Our therapists are trained in a variety of clinical approaches, but the following theories and therapies are commonplace in Perez Therapy.  We encourage you to have a conversation with your therapist about what type of therapy might work for you.

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Systems Theory. Given our practice as a multicultural practice rooted in cultural humility towards diverse minority communities, we approach therapy from a systems approach examining each of the arenas or systems that people from individual, micro and macro systems. We are interested in building individual insight but give importance to the connectedness to our family, peers, schools, communities and society at large.  

 

Solution-Focused Therapy. SF therapy focuses on addressing our basic assumptions of problems, imagining exceptions to the problem, focusing on healthy alternatives, and presupposing change.  This is a future-oriented and goal-directed approach that works for clients that want to focus on health rather than the problem, strengths instead of deficits and on skills, resources and coping abilities that may prevent future success. 

 

Narrative Therapy. How we narrate our lives is how we live our lives.  We help you create a narrative for you that helps you separate yourself from the problems you want to address and build a goal and a narrative that helps you meet this goal. How we can describe our lives can sometimes perpetuate how we perceive our lives and therefore we repeat the same patters.  We help you explore alternative ways approaching life problems and choices that promote health and happiness. 

 

Cognitive-behavioral therapy. CBT is one of the popular and requested therapeutic approaches today.  We recognize the utility of cognitive-behavioral methods that help clients with understanding core beliefs, how cognitions affect behaviors and feelings, and learning how to address automatic, irrational and negative thoughts to replace them with healthy thoughts.  This approach can work for many, but we have found it can lack effectiveness for clients who still cannot find success with internal rationalizing between parts of themselves. 

 

Internal Family Systems. Unlike how it sounds, IFS is a unique non-pathologizing psychotherapy practice that focuses on individuals discovering a connection to their Self-energy and power.  When we lead from the Self, we are leading with 8 core qualities of the Self: calm, confident, compassionate, curious, courageous, creative, connected and with clarity. We use meditation and mindfulness to connect with these innate qualities to help parts of ourselves that are wounded or burdened.  These wounded parts of us make us behave in ways that we regret, want to change or seek insight on why they are present.  IFS therapy offers an alternative to working on personal growth through the power and healing of the Self.