Dr. Workman uses a contextual framework to understand her clients’ unique personalities, tap into their strengths and consider how their life experiences and intersectionality of identity informs what’s happening for them in the present. Dr. Workman is aware of the privileges her identity allows her and is committed to providing culturally responsive care. She deeply understands that her clients are making an investment in their mental health and well-being. As such, she aims to collaboratively create a customized approach to therapy based on their goals and uses scientifically proven treatment methods. She teaches her clients tangible skills to help manage distress, change unhelpful patterns of behavior, and build the life they want.

TREATMENT PHILOSOPHY

Dr. Workman provides the following scientifically based treatment approaches:

APPROACHES

ACT is considered a third-wave behavior therapy and was developed by Drs. Steven Hayes, Kirk Strosahl, and Kelly Wilson. From an ACT perspective, suffering is the result of avoidance of unwanted thoughts and feelings, strong attachment to unhelpful beliefs about ourselves, and acting in ways that don’t align with our values. ACT teaches us how to become more psychologically flexible which involves learning to make space for our thoughts and emotions, being able to view ourselves as more than just the sum of our negative thoughts and beliefs, and participating in our life in a way that feels authentic and meaningful. ACT is much more about doing, rather than thinking or talking about it. As such, many experiential exercises are used in session to help increase psychological flexibility. ACT has been widely researched and has been found to be effective for a variety of psychological issues. 

Acceptance and

Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Dr. Aaron Beck created CBT, which is based on the notion that the way we think about ourselves and situations influences our feelings and behaviors. CBT helps us identify problematic thought patterns and evaluate how realistic they are given the information we have. CBT also focuses on active problem solving and behavior change. Strategies such as cognitive restructuring and behavioral experiments are used in session and homework is assigned each week. There are thousands of studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of CBT in treating a range of physical and mental health concerns.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

PE is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy developed by Dr. Edna Foa to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PE is considered a frontline treatment for PTSD and trauma-related issues. From a PE perspective, PTSD develops from problematic beliefs such as “I’m not capable of handling this,” and avoidance of trauma-related reminders such as thoughts, memories, emotions, and situations. Treatment involves two main interventions - imaginal exposure and in-vivo, or real life, exposure. These interventions target cognitive and behavioral avoidance. After repeated exposures, individuals learn that they are capable of handling what they have been avoiding, that the intensity of emotional distress decreases over time, and develop an increased sense of self-efficacy. PE sessions are 90 minutes long and require a commitment to spend time in between sessions completing exposure homework. PE is a short-term treatment generally lasting between 12-16 sessions. 

Prolonged Exposure (PE)

DBT PE is the recommended treatment protocol when individuals with PTSD have co-occurring disorders that may increase risk through behaviors such as self-harm and suicidality. DBT PE was developed by Dr. Melanie Harned to systematically address the full range of problems experienced by high-risk and complex clients with PTSD. This protocol helps clients work through stage 1 DBT where the focus is on establishing the safety and behavioral stability needed to effectively engage in trauma-focused treatment. Dr. Harned’s research shows that the DBT PE protocol typically starts after 20 weeks of stage 1 DBT. DBT PE takes an average of 13 sessions to complete. In DBT PE, treatment consists of one standard individual DBT session and one 90-minute PE session on a weekly basis. Clients may also continue attending a weekly DBT skills group throughout the treatment protocol. 

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure (DBT PE) Protocol

CPT was created by Drs. Patricia Resick, Candice Monson, and Kathleen Chard. Like PE, CPT is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that is highly effective in treating PTSD. A primary goal of CPT is to help individuals develop flexibility in their thinking patterns and perspective by teaching them tools to challenge the way they made sense of why the traumatic event occurred and the thoughts and beliefs they developed about themselves, others, and the world around themes such as safety, trust, esteem, intimacy, and power and control. Some of the interventions in CPT include writing an impact statement that explains why a person believes the traumatic event occurred and the impact that the trauma had on their life, a written account of the traumatic experience, and cognitive restructuring strategies (which is changing unhelpful thoughts into more balanced thoughts) to help evaluate and modify problematic thoughts and beliefs. CPT is a short-term treatment generally lasting between 12-16 sessions. 

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Drs. Kristin Neff and Chris Germer developed MSC. At its core, MSC involves evoking a sense of care, concern, and goodwill toward ourselves when we are experiencing difficulties. MSC increases emotional resilience and well-being through cultivating mindfulness and self-compassion skills. This treatment incorporates several mindfulness and experiential exercises. Research shows that MSC leads to increased mindfulness, compassion for ourselves and others, and life satisfaction, as well as decreased depression, anxiety and stress.

Mindfulness Self-Compassion (MSC)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)