The most wide-reaching and accessible model I keep in mind is Sanford’s model of Challenge and Support, borrowed from higher education student development theory. It states that when our challenge level is high, we need our supports to increase to meet that level of challenge.

As it applies here, supports include things like counseling, possibly medicine, increased contact with trusted friends and family, information, self-acceptance, boundaries, etc. When our level of challenge drops, we can decrease supports we have put in place, should we choose to. The goal, though, is to generally match challenge and support.

We can’t “out-think” anxiety. It can be relentless — like we’re on a treadmill in our brains: running, but going nowhere. Based on the research of Stephen Porges, the Polyvagal Theory (PVT) is a structure through which we learn about the physiological self-regulation.

I teach the PVT to clients, as well as specific self-regulation techniques. When we can get our bodies more regulated, we can address anxiety more effectively.

It is useful to identify what is already working well with your life, what your strengths are, and who is your support system. A Strength-Based approach takes the things that are working well in life and adds to them.

Based on the work of Carl Rogers, Person-Centered Counseling focuses on unconditional positive regard for the client and keeps the client’s needs and goals central to the process of counseling.

This is not to say the counselor doesn’t challenge the client — challenge does happen — but it is done in an atmosphere of acceptance and non-judgement.

Based on the work of Albert Ellis, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy identifies the lies we believe and from which we operate, and replaces them with more truthful narratives.

At Veritas, CBT is offered only if the client wants CBT and has learned self-regulation strategies. Additionally, CBT is provided in an environment of acceptance and non-judgement.

Sometimes we have a very specific issue we would like to resolve in counseling. At Veritas, your goals are our number one priority. If you would like to work on something specific, we will identify your goals and generate a plan of action for you to enact.

Solution-Focused Therapy is very targeted and often short-term in duration.