My Specialty Areas Include:

Areas I Treat:

Client Focus:

Adults 18-100+

Motivated Adolescents 16+

Sexuality- LGBTQ Friendly

Modality - Individual Therapy.

• I have several Couples and Family Therapists to whom I refer and collaborate.

Theoretical Orientation - Integrated (combining orientations that work best for your individual needs).

The Primary Theoretical Orientations that I integrate are Psychodynamic and Cognitive Behavioral described below. Additionally, I draw from Existential, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Positive Psychology, Humanistic, Relational, and Solution Focused Brief Therapy.

*Please be aware that I provide non-emergency face-to-face psychotherapy services by scheduled appointment. As a solo practitioner in independent practice, I am unable to provide extensive or ongoing emergency care. If you believe that you will need frequent emergency attention between scheduled sessions, please discuss this with me immediately so that I can refer you to a provider who can better serve your needs. If I believe your psychotherapeutic issues are outside of my scope of practice, I am legally required to consult, refer, or terminate treatment.

Psychodynamic Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Psychodynamic Therapy-

This is an insight-oriented therapy that looks at how your unconscious (blind spots) influences your current thinking and behavior. The goal is to bring self-awareness and understanding to a person. The process helps you understand how unresolved past conflicts dating back to an earlier time of your life may be currently influencing you and causing you to replicate unhealthy patterns in your relationships today. Psychodynamic therapy can be brief or long term. In longer-term treatment, a client’s behaviors are often replicated with the therapist, allowing them to be processed and explored in the actual therapeutic relationship. Essentially, this therapy helps you to understand why you act the way you do, work through unhealthy relational patterns, and enable you to feel better equipped to start living your best life.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)- This therapy pays close attention to how your thoughts and beliefs affect your feelings and behaviors. 

Cognitive distortions are identified and challenged. Feelings tracking is often used to help clients identify feelings in their mild vs. strong stage (think: displeased vs. enraged) so they can make conscious decisions on how to respond and avoid simply reacting in regrettable ways. Being able to identify and connect why you are feeling a certain way helps reduce distress, allows you to feel more grounded, and makes for clear- headed decision making. The utilization of therapy assignments for cognitive restructuring, tracking mood, thoughts, and feelings is common. Breathing techniques, meditation/mindfulness, positive self-statements, boundary, and assertiveness training can all fall under the heading of CBT. I think of it as tangible skill development to help regulate how you feel and behave.

Some well researched evidence-based Treatment Protocols I draw from and adapt based on your symptoms and goals include:

Prolonged Exposure Therapy- (PTSD, Trauma, Phobias) This PTSD protocol developed by Edna Foa, Ph.D., has clients recount their trauma stories in as much detail as possible and repeat it out loud in session until it loses its power.

The client’s distress is carefully monitored in session so that they are not re-traumatized, and anxiety management skills are taught before beginning the process. Feelings that come up during the therapy are encouraged and processed. This treatment is not simply an intellectual exercise as it facilitates emotional engagement; if a client remains detached during the treatment, they don’t tend to get better. Once the trauma loses its activating power via exposure, it allows for more in-depth processing of related thoughts and feelings, such as shattered assumptions of safety and shame. Also, the client’s memory of the trauma tends to move from fragmented to a more unified story that can be processed in full. It also helps the client’s mind and neurobiology learn that the trauma is Over so they can stop re-experiencing the intrusive thoughts. For Phobias- There is much less processing, and the focus is simply on deactivating the phobia through exposure.

EMDR- Eye Movement Desensitizing and Reprocessing Therapy (PTSD, Trauma, Phobias)- This protocol developed by Francine Shapiro, Ph.D., is similar to the Prolonged Exposure Therapy protocol. However, it is more gentle while remaining very effective.

Differences include: not having to share your trauma out loud; Exploring your trauma as a fly on the wall, receiving bilateral stimulation with the “TheraTapper.” You hold the TheraTapper while vibrations alternate at different frequencies between your left and right hand. This stimulation is believed to help your brain reprocess and clear the trauma. It also helps to keep you grounded and present.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy- (Emotional Regulation)

This protocol developed by Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., utilizes focused CBT techniques to increase a client’s mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance.

Exposure Response Prevention- ERP- (OCD)

This protocol, originally developed by Stanley Rachman, Ph.D., involves exposure to the feared stimuli and simultaneous prevention of the desired compulsion.

Mastery of your Anxiety and Panic Workbook by David Barlow, Ph.D.,- (Panic Disorder) 

This protocol involves psychoeducation, mood and panic attack charting, breathing and thinking skills.

Therapy is a collaborative venture. I will let you know different, well-researched options should we move forward with the use or adaptation of a protocol. You are always in charge of how we move forward, how fast we go, and on what you want to focus. I will always give you honest feedback related to the process and welcome your feedback. I request that you let me know if something I say or do doesn’t sit right as my intention will always be in service of helping you.

Get in touch with Dr. Crider today!