ Law of Attraction/Manifestation ~ Abraham-Hicks (abraham-hicks.com), Louise Hay (louisehay.com), Mike Dooley (tut.com)

Note: I interpret Law of Attraction philosophy and methodology as having parallels to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in that Law of Attraction includes choosing positive thoughts to create positive feelings which result in positive manifestations. In my view, finding positive thoughts is beneficial regardless of outcomes. Also, lack of outcomes (or perceived lack of outcomes) could direct a person's thoughts back to the negative, thus causing negative feelings. CBT can help a person understand how to get their thoughts back on a positive track.

Disclaimer: Clicking on the links above will open a new browser page and will redirect to the external site listed. Neither I (Alexandria Torres) nor fromlexi.com are affiliated with or responsible for the content of the linked websites. I (Alexandria Torres) am not officially connected to any of the entities named, and I do not represent them in any way.

My THERAPEUTIC STYLE

I give my clients:

~ Consistent respect, kindness, compassion and empathy.

~ Clear, transparent communication.

~ Collaboration versus "telling you what to do."

~ Directness without being abrupt or confrontational.

~ Frequent smiles, laughter and humor (although not with sensitive and serious subject matter).

~ A human model (e.g., I make mistakes, forget things, stumble on my words, misunderstand, etc.).

~ Authenticity (e.g., I will not say things that I "don't mean" or suggest ideas that I would not try myself).

~ Reliability, accountability and follow-through regarding words and actions.

~ Professional boundaries inside and outside of sessions.