ABOUT
ABOUT
Dr Teri McHugh has over 30 years of clinical experience working with adults, children and adolescents in various treatment settings, such as private practice and non profit agencies. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology in 1996 from California Graduate Institute and her Masters degree in Clinical Psychology in 1992 from Pepperdine University and her Bachelors of Science degree in 1990 from California Lutheran University. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has certifications in Chemical Dependency, Behavioral Medicine, Clinical Herbal Medicine, Sport and Exercise Nutrition, Pilates Instructor.
HISTORY Treatment Approach
Dr Teri McHugh has experience treating very diverse and chronic patients in various settings, such as residential, outpatient, partial hospitalization, and day treatment programs. She has developed new start-up residential treatment programs for youth and adults with chemical dependency issues and mental health issues.
We are each very unique individuals with different ways of viewing and perceiving problems and solutions and how we exist in the world as a whole. As we are all unique and individual, so should therapy be. The approach used is a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and psychodynamic and Family Systems Therapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is based on the idea that our thoughts cause our feelings and behaviors not external things, like people, situations, events. The benefit of this fact is that we can change the way we think to feel and act better even if the situation does not change. CBT is briefer and time limited. CBT is considered the most rapid in terms of results obtained. The average number of sessions is approximately 16. What enables CBT to be briefer is its highly structured nature and the fact that it makes use of homework assignments, tools to use after each session. A collaborative approach is used to assist in attaining the goals of the patient together throughout treatment. The Therapist plays an active role in therapy as the collaborative teacher, coach and mentor.