What are all these terms?

Buddhist and Contemplative therapy both blend mindfulness, meditation, and spiritual principles with modern psychology to promote self-awareness, emotional balance, and personal transformation through insight, compassion, and acceptance. They emphasize understanding suffering and a recognition of the inherent goodness and wholeness in all of us. They focus on the holistic person—mind, body, and spirit—rather than just symptoms. These approaches integrate scientific methods with contemplative traditions from various cultures to help with stress reduction, healing, and personal growth. Read more of my thoughts on Buddhist Psychology.

Feminist therapy is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes empowerment, equality, and the impact of social and cultural factors on mental health. It challenges traditional gender roles and addresses how systemic oppression—such as sexism, racism, homophobia, and classism—contributes to psychological distress. The therapist and client work as equals, focusing on collaboration and the client’s unique experiences. This approach values intersectionality and encourages clients to become advocates for themselves and others. While rooted in feminist principles, it is inclusive of people of all genders seeking a socially conscious, empowering therapeutic experience.

Insight-based therapy focuses on helping individuals gain a deeper understanding of their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. The goal is to uncover unconscious patterns, past experiences, or internal conflicts that influence current challenges. By increasing self-awareness, clients can make more informed choices and foster personal growth. This approach explores the "why" behind their feelings and behaviors, not just symptom relief.

Trauma-informed therapy is an approach that recognizes the impact trauma has on a person’s mental health and focuses on creating a safe, supportive environment. Building trust and collaboration between therapist and client is key to the process and it focuses on recognizing and avoiding triggers to prevent further harm. Rather than just addressing symptoms, it empowers clients to take an active role in their healing. It’s not a specific therapy method but rather a framework that can be applied across different therapeutic approaches to better support individuals who have experienced trauma.

Mindfulness-Based CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) combines traditional CBT techniques with mindfulness practices. It helps people become more aware of their thoughts and feelings in a non-judgmental way, which reduces the impact of negative thinking patterns. By integrating mindfulness—such as meditation and present-moment awareness—this approach promotes acceptance and emotional regulation alongside changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It’s often used to treat anxiety, depression, and stress by helping people respond more skillfully to difficult emotions. This modality can provide practical strategie, skills and tools that clients can use on their own outside of sessions.