Treatment Approaches

Developed in the 1980s by psychologist Steven Hayes, ACT helps build psychological flexibility: staying present, accepting difficult thoughts and feelings, and taking meaningful action guided by their personal values.

ComB treatment for body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) — including hair pulling (trichotillomania), skin picking (excoriation disorder), nail and cheek biting — uses personalized strategies to interrupt triggers and replace them with healthier alternatives. It combines awareness training, emotion- and urge-management skills, and ongoing monitoring and adjustment as progress is made.

An auditory therapeutic intervention developed by Dr. Stephen Porges based on the Polyvagal Theory. Music is filtered to emphasize human speech frequencies and gently stimulate the vagus nerve and auditory pathways, helping the nervous system shift from chronic defensive states (fight, flight, freeze) to a calmer, socially engaged state.

Developed by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer, MSC combines mindfulness with self-compassion to help us respond to difficulty, failure, or suffering with kindness, understanding, and present-moment awareness.

Through blending the approaches of Viktor Frankl and Irvin Yalom, we can better understand our capacity to find meaning—even in suffering—by courageously confronting life’s existential realities and choosing to live with authenticity, responsibility, and purpose.