Problems Treated
Rachel Robb Avery, Phd has experience and training in various treatment approaches well-suited to helping people with a broad range of presenting problems. The approaches are tailored to developmental age (adult, adolescent, child) and the specific nature of the presenting constellation of problem behaviors. The treatment approaches offered are Cognitive-behavioral, Family Systems, Mindfulness, Self Psychological, Cognitive-Developmental, Play, Relaxation training and Psychodynamic. The intervention format may vary from Individual treatment, family treatment, play therapy or parent-child treatment.
Depression
Rachel Robb Avery, Phd has many years of experience working with people who suffer from symptoms of depression, both unipolar and bipolar. Treatment involves the utilization of cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness and relaxation strategies as well as collaboration with family members and/or adjunct providers (General practitioners, Internists, Pediatricians and Nurse practitioners) of medical, psychiatric or psychopharmacological care and/or educational instruction
Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety
Anxiety with panic attacks
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Rachel Robb Avery, Phd is trained to and has treated many patients in the greater Portland area suffering from emotional and behavioral symptoms associated with an Anxiety Disorder. Evidenced-based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is the treatment of choice and has proved very effective in bringing patients symptom relief and greater quality of life. Often, though not always, consultation with a medical provider is recommended to evaluate the usefulness of adjunct psychotropic medicine. Dr. Avery will consistently coordinate the care she provides to the patient with the care provided by the prescribing physician or Nurse Practitioner
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Rachel Robb Avery Ph.D. employs trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ( CBT) to rework and modify memories and symptoms associated with experienced trauma. Reworking and modifying traumatic memories helps patients to make sense of their experience, to emotionally heal and to move on with their lives.
Stress and Anxiety Management
If the stress and anxiety in your life are affecting your over-all well-being and lifestyle then Rachel Robb Avery can help! Following an initial thorough assessment of factors involved in the creation or the stress and anxiety in your life (environmental/situational, personality, information and affect processing style) cognitive-behavioral and relationship strategies will be taught and practiced to help manage the stress and modify the anxiety to allow for a greater sense of life satisfaction.
Childhood Developmental Disorders
Over thirty (30) years of experience providing play assessments and play therapy to children 2 to 14 allows Rachel Robb Avery, Phd to offer helpful diagnostic impressions and helpful treatment options for children presenting with attachment disruptive disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, problems with attention, information and sensory processing and behaviors associated with Autistic spectrum disorders.
Life Event Adjustment Reactions
Life is full of stressful events that challenge and sometimes overwhelm our coping strategies: events such as divorce, a move, an illness, a blending family, financial loss, diagnosis of learning disorder, ADHD or other educational problems, sexual orientation confusion, sibling rivalry, adult-child family of origin issues, job-related challenge, addiction, grandparents raising grandchildren etc. Whatever the specific cause of the life adjustment difficulty, Rachel Robb Avery, Phd can provide therapy focused on helping you to adjust to the presenting difficulties and to re-establish a sense of control, satisfaction and direction to your life.
Promotion of Emotional Health and Resiliency
Life is full of ups and downs. How you deal with those ups and downs has a lot to do with the satisfaction and success you enjoy in your everyday life. Are you feeling that your life is not quite what you hoped, not going in the direction you want it to? Are you unhappy in your relationships (intimate, friend, parent-child) or do you feel simply that you are not as happy as you’d like to be? Self-Reflection is a process utilized to help people to tune into themselves more deeply and to identify sources of discomfort and distress and to identify and nurture strategies (cognitive, behavioral and emotional) for feelings of well-being. Self-discovery, Self-development and Self-compassion are all experiences associated with healthy personality functioning. This type of growth therapy is a personal journey. As distinct from problem-focused therapy, this type of insight-oriented individual work offers interested adolescents and adults the opportunity to live more mindfully as they discover, identify, understand and direct their life choices.