“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

― Rumi

Individual Therapy

Therapy offers a safe and supportive place to process hard things and learn new skills. Reasons individuals may seek counseling include:

Difficulty managing stress or sudden changes in mood
Changes in your typical functioning (i.e. problems sleeping, loss of interest, difficulty focusing, etc.)
Struggles with self-esteem, confidence, or identity
Problems in interpersonal relationships (i.e., conflict, lack of trust, poor boundaries, etc.)
Grief and loss
Fears of specific objects or situations that create stress in your day-to-day routine

Anxiety and OCD Treatment

OCD and anxiety can show up in many ways. Treatment focuses on breaking the loop of fear and avoidance, building tolerance for uncertainty, and reconnecting to daily life.

Signs of Anxiety include:

Feeling constantly worried, tense, or “on edge”
Racing thoughts or difficulty turning your mind off
Physical symptoms like tightness in the chest, stomach discomfort, restlessness, or fatigue
Overthinking or replaying conversations and scenarios

Signs of OCD include:

Intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that feel distressing or “not like you”
A strong need for certainty, control, or reassurance
Fear that something bad will happen unless you perform certain actions
Avoiding situations or objects because of worry about harm, contamination, or making a mistake
Feeling trapped in cycles that bring short-term relief but increase anxiety over time

Relationship Therapy

Relationship counseling offers a neutral ground to help partners gain skills to increase emotional connection and improve the quality of their relationship. Goals of counseling might include:

Improve communication
Increase trust
Enhance intimacy and connection
Explore resentment and anger
Create shared dreams
Resolve recurring issues
Increase understanding and compassion
Strengthen friendship

Treatment Approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

ACT focuses on helping clients develop psychological flexibility: the ability to experience all emotions (distressing and pleasant) rather than trying to escape, avoid or suppress them. This approach uses concepts and techniques to help clients change their perspective on psychological suffering, increase mindfulness, identify their values, and live a meaningful life.

Click below for more information about ACT:

What is ACT and Mindfulness? Find Out Here | ACT MindfullyWhat is ACT? The popular mindfulness psychology treatment can help maximise your potential to live a rich, full and meaningful life.

Exposure and Response Prevention

ERP is an evidence-based, behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders. It is considered the gold standard treatment for OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). The goal of ERP is to help clients confront unwanted thoughts and fears without needing to make them "right" or "fix " them by engaging in compulsive behaviors. This process involves gradually exposing clients to situations that invoke their obsessions in a safe environment.

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International OCD Foundation | Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)Exposure and Response Prevention refers to practicing confronting the thoughts, images, objects, and situations that make you anxious & provoke obsessions.

Inference-based Cogntive Behavioral Therapy

Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT) is a specialized approach to treating OCD that focuses on how intrusive thoughts are formed and believed, rather than just the behaviors they trigger. Instead of challenging the content of obsessions, I-CBT helps clients recognize the reasoning errors and doubts that lead them to treat imagined threats as real. By strengthening trust in their senses and reality, clients learn to break the obsession-compulsion cycle and reduce anxiety. I-CBT is especially helpful for individuals with OCD who struggle with doubt-based thinking or mental compulsions.

Click below for more information about I-CBT:

What is I-CBT?Inference-based Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (I-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment that is based on the central idea that obsessions are abnormal doubts about what “could be”, or “might be” (e.g. “I might have left the stove on”; “I might be contaminated”; “I might be a deviant”). According to this approach, obsessional doubts do not come out of the

EMDR

EMDR is an evidence-based therapy developed to help people heal from traumatic or distressing life experiences. It works by helping the brain reprocess memories that have become “stuck,” reducing the emotional intensity and physical distress connected to them. During EMDR, clients focus on a specific memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation—such as eye movements or tapping..

EMDR is primarily used to treat trauma, post-traumatic stress, and related symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, or emotional reactivity. While it can sometimes reduce anxiety linked to traumatic experiences, it is not typically used for anxiety disorders like OCD, which benefit more from treatments such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) or cognitive-behavioral approaches.

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About EMDR TherapyEMDR therapy is an extensively researched method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences.

Gottman Method

The Gottman Method is a research-based approach to couples therapy that focuses on building stronger relationships through improved communication, conflict resolution, and emotional connection. Developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, this method helps partners deepen intimacy, manage disagreements in healthy ways, and strengthen their friendship and shared goals. It’s especially effective for couples looking to rebuild trust, enhance closeness, or prevent future issues.

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The Gottman MethodThe Gottman Method for healthy relationships consists of nine research-based characteristics that any therapist or couple can learn to apply.

Kist Counseling does not provide medications or medication management.

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