CLIENT-CENTERED Evidence-based Psychotherapy
with licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Aprilia West, PsyD, MT, PCC
HEALING THROUGH A HOLISTIC APPROACH
Many people face mental health challenges for a variety of reasons: biological, psychological and social factors all play a role in how much we flourish or languish. And yet none of us is born with a manual on that helps us understand why life isn’t working and what might work better. Our natural tendency is to default to the most familiar, practiced and sometimes unhelpful patterns we’ve learned.
Unfortunately this is also why many models used in psychotherapy are minimally effective. They tend to focus on rehearsing familiar narratives or on changing thoughts and feelings that are not always inside your control. The thought is that if you have new insight, you’ll change your behavior. But it’s not always that simple: knowing the path is not he same as walking it.
Behavior change comes from more than just insight— it comes from experiential awareness, learning and practice.
A lot of psychotherapy also relies on an outdated medical model that focuses on symptoms, dysfunction and pathology which views clients as broken, irreparably flawed or incapable of change. Process-based therapy goes beyond traditional talk therapy to help people understand what is at the core of their experience, and what is needed to disrupt unhelpful behavior patterns. While the client-therapist relationship, insight and awareness are essential for transformation, sustainable behavior change requires experiential awareness patterns, in-session experiential practice and between-session assignments with behavioral experiments conducted by the client.
Dr. West works from an evidence-based positive psychology lens grounded in the most recent contextual behavioral science to help clients increase wellbeing, flourishing, and performance. Her integrative holistic approach focuses on the root causes of languishing to reduce suffering and improve wellbeing and optimal performance. She blends third-wave cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT/ACT/DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, and attachment theory grounded in neuroscience, emotion science and positive psychology with decades of experience helping people in all walks of life learn to engage more skillfully and meaningfully in their lives.
Who Will Benefit from Therapy with Dr. West
Dr. West works with highly motivated adults and couples who want a warm, direct, structured and goal-oriented process to optimize their wellbeing. While she works with people with a wide range of challenges across the lifespan, she have special expertise working with with artists, creators, innovators and tech founders.
As a licensed clinical psychologist, she has the most extensive training available for mental health providers in assessment, research, diagnosis and treatment. She also trains therapists around the world in using contextual behavioral approaches to therapy worldwide.
Areas of Expertise
Psychological Consultation: assessment and treatment recommendations to help you better understand the source of your concerns
Mood hygiene and management: acquiring tools for emotion regulation, performance and resilience
Relationships: developing communication skills, self-awareness, secure attachment, creative problem-solving and rupture/repair
Harm Reduction: tapping motivation and skills to decrease unhelpful behaviors, e.g., compulisve gambling, substance abuse
Values & Goal Setting: harnessing motivation, exploring what matters, clarifying focus
Navigating Neurodiversity: skills training for interpersonal effectiveness, social skills, time management and organization
Life Transitions: navigating phase of life and career change
Wellbeing : increasing meaning, connection, self-efficacy, resilience & autonomy
Working with Dr. Aprilia West
Dr. West’s psychotherapy practice is currently full, however she offers professional consultations, supervision, referrals and short-term work as availability permits. Click here to get in touch.
Too often psychotherapy holds clients as broken or disordered. My holistic approach is grounded in behavioral science to go past the symptoms to the root causes to help clients learn to powerfully navigate challenge, stress and distress and build creative inspiring lives.
—Dr. Aprilia West
FAQs
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Contact me to set up a complimentary 15-minute Zoom consultation to see if we are a good fit. If we agree to move forward, we’ll schedule an intake consultation and I will send you assessments and forms prior to meeting for a structured clinical interview to review your background and developmental history. At the end of the intake we will make a plan for future treatment if appropriate.
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If you’re seeking therapy you’re probably struggling with a life-interfering issue (e.g., uncontrollable worry, unprocessed trauma or severe and frequent mood dysregulation) that requires clinical expertise and professional experience.
People who seek coaching tend to be looking for targeted support to increase their wellbeing and performance, personally and/or professionally.
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I tend to work online with people who prefer to meet from the comfort of their office, home or workplace. I sometimes meet with clients at their workplace or on location.
With advance planning I offer in-person therapy, subject to federal and state regulations and safety recommendations related to COVID.
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I practice feedback-informed treatment using metrics to ensure we stay on the same page about goals so we can both track how the learning is being integrated into your life, and whether you are progressing. If you’re not making progress, we’ll know it, and we can troubleshoot what’s happening and what’s needed.
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Psychotherapy can be short or long-term based on your needs. Some of my clients come to work on a specific problem that can be addressed in brief therapy. Others want or need more intensive longterm support. During the intake consultation process I will give you an estimate for a treatment timeline.
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I am an out-of-network provider. I can provide a monthly superbill for clients to submit to their insurance company for reimbursement. Depending on your insurance coverage, you may be reimbursed for a portion of our work, but you should always check with your insurance company first to make an informed decision.
