Approach
At Laura Picard Therapy, we believe that everyone has the potential to lead a fulfilling life. We provide a safe and non-judgmental space where our clients can explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Our approach is client-centered, meaning that we work collaboratively with our clients to identify their goals and develop a treatment plan tailored to their needs. We believe in empowering our clients to make positive changes in their lives and providing them with the tools and support they need to achieve their goals.
We offer empowering modalities including Psychodynamic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS).
At Laura Picard Therapy we specialize in adolescent, teen and young adult therapy. My primary focus includes anxiety disorders, trauma related disorders and borderline personality disorder.
Empowering Modalities
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic theory, pioneered by figures like Sigmund Freud, explores how unconscious thoughts from past experiences influence our behavior. It's like uncovering hidden layers beneath the surface of an iceberg—what we see on top (conscious thoughts) is just a small part. This approach emphasizes childhood experiences' lasting impact on personality and relationships, revealing patterns that repeat throughout life. Through therapy, psychodynamic theory helps individuals gain insight, resolve inner conflicts, and foster personal growth by bringing hidden aspects to light. It's a tool for understanding and navigating life more effectively.
Within psychodynamic theory, is attachment theory which explains the way we behave and our "attachment style" in our romantic relationships. When using this modality we will look at the past/childhood and often lived experiences that contribute to the various attachment styles. We will also highlight your patterns of behavior to address difficulties such as emotion dysregulation and negative thoughts/feelings. The framework of these theories highlight the role that relationships play in shaping thoughts, feeling and behaviors and offer insight on how we can foster healthier relationships with others.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts and beliefs have a powerful impact on our emotions and behavior. When we have negative thoughts or beliefs, we may experience negative emotions, such as anxiety or depression, and engage in negative behaviors, such as avoidance or overthinking. CBT aims to help individuals identify and challenge these negative thoughts and beliefs, in order to change their emotional and behavioral responses. CBT allows people to reframe their thinking and helps with grounding techniques and building evidence based coping skills.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
(DBT) is CBT's sister theory that was originally developed to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, it has since been found to be effective in treating a range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.
DBT emphasizes the development of four key skills, which are intended to help individuals better manage their emotions and behaviors including mindfuless, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectivness and emotion regulation.
Mindfulness allows us to be focused and enganged in the moment.
Distress tolerance is another way to create tools for self destructive behaviors, stressful situations and other problematic behavior.
Interpersonal effectiveness is helpful for communication and relationship skills including boundaries, assertiveness, active listening and conflict resolution.
Emotion regulation helps individuals identify and manage emotions which can result in reducing the intensity of emotions.
Internal Family Systems
Internal Family Systems (IFS) theory is like understanding your mind as a family with different members, each having its own role and personality. Developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, it helps you explore and make peace with these different "parts" of yourself. The goal is to create harmony within your mind, like a well-functioning family, so you can lead yourself with more balance and compassion. It's a way to better understand and manage your thoughts and emotions. IFS is another great way to access the unconscious and identify roots and is cutting edge trauma treatment.