Here’s what actually works in therapy.
Everyone’s talking about CBT, DBT, EFT, and a host of other three-letter acronym brands. Guess what? None of that matters. What’s most important is …
Everyone needs different things in therapy.
When you think about it, actually, it’s pretty obvious. People need different things in
relationships and have different interests and different goals. Some people need assertive, direct therapists who will “call them on their shit.” Some people need therapists that are nurturing, warm, and supportive.
Still others need a therapist who helps them be more bolder, more ambitious, and larger in their life. Most other therapists treat these attitudes as incidental parts of therapy, or they have their own particular style they are comfortable with. Our therapists are both flexible and rigorous. Flexibility to meet you where you are, rigor to check their work to make sure therapy is helping and progressing.
We turn research into personalized care.
We take a comprehensive approach to psychotherapy, using both research and evidence-based practice to make it work for you. The truth is, for any diagnosis or problem, there are many viable, research-backed methods for working through it. The real art of therapy is listening to you and tuning our approach to making the textbook techniques personalized to you.
How do we personalize therapy?
We personalize therapy by first providing an in-depth, holistic conceptualization of your problems, including early life experience, your current situation, symptoms, and goals. We develop a unique map to help you understand why you’re stuck and why that makes sense, given your past.
Then, most importantly, we transparently share our understanding of the types of experiences and techniques that will help you make progress towards your goals. Finally, we use ongoing evaluations to ensure therapy works for you.
Our Roots are in Research.
We, along with our colleagues, have been conducting research for over 40 years. We’ve developed a model to map each person’s unique psyche and predict how and why therapy will be helpful.
All of our clinicians are trained extensively in this model, and all of our clinicians attend case conferences and receive supervision, ensuring we’re on track with your treatment. We also collect data from all our cases (though you can opt-out, of course!) so that we’re constantly improving both our clinic’s outcomes and the field as a whole.
We measure progress
In addition to tracking your symptoms, we map the experiences that shaped you and beliefs that stemmed from them, how they’re getting in your way, and then, most importantly, what types of experiences you need to have to change them. The core of theory rests on this – experience is our most powerful teacher, and once you have experiences that show you it’s safe to shed old beliefs and patterns, you naturally will.
Change your story - Change your future.
Case Studies: Carlos and Amer are both anxious.
Carlos and Amer both come to therapy because they feel too anxious too much of the time. They don’t sleep well, they’re having trouble focusing, their stomach hurts, and they’ve started to have panic attacks. They worry about work, they worry about dating and their relationships, and they worry they worry too much. This might sound familiar?
In some corners of the therapy world, Carlos and Amer would get the same diagnosis and treatment
They would both be offered meditation exercises, both would be offered ways to shift or reframe their thoughts, both would be encouraged to adopt positive lifestyle changes and explore medication, and both might be offered any number of flavor-of-the-month therapies – EMDR, somatic, ACT, etc.
Carlos and Amer are different and need different things.
Let’s say a therapist starts working with both patients and offers the same treatment. Carlos got better and Amer didn’t. What gives? Is Amer not working hard enough? No, the Amer might need something different than Carlos because he’s a different person. Why does therapy work for Carlos? Well, let’s say Carlos grew up in a home where his parents were overwhelmed. He didn’t get much encouragement from them, and as a mixed-race kid at a mostly white school, he often felt out of sorts and even overlooked.
For Carlos, the therapy feels attentive in a way that he really needed. The therapist’s active attention and coaching really help fill in a gap and he’s able to take things and run with it.
Amer, however, grew up in a home where his family was intensely perfectionistic. They hovered over him each night to make sure he completed his homework perfectly and would be grilled if he didn’t get a top grade. As a first-generation immigrant, Amer acutely felt the pressure to help his parents and family get established and find security through high levels of success and achievement.
Luckily, Amer’s SF Therapy Group Therapist clocks this pretty quickly. They realize that a structured approach with accountability really stresses Amer out more. The therapist adopts a much more relaxed attitude – it’s okay if Amer’s a little late; it’s okay if he doesn’t do exactly what they talked about between sessions. This is a completely new experience for Amer – to realize nothing disastrous happens if he’s not perfect. He begins to laugh more, to loosen up, and, paradoxically, perform even better at work because he’s not freezing up and overthinking things.
Experience is King.
Specificity is Queen.
Flexibility is our Non-Binary Monarch.
First and foremost, we focus on understanding the unique shape your therapy needs to
take. Yes, we’ve been trained in all the latest and greatest techniques. You can do CBT, Ketamine Therapy, or Somatic therapy with us. What sets us apart is that we adapt each of these rote approaches to tailor fit you, your needs, and what works best for you. We are a team of clinicians who prioritize flexibility in approaches and styles, and we collect data on this to make sure things are working as intended.
