Skills-Based Counseling in our Park Slope & Bay Ridge offices
At Ridge Psychological, we utilize a variety of strength and skills-based counseling approaches that have proven to be effective. We use an Integrative approach, which simply means we allow for the use of different therapeutic styles that compliment and meet your individual needs. We may utilize a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques and traditional talk therapy methods. This ensures you can achieve your goals and have the flexibility you need to find success. Keep reading to learn more about Integrative therapy with the Ridge Psychological team in Brooklyn at either of our two convenient office locations in Park Slope and Bay Ridge.
What is Integrative Therapy?
Integrative therapy thoughtfully combines effective strategies from different treatment models to meet the needs of our individual clients, including CBT and traditional talk therapy. CBT is a form of counseling that asks you to consider your own beliefs, feelings, and actions. How do they impact each other? Do you make unrealistic or negative assumptions about yourself, other people, or situations? Do you have trouble getting motivated?
Taking a CBT approach to counseling services can help you better understand the ways that your feeling, thinking, and doing are connected and how making changes in any of these areas will impact the others. For some, CBT alone can be very effective in helping people develop the skills they need to achieve their counseling goals. For others, we utilize a combination of CBT techniques along with traditional talk therapy.
Where CBT is focused on problem-solving and symptom reduction, traditional talk therapy or psychodynamic therapy takes a more holistic approach. Instead of looking at just one specific problem or diagnosis, we can discuss multiple facets of your day to day life, health and mental health history, and help you develop the skills you need to become the thriving individual you strive to be. The goal In traditional talk therapy is to understand the cause of your thoughts, feelings, behaviors and relationship patterns, so you can change your present and future actions.
Getting Started
Once you contact our office in Park Slope or Bay Ridge, you will receive a call back within 24 hours. We offer a free phone consultation to review your concerns, go over costs and fees, and answer any questions that you have. Once you make an appointment, you will be emailed our start up forms to complete in advance of your appointment, so we can review your concerns before you come in.
What Happens During Therapy?
During your first session (or first few), we’ll discuss the reasons you chose to reach out to us and the goals you have for counseling. Then, we’ll create a plan together. This may include setting achievable goals, and we partner with you to bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. CBT and traditional talk therapy are common approaches we may use to help you through this process.
Therapy sessions should be thought of as an ongoing discussion or even problem solving meetings. We usually begin with a simple, “How have you been this week?” Then, we talk about it. Your therapist may ask you to consider specific events. Next, you’ll be prompted to reflect on how you thought, felt, and acted. You may even get some homework. Your homework will simply be small steps you can take or things to think about outside of the office to apply the skills you’re developing during our sessions.
What to Expect at Ridge Psychological
Our team is happy to offer consultations, neuropsychological evaluations, and therapy services for children, teens, and adults. Our aim is to provide each client with compassionate, individualized care. When you call our Park Slope or Bay Ridge location, we’ll schedule your visit to see us in one of our two Brooklyn office locations for neuropsychological assessment or therapy services.