Our Therapeutic Approach
Depth-Oriented, Relational, and Evidence-Based Therapy
At Dr. Rebecca Lesser Allen & Associates Therapy, we integrate a range of psychotherapy modalities that are grounded in clinical research and tailored to the needs of each client. Our work is rooted in depth psychology, emotional attunement, neuroscience, and attachment theory. Below you’ll find an overview of the core therapeutic approaches we draw from in our practice.
Modalities we use:
Whether you're seeking individual therapy, couples therapy, or parenting support, we tailor each session to meet your specific needs. Our integrative, relational approach ensures that your therapy experience is not just clinically effective—but also human, meaningful, and transformative.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Exploring Root Causes Through Self-Awareness and Insight
Psychodynamic therapy is a depth-oriented, insight-driven approach that helps clients uncover the unconscious patterns, relational dynamics, and emotional experiences that shape how they think, feel, and behave. It’s based on the understanding that early life experiences, particularly our attachment relationships, deeply influence our inner world and relationships in adulthood.
In psychodynamic sessions, you’ll explore recurring themes, past experiences, and the emotional undercurrents that may be operating outside of conscious awareness. Over time, this process fosters self-awareness, emotional resilience, and lasting change.
What to Expect in Psychodynamic Therapy
Sessions are reflective, conversational, and relational. You’ll be invited to speak freely while your therapist helps you identify patterns and connect past and present experiences. Clients often describe this work as “untangling a knotted ball of yarn”, helping to bring clarity and healing to long-standing patterns.
Best For:
People feeling stuck in repetitive emotional cycles
Those seeking deep self-understanding
Clients drawn to long-term, insight-oriented therapy
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
Healing Through Emotional Awareness and Expression
Emotion-Focused Therapy helps individuals and couples tune into their emotional experiences and use them as a source of guidance, healing, and connection. This approach views emotions not as obstacles, but as essential messengers of unmet needs and core truths.
In session, your therapist will help you slow down and explore the emotions beneath the surface. You’ll learn to distinguish between adaptive emotions (which help guide you) and reactive or protective ones (which can keep you stuck).
What to Expect in EFT
EFT is active and experiential. Clients may explore emotional triggers, practice self-compassion, and learn tools for regulating emotion. In couples therapy, EFT fosters deeper emotional intimacy by helping partners recognize and respond to each other’s attachment needs.
Best For:
Clients feeling emotionally overwhelmed or disconnected
Couples navigating recurring conflict or emotional distance
Individuals struggling with self-criticism or emotional numbness
Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB)
Integrating Brain Science, Mindfulness, and Relational Healing
Interpersonal Neurobiology is a brain-based, integrative therapy model that draws from neuroscience, attachment theory, and mindfulness. IPNB explores how early experiences influence brain development and emotional regulation, and how healing relationships support nervous system integration.
Therapy using IPNB focuses on the whole person (mind, body, and nervous system). This includes recognizing how trauma, stress, or insecure attachment can shape emotional and behavioral patterns.
What to Expect in IPNB
Sessions are attuned, calming, and validating. Your therapist will help you explore somatic cues and emotional responses, creating a safe space that supports nervous system regulation and healing. You’ll work toward more flexible, integrated ways of being.
Best For:
Clients healing from relational trauma or chronic stress
Individuals with nervous system dysregulation (e.g., anxiety, hypervigilance)
Those wanting a science-informed and compassion-based approach
Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Building Lasting Connection Through Evidence-Based Tools
The Gottman Method is one of the most well-researched approaches to couples therapy. Developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, this method focuses on enhancing emotional connection, improving communication, and reducing conflict between partners.
Therapy involves identifying unhelpful patterns, increasing emotional attunement, and learning skills to navigate challenges and strengthen intimacy.
What to Expect in Gottman Therapy
Sessions include practical tools and exercises designed to build empathy, manage conflict, and nurture your partnership. You’ll learn how to listen without defensiveness, express needs effectively, and repair after disconnect.
Best For:
Couples facing communication issues or emotional distance
Partnerships affected by stress, parenting, or life transitions
Premarital counseling and relationship enrichment
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Healing Inner Conflict Through Compassionate Self-Leadership
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy helps clients explore the different “parts” of themselves, such as the inner critic, the perfectionist, or the wounded child. Developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, IFS is rooted in the belief that all parts have a purpose, even if their methods are outdated or distressing.
Instead of pathologizing these internal voices, IFS fosters a relationship between you and your parts, guided by a calm, compassionate inner Self.
What to Expect in IFS
IFS sessions are gentle and empowering. You’ll learn to listen to inner parts with curiosity rather than judgment, ultimately helping them relax and integrate. This process fosters deep internal healing, especially for those struggling with trauma, anxiety, or chronic self-doubt.
Best For:
People who feel emotionally fragmented or stuck
Clients struggling with self-criticism or internal conflict
Trauma survivors seeking a non-pathologizing approach
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Building Skills for Emotional Regulation and Resilience
DBT is a structured, skills-based therapy designed to help clients manage overwhelming emotions, improve interpersonal relationships, and reduce harmful behaviors. It blends acceptance and change by teaching mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Originally developed for borderline personality disorder, DBT is now used to treat anxiety, depression, self-harm, and more.
What to Expect in DBT
You’ll learn and practice evidence-based coping tools to improve emotional balance and decision-making. DBT may include individual therapy, skills coaching, or group sessions.
Best For:
Clients struggling with intense emotions or impulsivity
People who feel emotionally dysregulated or reactive
Anyone seeking practical, structured tools for lasting change
Attachment-Focused Therapy
Healing Relationship Patterns Rooted in Early Attachment
Attachment-Focused Therapy examines how early caregiving experiences shape your sense of self, your ability to connect with others, and your emotional regulation. It supports the development of earned secure attachment: a healthier, more trusting way of relating.
By exploring your attachment style, therapy helps you shift long-standing relational patterns and cultivate more secure connections.
What to Expect in Attachment-Focused Therapy
Therapy is attuned and emotionally safe. Your therapist helps you recognize patterns like fear of abandonment, avoidance of closeness, or struggles with self-worth, often rooted in childhood experiences.
Best For:
Individuals with relationship anxiety or avoidance
Clients healing from emotional neglect or inconsistent caregiving
People seeking more secure and satisfying emotional bonds
Humanistic and Relational Therapy
Fostering Growth Through Authentic Connection
Humanistic and Relational Therapy centers on empathy, authenticity, and the healing potential of human connection. It supports your innate capacity for self-understanding and growth, without pathologizing your experiences.
Rather than focusing on “fixing” symptoms, this approach emphasizes the therapy relationship itself as a powerful tool for healing.
What to Expect in Humanistic Therapy
Sessions are warm, collaborative, and client-led. Your therapist shows up as a real person—supportive, curious, and nonjudgmental. The relationship between you and your therapist becomes a space for emotional repair, self-trust, and deep reflection.
Best For:
People who have felt dismissed, judged, or emotionally unsafe in past therapy
Clients who want to feel more authentic in relationships
Those seeking a values-aligned, emotionally attuned approach to healing
