Therapists in Washington, DC
Dr. Sadaf Lotfalian
Psychologist, PhD
Verified Verified
Washington, DC 20017 (Online Only)
At times the road to your fullest life is found by moving through trauma, rage, loss, and betrayal. How we cope with those hardships is important. Therapy can help you become more aware of suffering, the sources that are causing it, and tools to help you overcome it. I invite us to imagine a life beyond fear, shame, and regret. One where you feel your innate wisdom, compassion, and capacity, to live life more fully despite all of its complexities.
At times the road to your fullest life is found by moving through trauma, rage, loss, and betrayal. How we cope with those hardships is important. Therapy can help you become more aware of suffering, the sources that are causing it, and tools to help you overcome it. I invite us to imagine a life beyond fear, shame, and regret. One where you feel your innate wisdom, compassion, and capacity, to live life more fully despite all of its complexities.
Dodini Behavioral Health
Psychologist, PhD, PsyD, LCSW, LMFT, LPC
Verified Verified
Washington, DC 20007
Dodini Behavioral Health is a multidisciplinary private group practice for personal growth, healing, and development currently open to virtual and in person. We help individuals, couples, and families get beyond symptoms and into living the fullest version of their life and self. Our clinical providers are among the top in their fields and have a variety of areas of interest and expertise, and all are devoted to exceptionally good psychotherapy, therapeutic alliance, and continual education. We often work as a team and as co-therapists to give the absolute best in personalized and expert care for you and those you love.
Dodini Behavioral Health is a multidisciplinary private group practice for personal growth, healing, and development currently open to virtual and in person. We help individuals, couples, and families get beyond symptoms and into living the fullest version of their life and self. Our clinical providers are among the top in their fields and have a variety of areas of interest and expertise, and all are devoted to exceptionally good psychotherapy, therapeutic alliance, and continual education. We often work as a team and as co-therapists to give the absolute best in personalized and expert care for you and those you love.
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Schema Therapy
How does schema therapy work?
Schema therapy is based on the idea that maladaptive thought patterns formed in childhood—that other people can never be relied on, for example—can interfere with healthy functioning in adulthood. Accordingly, schema therapy works by directly targeting such unhealthy schemas, identifying their consequences, and replacing them with more adaptive ways of thinking. To this end, schema therapists aim to “reparent” the client by offering what they didn’t get in childhood—validation, for instance, or compassion—to reorient their worldview.
Is schema therapy evidence-based?
Schema therapy is still considered relatively new, and research on its efficacy is still in progress. However, some studies have concluded that it can be effective at treating certain mental health conditions, most notably personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder. Evidence for its efficacy in treating conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and OCD is promising but less conclusive, and experts warn that much of the existing research is of low quality.
Is schema therapy a type of CBT?
Schema therapy is based on many principles of CBT, most notably the process of recognizing and challenging maladaptive thought patterns. But because schema therapy also draws from other approaches,including psychoanalysis and Gestalt therapy, it is not considered a form of CBT. It also typically delves deeper into the client’s childhood than does CBT.
How does schema therapy work?
Schema therapy does not call for a set number of sessions and is instead open-ended, with the treatment timeline depending on the client’s primary concern(s), progress, and preferences. Treatment that lasts between six months and two years is common, though many clients will start to see progress much earlier than that.