How Science Roots Our Practice
The Spirit of Science
The essence of good science is a wonder at the natural world and a deep humility about the limits of our knowledge. No truth is every fully settled and all conclusions are provisional until updated by new data. Paradoxically, is precisely this humility which gives Science its power — if anything can withstand the frequent challenges of the scientific community and skeptical review, then conclusions, provisional though they are, have tremendous strength.
Psychotherapy presents its own paradoxes. On the whole, we know that psychotherapy works and works well for most people. The vast majority of people find their suffering is relieved through therapy and that they’re able to move through their life more skillfully and more easily after treatment. However, the specifics have been hard to pin down. It may seem simple – people are saying they’re getting better so it should be easy to see why.
But it gets tricky fast. Is less anxiety a goal? Well, for most, yes, absolutely. If you’re having trouble leaving your house due to intrusive thoughts and irrational fears, less anxiety is useful. But what if you’re drinking too much and ignoring the consequences? Well, in that case, more anxiety might actually be good because it means you’re beginning to let your denial dissolve and reconnecting with your concern for yourself and your life. Is making external changes to one’s life the goal? What if those can’t be changed, should we just focus on your attitude about these circumstances? Each sounds valuable, but getting them confused could leave one person hopelessly trying to change things and another complacent in the face of life’s challenges.
So how do we use Science and what’s we’ve learned so far about therapy to guide our work?
The Value of Relationship
One of the most consistent findings in therapy research for the past several decades is this — the strength and value of the relationship between the therapist and the patient is the strongest predictor of a successful outcome. It has also been shown that the type of therapy and the techniques used matter a lot less than the therapist applying them.
The work we do is based on the insights and conclusion of the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group (SFRPG). SFPRG, over many years and through many different study modalities, has developed a meta-theory about how therapy works, or doesn’t, across different approaches. The fruit of their research is a system for understanding how the therapy relationship needs to function to be of maximum benefit for each individual.
Our therapists all train rigorously in this modality — all our supervision and consultation is done through this lens. The beauty of it is that it allows and encourages tremendous flexibility. So one person’s therapy may need to be casual, conversational, and light-hearted, while another’s may need to be structured, skills-driven, and with high accountability.
Research Backed Techniques
Once an understanding of the relationship and how it needs to function is well understood, there are tremendous insights and new understanding that the science of psychology has to offer.
Novel understanding of how the brain is impacted by trauma, how to regulate the nervous system, techniques to develop new ways of thinking and behaving in the world, and a rich appreciation for the ways culture and society shape our experiences of the world, are all critical factors in helping your therapy be successful, safe and, believe it or not, enjoyable.
All of us are unrepentant psychology nerds who are always learning, practicing, and assimilating new ways of understanding ourselves, the world, and how to make things better. We all regularly pursue new trainings in Trauma treatment, Mindfulness-Based behavioral theories, Psychodynamic relational models, and Somatic Therapy. If those are all meaningless jargon words, don’t worry, it just means we’re on top of the latest trends in treatment and bringing them into our work together.
Personalized therapy.
Many therapists talk about tailoring treatment to their patients needs, but they’re usually talking about addressing a specific diagnosis. We go further than that. We tailor our entire approach based on our understanding of what you’ll need to get the best results.
Once we understand that, then we explore what techniques and approaches would best suit your goal. The process is collaborative and engaged. Believe it or not, it can also be a lot of fun and involve a lot of laughter, even in challenging times.
We’re fellow explorers, so we’re always looking into new ways of working, new techniques, new approaches while staying true to the principles that guide us and never losing sight on the most important part — helping you get where you want to go.