Methods

How we work: the methods behind the homework.

We believe in going beyond regular talk therapy. Talking matters, and so does what you do with the other 167 hours of the week. These are the seven approaches our clinicians use, in plain words, with who offers each one and what the take-home assignment tends to look like.

01 · Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT

What it is. CBT looks at how thoughts, feelings and actions feed one another. You learn to spot the thought underneath a spike of worry or a flat day, test whether it holds up, and try a different response. It is practical and structured, and it is the backbone of most of our anxiety and depression work.

Who uses it. Tara Towler-Cumby is a CBT therapist, and so is John McCord. It also runs through our LGBTQ+ affirming therapy.

The homework

CatchWrite down one worry this week and the thought underneath it.

TestNext session, we look at what the evidence said.

02 · Internal Family Systems

IFS

What it is. IFS treats the mind as made of parts: the one that worries, the one that shuts down, the one that criticizes. Instead of fighting them, you get to know each part and what it is trying to protect.

Who uses it. Tara Towler-Cumby and John McCord. It sits inside our anxiety therapy.

Homework: notice which part of you takes the wheel this week, and write down what it was protecting.

03 · Dialectical Behavior Therapy

DBT

What it is. DBT teaches skills for the moments when feeling runs ahead of thinking: tolerating distress, steadying emotions, staying present and communicating clearly.

Who uses it. It is part of our anxiety, depression and LGBTQ+ therapy, and most of our clinicians combine it with CBT.

The homework. Try one distress-tolerance skill the next time an evening gets loud, and tell us how it went.

04 · Trauma-Focused CBT

TF-CBT

What it is. TF-CBT is a structured form of CBT designed for children and adolescents who have lived through trauma, with a caregiver taking part alongside them.

Who uses it. Tara Towler-Cumby is TF-CBT certified. It anchors our trauma therapy for young people, which respects your comfort, boundaries and readiness at every step.

The homework. Small, paced practice between sessions, with the caregiver in the room and at home.

Typical length

8 to 25 sessions

For children and adolescents, with caregivers involved.

05 · Emotionally Focused Therapy

EFT

What it is. EFT works on the emotional pattern between two people: the pursuit and withdrawal that makes the same argument repeat. The aim is a more secure bond, not a better debate.

Who uses it. Paul Burkhalter, for couples counseling. EFT typically runs 8 to 20 sessions.

The homework. Notice the moment the old pattern starts, and say what you feel underneath it, once, to your partner.

06 · The Gottman Method

Gottman

What it is. A research-based approach to the everyday habits of a relationship: friendship, conflict, shared meaning and trust, built up in small, repeatable steps.

Who uses it. Carson Schefstad is a Gottman Specialist and a Certified Premarital Counselor, John McCord has completed Level 1 and sees couples in person or virtually, and Paul Burkhalter works from it alongside EFT.

The homework. Turn toward one small bid from your partner this week instead of past it.

07 · Person-Centered Therapy

Person-Centered

What it is. The therapist follows you rather than a script. You set the topic and the pace, and the work is a steady, respectful conversation in which you can hear yourself think.

Who uses it. John McCord, and it appears in our LGBTQ+ affirming therapy.

The homework. Lighter and more open: bring back whatever stayed with you after the session, and we start there.

Which one is yours?

You do not have to pick a method. We match you with a person.

Tell Lily and Tara what is going on and they will suggest the therapist, and the approach, that fits. Next-day appointments are often available, in Roswell or online.

Book a free 15-minute callSee all therapy services