Control-Mastery Theory (CMT) therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach that emphasizes the role of conscious and unconscious limiting beliefs that influence an individual’s behavior and mental health. It operates on the principle that people develop negative beliefs based on their past experiences, which then interfere with their current functioning and well-being. CMT therapy aims to help individuals identify these negative beliefs, understand their origins, and then, most importantly, work to disprove them, thereby facilitating healing and personal growth. CMT integrates principles from many different approaches, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, relational therapy, somatic therapy, humanist therapies, and others.
During CMT therapy sessions, therapists guide clients through the process of understanding where they want to go and what is getting in their way. Often, this starts with exploring their history, identifying the formation of their pathogenic beliefs, and devising strategies to challenge and overcome these beliefs. It can also start in the “here-and-now” by focusing on the person’s goals and aspirations and how to get them closer to these right away, then seeing what comes up to block this and working with those challenges. This therapeutic approach is grounded in a strong empirical research base and has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of mental health issues. By focusing on the mastery of control over one’s mental obstacles, CMT therapy empowers individuals to achieve their psychological and emotional goals. If you’re interested into a more in-depth look at the research, please visit the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group’s website.
The core values of Control-Mastery Theory (CMT) revolve around the belief in human resilience and the capacity for self-healing. Central to CMT is the idea that individuals possess an innate drive to overcome psychological distress and achieve personal growth. This perspective fosters a therapeutic environment centered on empowerment, collaboration, and the active involvement of clients in their healing process. Another fundamental value of CMT is the importance of understanding the origin of one’s negative beliefs and working toward disproving them to foster mental health and well-being.
Trust in the therapeutic relationship is also a cornerstone of CMT. Therapists and clients work together in a trusting partnership to uncover and address the root causes of psychological distress. This collaborative approach ensures that therapy is tailored to the unique needs and goals of each client, enhancing the effectiveness of the treatment and promoting significant and lasting change.
Control-Mastery Theory (CMT) is used to treat a wide range of psychological issues and mental health disorders. Its versatility lies in its focus on the individual’s unique history and the formation of negative beliefs that can lead to psychological distress. CMT is particularly effective in addressing anxiety, depression, personality disorders, and issues stemming from traumatic experiences. By helping individuals understand and challenge their pathogenic beliefs, CMT facilitates profound personal growth and healing.
In addition to treating specific mental health conditions, CMT is also used to enhance personal development and improve interpersonal relationships. Its emphasis on mastering life challenges makes it a valuable tool for anyone seeking to overcome obstacles to their well-being and achieve greater life satisfaction.
Control-Mastery Theory (CMT) is an integrative treatment approach that combines elements of other therapy modalities like cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapies, and others. CMT helps those with anxiety by identifying the underlying negative beliefs and fears that fuel their anxious thoughts and behaviors. Through therapeutic exploration, clients learn how these beliefs originated and are guided in developing strategies to challenge and change them. This process not only helps to reduce anxiety symptoms but also empowers individuals to gain greater control over their emotional lives. By examining the context of someone’s life, what’s worked or not before in managing anxiety, a therapist can better understand what interventions, skills, or strategies might benefit an individual living with anxiety.
CMT focuses on each person’s ability to master their challenges, and fosters a sense of competence and confidence that is crucial for managing anxiety. Clients become more adept at recognizing triggers for their anxiety, understanding their reactions, and employing effective coping strategies. This active engagement in the therapeutic process leads to significant and lasting reductions in anxiety levels.
Coping with mental health challenges through Control-Mastery Theory (CMT) involves actively engaging in the therapeutic process to identify, understand, and overcome pathogenic beliefs. Individuals learn to recognize how these negative beliefs influence their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and are supported in developing strategies to disprove and move beyond them. This active coping mechanism not only addresses the symptoms of mental health issues but also targets their root causes, leading to more enduring and meaningful change.
Additionally, CMT emphasizes the development of coping skills that are tailored to the individual’s unique experiences and needs. By fostering an environment of collaboration and trust, therapists help clients build resilience and adaptability, enabling them to navigate life’s challenges more effectively. Through this process, clients not only cope with their current difficulties but also enhance their overall mental health and well-being.
A Control-Mastery Theory (CMT) therapist is a mental health professional trained in the principles and practices of CMT. These therapists possess a deep understanding of how negative beliefs are formed and how they can be challenged and changed. CMT therapists work collaboratively with clients, fostering a therapeutic relationship based on trust and mutual respect. Through this partnership, they guide clients in uncovering the origins of their distress, identifying pathogenic beliefs, and developing strategies to overcome them.
CMT therapists are skilled in creating a supportive and empowering therapeutic environment that encourages clients to actively engage in their healing process. They are committed to personalized care, tailoring their therapeutic approach to meet the unique needs and goals of each client. By leveraging their expertise in CMT, these therapists help individuals achieve significant psychological growth and improved mental health.
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