My original training at the University of Washington (2005-2011) involved working with many of the treatment developers of contemporary cognitive behavioral therapies (DBT, ACT, FAP, BA).
My particular expertise within that domain is working with therapy process, the therapeutic relationship, and therapist development. I have worked for many years as a trainer and consultant helping therapists feel more confident and capable in their work. I eventually wrote a book about Functional Analytic Psychotherapy.
Over the years my approach has become more integrative, not because I have shifted theoretical allegiances, but because my central allegiance has always been to my clinical practice and my clients, and I found that many different theoretical perspectives offer something of value.
This viewpoint is consistent with the empirical evidence that no type of therapy is overall more effective; different therapies may offer different things for different people yet they also tend to converge on common fundamental processes. It is therefore often more important to focus on the creative and effective use of fundamental processes than on learning new ideas or techniques.
For all these reasons, my primary orientation is to the actual process in the work — not to a theoretical model per se.
My values in consultation follow from this perspective:
I value honest close attention to your experience in therapy — including how you feel in session.
I value a focus on conceptualization and the application of theory to understand a particular client.
I value creativity and inventiveness.