Amanda Roberson (she/her)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is an acceptance based model created by Steven Hayes that teaches about the importance of living in accordance with values and accepting what we cannot change. As a client participating in ACT therapy, you would be expected to identify values, discuss barriers that prevent living in accordance with values, practice acceptance of things outside of your control, and make lifestyle changes.

EMDR

EMDR is a leading treatment for those who have experienced adversity and trauma. Through use of eye-movements or bilateral tapping, one can reprocess past memories of trauma to reduce emotional distress, uncomfortable physical sensations, and negative self-talk.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT nicely expands perspective by providing alternate scenarios through use of dialectics and accompanying skills. Created by Marsha Linehan, this modality offers several coping skills to use in extremely emotional moments. The coping skills fall into the following categories: interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness.

Abuse

Abuse is defined as the cruel and violent treatment of a person. Abuse can be psychological, emotional, verbal, sexual, or physical and may have long lasting effects depending on the type and duration of the abuse.

Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse is the cruel or violent treatment carried out by one's romantic partner. The abuse can be characterized as psychological, emotional, verbal, sexual, or physical. Abuse by one's partner typically starts with efforts to maintain power and control through manipulation, blame, minimization of one's feelings, and lying. It may amplify to more overt acts of violence over time.

PTSD

PTSD is a cluster of symptoms that may arise after a person has experienced a traumatic event. This is the body and mind's way of trying to protect itself after experiencing an atypical event. Symptoms experienced include recurrent memories/flashbacks of the event as if it's happening in real time, avoidance of people/places/things that serve as reminders, depression, and anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety

If you experience anxiety then you are familiar with the uncomfortable sensations (pounding heart, sweating, tingling, muscle tension), racing thoughts, constant worries, concentration difficulties, irritability towards others, and restlessness. There are different subtypes of anxiety, some of which include generalized, social, panic disorder, and various phobias.

Depression

Depression is characterized by daily low mood, loss of interest in usual activities, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sleeping too much or too little, changes in appetite, hopelessness, worthlessness, and, in severe cases, suicidal thoughts or actions. A depressive episode is when these symptoms are experienced continually for 2+ weeks.