Individual Therapy

BRING THE JOY BACK

I treat debilitating mental health conditions such as mood disorders, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, trauma and chronic stress among others, using evidence-based mainstream treatment approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Attachment Theory and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. My work also integrates cutting edge research on Neuroscience and Brain-based Therapy, (to explore the specific ways in which your brain systems and chemistry may be impacting your mood), Positive Psychology, (to enhance positivity and help you bring more happiness into your life), and mindfulness-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, (to help you deal with painful feelings effectively so they have much less impact and influence over you, i.e. feeling pain but not suffering, and strengthening your resilience instead).  

MOVING FROM EMOTIONAL DISTRESS TOWARDS PSYCHOLOGICAL WEALTH AND LIFE SATISFACTION

Customized treatment interventions and our safe therapeutic relationship will help you move from an area of distress or impairment to an area of well-being on your mental health scale. They can also help you move beyond by increasing your capacity for achieving optimal functioning and unleashing your full potential.  Try picturing an imaginary line on a scale, where you can see yourself going up from, let’s say, a -7 to a -2 or even 0 (as when diminishing/eliminating emotional distress), and then moving forward from 0 to +2, +5 or beyond, as you begin achieving greater fulfillment and life satisfaction. 

Recent research in the field of psychology supports the fact that you can raise your level of happiness and well-being from your current set point by increasing the number of times you actively experience positivity in your life. Positive experiences are a primary source of inner strength. We need them to deal with the hard things in life. They generate motivation, self-worth, improved cognitive functioning, good mood, kindness, resilience, and other inner strengths. However, just having positive experiences is not enough. We need to engage in positivity actively, mindfully, and gratefully to weave it into the brain, so that it can hardwire for happiness.

In addition to positive experiences, good values are also a fundamental foundation of well-being. In our sessions you will see how these ingredients can help you acquire increased psychological wealth which will inspire you to act with greater self-confidence, wisdom and resilience. Having access to these emotional resources will help boost your motivation to achieve your goals and improve your relationships. At the same time they will help you increase your ability to find meaning in life, utilize your strengths and cultivate an approach to life that makes you feel good about yourself and the choices you make. 

 SPECIALTY AREAS IN TREATING INDIVIDUALS 

LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE

Vilma Sylvester, LMFT provides psychotherapy and coaching to individuals, teens, children, couples and families.  Her office is close to Albany, Emeryville, Alameda, Oakland, Piedmont, Walnut Creek and Lamorinda.  1664 Solano Ave. Berkeley, CA 94707

    Contact me to arrange for a free consultation.

 (925)640-7481

 vilmasylvesterlmft@gmail.com