Counseling utilizing research-proven techniques helps children, teens, young adults, and families struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, mood disorders, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance abuse, and trauma.
Also known as psychotherapy, counseling is a form of treatment that involves therapeutic conversations and interactions between a therapist and an individual or family. Dr. Davenport utilizes research-based psychotherapies to help children, adolescents, young adults, and families understand and develop skills to resolve problems, modify behavior, and make positive changes in their lives. Methods used are based on the specific needs of the individual or family.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps improve an individual’s moods, anxiety and behavior by examining confused or distorted patterns of thinking. More than just “talk therapy” CBT involves teaching children, teens, adults, and families specific strategies to deal with their emotions.
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Dr. Davenport teaches individuals how to identify harmful thought patterns, feelings, and behaviors. They then learn to replace this thinking with realistic thoughts and problem solving strategies that can result in improved feelings and behaviors.
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Dr. Davenport also teaches individuals how to utilize distress tolerance and emotional control strategies when they are experiencing extreme emotions and unable to recognize their unrealistic thoughts.
Research shows that CBT can be effective in treating a variety of conditions, including depression and anxiety. Recent research shows that CBT is a viable intervention to address executive functions related to ADHD.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is used to treat adolescents and young adults who struggle with chronic mood problems, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts. DBT emphasizes taking responsibility for one’s problems and helps the individual look at how they deal with conflict and intense negative emotions.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing is a process Dr. Davenport uses with teens and young adults who are resistant, or ambivalent to change. The spirit of motivational interviewing is one of partnership, acceptance, compassion, and strengths-based collaborative questioning in order to identify and act on the client’s values and motivations for change. It is a person-centered counseling style designed to strengthen personal motivation and commitment to a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the person’s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is used to help an individual accept what is out of her personal control, and commit to actions that improve and enrich her life. Accepting feelings, urges and sensations allows those feelings, urges, and sensations to come and go without a struggle. Committing to values-based actions allows individuals to “fight for their values” instead of fighting their feelings and urges.
Family Therapy
Family Therapy focuses on helping the family function in more positive and constructive ways by exploring patterns of communication, improving problem-solving skills, and providing support and education about specific strengths and needs. Family therapy sessions can include the child or adolescent along with parents, siblings, and/or other significant family members. Family-focused therapy has been shown to be effective in treating symptoms of mood disorders.
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Click the following links for information from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry about psychotherapy for children and adolescents and research-based psychotherapies.
Contact us to make an appointment.
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Individuals who wish to integrate their Christian faith with psychotherapy, may ask Dr. Davenport to integrate Biblical life principles into their experience.
(c) 2010 – 2019, Monte W. Davenport, Ph.D.
