Individual and Group Treatment

The Yale Stress Center offers a wide range of integrative group and individual therapies, targeting the effects of stress on the mind, brain, and body and promoting better health and functioning. Common conditions treated with group and individual therapy at the Yale Stress Center include anxiety, worry, sadness and depression, anger, irritability, chronic pain, sleep problems, attention difficulties, mood swings, relationship difficulties, stomach problems and addictive behaviors and cravings. Some examples of treatment approaches used at the Yale Stress Center include:

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT):
CBT is an ever-expanding family of clinical interventions that share a commitment to evidence based methods. This family of treatment has scientifically demonstrated significant effectiveness in the treatment of a wide range of problems. The cognitive aspect of CBT looks closely at beliefs and thoughts and their impact on emotions and behaviors. Beliefs and thoughts are the lens through which we narrate our own reality, and in CBT these beliefs are investigated with the hope of developing a more adaptive, rational, and flexible stance towards experience. The behavioral aspect of CBT works by directly contacting habitual responses to feared or difficult situations and implementing new behaviors so that one can learn, first hand, to step out of old habits and experience new ways of interacting with life.

• Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i):
  This is a form of CBT that has been adapted to meet the specific treatment goals of individuals suffering from insomnia. This treatment helps individuals identify thoughts and emotions that may have a negative effect on sleep and to learn new ways of promoting healthy sleep patterns, such as relaxation techniques, structuring the sleep environment, and removing those things that interfere with sleep.
  
• Emotion Regulation Therapy:
  In this treatment approach, participants will learn and refine skills to manage emotions and change dysfunctional thinking patterns and behavior, with the specific goals of decreasing interpersonal chaos, unstable moods and emotions, and impulsive actions. Participants will gain a better understanding ofthemselves and develop skills in the areas of interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance and mindfulness.

Mindfulness-based techniques:
Mindfulness based techniques are rooted in insight-based contemplative traditions that have been known to promote wellbeing and self-realization. Research has found these approaches to be highly efficacious for a wide range of issues, such as stress reduction, recovery from depression, recovery from addictive substances, unhealthy eating habits, recovery from certain kinds of cancer, skin problems, chronic pain, anxiety, and panic attacks. Focusing on domains such as mindfulness, acceptance, compassion, and insight, mindfulness-based approaches offer the possibility to dissolve stress and suffering, discover our inherent connectedness with life, and awaken to a deeper awareness and understanding.

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy:
This treatment combines mindfulness training with cognitive therapy techniques. By cultivating mindful attention towards everyday activities, emotions, and interactions, participants will awaken to a deeper awareness of themselves and discover a more fulfilling way of life.

Integrated Approaches to Addictions Treatment:
Our team of therapists is experienced in treating addictions to various substances and activities, including common drugs of abuse, gambling, compulsive sexual behaviors, and food addictions. Treatment is informed by a variety of approaches including motivational enhancement therapy, relapse prevention, 12 step, mindfulness based relapse prevention, and cognitive behavioral therapy for addiction.

Family therapy:
Many families face challenges in areas such as communication, navigating major life events, and repairing damaged bonds. Family therapy can help family members gain a better understanding of the dynamics of their family and how to improve upon these dynamics, while creating a healthier family system.

Couples therapy:
Relationship discord and discontent are common in today’s complex society.Through couples therapy, many couples learn how to better communicate and how to identify and meet each other’s needs. Though the goal of couples therapy is often to improve or restore the relationship, couples therapy can also be useful to help couples determine their commitment to the relationship and transition through many difficult decisions.

Treatment of adolescents and children:
Therapy for children and adolescents can be helpful for many purposes, such as sadness and depression, anxiety, social isolation, mood swings, bullying, eating disorders, anger problems, behavioral problems, substance abuse, school difficulties, and healing from sexual, verbal or physical abuse. Therapy can also help children and adolescents transition through major life changes, including relocating, dealing with changes in the household, divorce, and illness or loss of a loved one.

Psychotherapy combined with medication management:
At the Yale Stress Center, you, your therapist and our on site psychiatrist can work as a team together to meet your treatment goals.