Johanna Wood, Leap Counseling and Consultation (She/Her)

Approach Description: As a cognitive-behavioral psychologist, I understand the interplay between emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. These three factors interact to create cycles of anxiety that maintain the disorder. In CBT, it is less important to understand why the disorder developed, and more important to understand how the problem has continued. We work collaboratively in therapy to understand what is needed to disrupt the cycles that are in place, and then put those strategies into practice. I also integrate mindfulness and other components of acceptance and commitment therapy, which is a newer form of CBT. When it comes to OCD and and anxiety treatment, the cycle usually needs to be disrupted through behavior. Exposure therapy involves changing our relationship to anxiety. Instead of just trying to cope, avoiding feeling anxious, and trying to get rid of anxiety at all costs, we learn to approach anxiety, little by little. By approaching it, we learn to tolerate it and, as a nice side effect, anxiety does tend to decrease over time. ACT-based strategies illustrate how to sit with the anxiety and assist in developing a new direction for one's life. Instead of listening to anxiety all the time, ACT helps with clarifying values and using them to guide our decisions, leading to a full, meaningful life. My job is not to "fix" you - only you can do that for yourself. But I will guide and challenge you, and give you the tools you need to live a meaningful life. Therapy with me will not last forever, but until you reach your goals and feel confident in being your own therapist.