Maria Cacace (she/her)

Depression is a common mental health issue that many people suffer from. Depression causes lack of motivation, isolation, and a general disinterest in different aspects of life or life in general. Depression can be debilitating but in my expertise working with depressed client's my goal is to motivate clients to gain back their zest for life, engage in activities they once loved, and get back to normal daily functioning.

Personality disorders take time to diagnose and are determined by a client's long-term patterns of functioning and symptoms that have occurred throughout their lives. I am certified in DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) and utilize this treatment in order to best help those with borderline personality disorder, bi-polar I and II, obsessive-compulsive (OCD), etc. to teach and develop a strong set of techniques to better regulate strong emotions and impulse control.

Everyone experiences some sort of anxiety throughout their lifetime. Anxiety stems from a variety of sources from trauma to day to day stressors that we have not learned how to manage. CBT cognitive behavioral therapy works best according to my expertise, teaching client's how to utilize different coping techniques to reduce/eliminate their anxiety.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a short-term goal-focused approach, which incorporates positive psychology principles and practices, and which helps clients change by constructing solutions rather than focusing on problems. I have found SFBT works best with client's experiencing anxiety, depression, self-esteem, relationship issues and coping with changes in life.

DBT works best with clients diagnosed with personality disorders, clients that are suicidal and clients engaging in self-harm. DBT is sectioned into four main parts that include learning how to utilize mindfulness and wise mind, emotional regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness. In my expertise, client's that learn and implement skills from each DBT component and keep up with daily diary card, show the most improvement in their lives.

CBT is a common form of therapy designed to reframe our thought patterns and engaging us in developing coping techniques to break down our negative behaviors. In my expertise, CBT is best used along with anxiety, depression, OCD, addictions, etc. CBT examines client's thoughts, feelings and behaviors associated with all three components and allows client's to process and re-learn how to cope with day to day issues.