Clinical orientation
My clinical orientation is rooted in interpersonal neurobiology, a framework that emphasizes the interconnectedness of the brain, mind, and relationships. It recognizes that our experiences—particularly within relationships—shape our neural pathways and influence our emotional and behavioral patterns. This understanding guides how I conceptualize client challenges and tailor interventions to promote healing and growth. Interpersonal neurobiology helps us understand how trauma, attachment, and even everyday interactions influence our neural circuitry, providing a scientific basis for the therapeutic process.
Within this framework, I utilize several interrelated interventions. These include mindfulness, attachment, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), trauma-informed care, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
These interventions are not isolated techniques, but rather are interconnected components of a holistic approach towards healing and growth. Mindfulness allows us to observe and regulate our internal states, attachment theory helps us understand our relational patterns, DBT provides practical skills for managing strong emotions and relationships, trauma-informed care facilitates healing from past wounds, and ACT guides us towards a values-driven life. Together, they promote neural integration, emotional regulation, and healthier relationships, fostering lasting positive change.
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By cultivating present-moment awareness, clients learn to observe their thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations without judgment. This practice directly impacts neural pathways associated with stress, emotional reactivity, and self-referential processing. Furthermore, mindfulness helps clients develop the capacity to pause, reflect, and choose their responses, rather than reacting automatically. This enhanced awareness and regulation facilitates the development of new, healthier neural connections.
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Attachment theory illuminates how early relational experiences shape our attachment styles and influence our current relationships. Understanding these patterns helps clients recognize and address relational difficulties, fostering healthier connections and promoting secure attachment. By exploring attachment patterns, clients can gain insight into the root causes of their relational challenges and develop strategies for building more secure and fulfilling connections.
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Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills provide practical tools for managing intense emotions and improving relationships. DBT skills training directly impacts the brain's emotional regulation centers, fostering neural integration and promoting the development of new coping mechanisms. These skills empower clients to navigate difficult situations with greater resilience, reducing reactivity and enhancing their ability to build healthy relationships.
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Trauma-informed interventions recognize the profound impact of traumatic experiences on the brain and body, prioritizing safety, trust, and empowerment, and creating a space for clients to process and heal from past wounds. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) uses narrative to facilitate a controlled exposure to traumatic memories, allowing clients to gradually process and integrate these experiences. The process helps clients gain a sense of control over their own story, reducing avoidance and promoting cognitive restructuring, including modifying unhelpful thoughts and beliefs related to their trauma. This process directly impacts the neural pathways associated with trauma responses, reducing symptoms of PTSD.
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps clients clarify their values and commit to living a meaningful life, even in the face of difficult thoughts and feelings. By promoting psychological flexibility, ACT fosters resilience and well-being. ACT encourages clients to engage in valued actions, strengthening neural pathways associated with positive experiences and promoting a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Contact Mark
Feel free to contact me with questions or to book a free 15-minute phone consultation to see if we might be a good fit to work together.
