Providing Outpatient Behavioral Health & Medication Management Services

Motivational Interviewing (MI) Is an evidence-based client centered counseling approach that focuses on eliciting change behaviors by exploring and resolving ambivalence. The goal of this form of treatment is to increase motivation and commitment to change.

The main principals are partnership, evocation, acceptance, and compassion. This approach requires the clinician to be an equal partner in the process, collaborating with the patient and understanding that people are the experts in their own lives. This intervention is most effective with those who need to find personal motivation to change. It is often used with people early in the recovery process as well as those struggling with health issues and can be used with other therapeutic approaches.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidenced based form of psychotherapy that is useful with treating personality and mood disorders, binge eating, PTSD, and substance use. The goal of this form of therapy to help people develop healthy ways to cope with stress, regulate emotions, improve relationships, and learn to live in the moment utilizing mindfulness-based strategies. DBT helps with managing painful emotions, decreasing conflict, and interacting effectively with others. This form of therapy can be used in individuals and group settings.

Sand Tray therapy or Sandplay therapy is a non-verbal mode of therapy that allows clients of all ages to tap into their psyche and work through any trauma and/or wounds they possess. Clients can utilize symbols (small figurines, rocks, stones, etc) within the Sand Tray to work through trauma and/or wounds from pre-verbal and unconscious parts of their brains. Sand Tray therapy was created by Dora Klaff in Switzerland and is based off of Dr. Margaret Lowenfeld’s “World Technique.” Ms. Klaff combined the “World Technique” and Carl Jung’s teachings to create Sand Tray therapy. It was first utilized in the 1950s. Ms. Klaff viewed the Sand Tray as a “free and protected space,” which allowed for deep layers of self-healing.

Sand Tray therapy can be very beneficial as an adjunct to talk therapy for those who have difficulty expressing their thought, feelings, and memories through spoken word. Developmentally, children learn and heal through play. Sand Tray therapy allows for children to work through their trauma and/or wounds through play in the Sand Tray. For adolescents and adults, Sand Tray therapy can be beneficial when spoken words are unable to assist in the healing process. A therapist who is specifically trained in Sand Tray therapy will have a sand tray with a blue interior and a wide variety of miniatures that represent all elements of life. Miniatures will include, but are not limited to, human figures, fantasy, animals, buildings, nature, vehicles, etc. The miniatures will be representative of positive and negative aspects of life. The trained Sand Tray therapist provides an accepting environment and invites the client to create a world within the Sand Tray using sand and miniatures.

More information about Sand Tray therapy can be found on www.sandplay.org.