At Columbus Therapy and Hypnosis Center, we offer a wide variety of different therapeutic and counseling services. Types of therapy and counseling that we offer include couples counseling, family therapies, and individual counseling. Often, the words therapy and counseling are used interchangeably and we will do so here.
Psychotherapy types include collaborative , narrative , Bowenian , Gottman method couple therapy, Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Integrated Family and Systems Treatment (I-FAST), structural family therapy, strategic family therapy and person-centered therapy.
To help you understand the types of psychotherapy we offer here is a brief description of each of them below. Click on the “read more” links to see a more detailed description.
Couples Counseling or Relationship Therapy
Couples counseling is an opportunity to work with both members of the couple together to help them achieve their relationship goals. This therapy can be used for many different purposes such as dealing with affairs, setting boundaries and expectations, coping strategies when one member has a mental health illness or addiction (drugs, alcohol etc.), and improving communication between partners.
Family Therapy or Family Counseling
Family therapy is a form of counseling that involves more than one family member in the sessions. This can be with an entire immediate family or sometimes extended members such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, etc. The therapist works with all involved to identify problems in communication patterns and feelings within individuals within the system then helps each person find their voice when communicating as well as changing unhealthy patterns of behavior in one or more family members.
Individual Counseling or Individual Therapy
Individual counseling involves working only with one person. Usually, this is the client, but sometimes if a child or teen is struggling it might be done with both parents and the child in separate sessions so each family member can learn how to support their loved one better. The therapist will help you identify what your goals are and then work towards helping you achieve them by providing tools that may assist
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a therapeutic modality that was developed in the 1980’s. It is considered to be an evidence-based practice and is effective in treating trauma, anxiety, and depression. The therapist will help you “reprocess” or “unlock” the traumatic memory by having you focus on bilateral stimulation such as side-to-side movement or tapping. Read more about EMDR here.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Couples Counseling
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) or Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT). EFT is a form of couples counseling that was developed in the 1990’s by Sue Johnson. It is based on the idea that most relationship problems are because one or both partners have emotional injuries she refers to as attachment injuries. The therapist will help you understand you and your partner’s negative cycle and how to overcome it. EFT is also useful for individuals and families. Read more about EFT here.
Gottman Method Couple Therapy
Gottman Method Couple Therapy is a research-based method that was developed by Dr. John Gottman in 1995 with his wife Julie Schwartz Gottman, PhD. This approach brings skills to the couple which helps them create more positive interactions and achieve their goals for the relationship. It focuses on teaching you how to express your needs effectively and regulate your emotions. Read more about Gottman Method Couple Therapy here.
Prepare / Enrich Premarital Counseling
This counseling is designed to help couples who are planning to get married. The program consists of a series of sessions that helps the couple learn about each other and themselves so they can have a successful marriage. It assesses areas such as communication, financial management, sexual intimacy, and spiritual beliefs.
Structural Family Therapy
Structural family therapy is a form of counseling that looks at the family as an entity and how the different members interact with each other. The therapist will help identify any dysfunctional patterns such as enmeshment (being overly close), disengagement (being overly distant), and triangles (two people putting another between them). They will then assist in developing interventions to change these unhealthy dynamics.
Strategic Family Therapy
Strategic family therapy was developed by Jay Haley in the 1960s, but Haley often gives credit for his ideas to studying how therapist Milton Erickson worked. This form of psychotherapy helps identify strategies that will help you achieve your goals or change unhelpful patterns of behavior within your family or relationship.
Collaborative therapy
Collaborative therapy is a type of counseling that helps each person in the relationship become aware of how their behavior is affecting the other and vice versa. Each partner will work together with the therapist to challenge perspectives. The client is the expert in their own live in this method and it dissolves problems rather than solving them.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy was developed by Michael White and David Epston in the 1980s. It is a method that helps you rewrite your personal story to provide more positive content instead of focusing on what’s wrong with an event or situation. The counselor will help identify any unhealthy patterns, encourage personal responsibility for those events, and help the client develop alternative stories about topics that were formerly seen as a problem by the client.
Transgenerational Therapy / Bowenian Therapy
Transgenerational therapy (also known as Bowenian therapy after the creator) is a form of counseling that looks at the family across multiple generations. It helps identify any patterns or behaviors that may be passed down from one generation to another. The therapist will use a genogram, which is a graphical representation of your family history, to help track these patterns. It then focuses on helping clients to become whole individuals in their own right instead of being unhealthily entwined with family members.
Integrated Family and Systems Treatment (I-FAST)
Integrated Family and Systems Treatment (I-FAST) is a form of psychotherapy that helps families who are struggling with multiple issues. It brings together different treatment modalities such as family therapy, individual counseling, and medication management into one coordinated plan. This approach allows the therapist to address all the areas that are causing problems for the family.
Person-Centered Counseling
Person-centered therapy was developed by Carl Rogers in the 1940s. It is a form of counseling that focuses on the individual and their experiences. The therapist provides a nonjudgmental, safe space for the client to explore whatever they want. This model allows you to connect with your innermost thoughts and feelings and can be very beneficial for those facing difficulties.
References
Integrative Family and Systems Treatment (I-FAST): A Strengths-Based Common Factors Approach
Prepare Enrich Program (3 DVD Set) – Dr. David Olson, Life Innovations, Inc.
The Practice of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy: Creating Connection