My THERAPY APPROACH                                                                                                                                                                  Back to top

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 their 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.

 

* I use the words "good" and "bad" to describe the wide variety of feelings any person can experience. For example, good feelings may be happy, encouraged, optimistic, excited, cheerful, enthusiastic, hopeful, grateful, proud, peaceful, etc.   Bad feelings may be sad, discouraged, pessimistic, disappointed, guilty, ashamed, angry, jealous, hopeless, frustrated, etc. 

 

In therapy sessions, we will explore ideas and interventions such as:                                                                              Back to top

~ Identifying, "What is it that I want, what works for me, what feels right to me?"

~ Clarifying values and preferences, including exploring influence from external input (family, other people, society).

~ Revising current thoughts and/or creating new thoughts to improve feelings on any chosen subject.

~ Changing behavior which then causes new positive thought patterns that result in better feelings.

~ Developing affirmations to improve self-concept and to kindly support myself when making changes.

~ Enhancing ability and willingness to identify, communicate and maintain healthy boundaries.

~ Increasing awareness of how physical space around me affects my thoughts and feelings.

~ Identifying changes I can make in my physical space to feel better about that space, about myself and about my life.

~ If requested, understanding messages that are being communicated from my own mind when I dream.

~ If desired, making specific changes in thoughts and actions to manifest (create) what I want.

My AREAS OF FOCUS include:                                                                                                                                                           Back to top  

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

~ Grief, loss, and bereavement

~ Difficulty being assertive

~ Difficulty setting and maintaining boundaries

~ Lack of happiness and fulfillment

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

~ Perfectionism toward self and/or others

~ Procrastination and feelings of being "stuck"

~ Self-care that seems ineffective

~ Stress that seems unmanageable

 

*Please note: If you contact me and I determine that 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 topics, and I am happy to incorporate them into our sessions upon request:

~ Decluttering and Feng Shui (basic principles)

~ Dream/Nightmare Interpretation

~ Law of Attraction/Manifestation

 

Resources for supplemental topics:

Dream/Nightmare 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)

 

Please Note: 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                                                                                                                                                                      Back to top

I do my best to give all clients:

~ Consistent respect, kindness, compassion and empathy.

~ Clear, transparent communication.

~ Working together versus "telling you what to do."

~ Directness without being abrupt or confrontational.

~ Smiles, laughter, and jokes (not during sensitive and serious moments).

~ 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.

*I take handwritten notes during sessions, and they are not part of your official therapy records.

I encourage you to do the same! Feel free to have a journal, notepad or device on hand.