Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT is one of the most extensively researched forms of psychotherapy. It is built on the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors — and the principle that shifting patterns in one domain creates change in the others. CBT helps clients identify cognitive distortions, challenge unhelpful thinking patterns, and develop practical coping strategies. It is considered a first-line treatment for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and OCD by major professional bodies including the American Psychological Association.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan, DBT integrates acceptance and change strategies. Its core premise — that a person can accept their current experience while also working to change it — makes it especially effective for clients managing intense emotions, interpersonal difficulties, or impulsive behaviors. DBT teaches four skill domains: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Research supports its use across a wide range of presentations including depression, anxiety, substance use, and emotional dysregulation.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

ACT is a third-wave cognitive behavioral therapy that focuses on psychological flexibility — the ability to be present with difficult thoughts and feelings without being controlled by them, while taking action aligned with personal values. Rather than working to eliminate uncomfortable internal experiences, ACT teaches acceptance of them alongside committed action toward what matters most to the client. It has demonstrated effectiveness for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, addiction, and a range of other concerns.

Internal Family Systems

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a model of therapy developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz that views the mind as made up of distinct "parts" — each with their own perspectives, roles, and motivations — organized around a core Self. In IFS therapy, clients develop a compassionate, curious relationship with these internal parts, including those that carry pain, fear, or protective roles. This model is particularly well-suited to work involving trauma, self-criticism, and identity, and complements other approaches well.

Person-Centered Therapy

Developed by Carl Rogers, person-centered therapy is grounded in the belief that people have an innate capacity for growth and that the therapeutic relationship itself is the primary vehicle for change. The therapist's unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness create the conditions for the client to explore themselves safely and honestly. Person-centered principles are foundational to Calli's overall style, regardless of what other modality is being applied.

Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, client-centered counseling style developed by William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick. It is designed to strengthen a person's own motivation and commitment to change by exploring ambivalence without judgment. MI is particularly well-suited for work involving behavior change, addiction, and situations where a client feels conflicted about change. Research consistently shows MI's effectiveness for substance use disorders and for increasing engagement in treatment.

Working with where you actually are

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a foundational tool in addiction work precisely because it does not require a client to be fully ready to change before treatment can begin. Developed by Dr. William R. Miller, MI is a collaborative, non-confrontational approach designed to explore ambivalence, strengthen intrinsic motivation, and support a client in clarifying their own values and reasons for change.

Research consistently shows that the therapeutic relationship in MI — empathic, affirming, and non-directive — is itself a mechanism of change. SAMHSA recognizes MI as an evidence-based practice for substance use disorder treatment, and it is frequently combined with CBT and other therapies for improved outcomes.

Acceptance, values, and committed action

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is well-suited to addiction work because it addresses the experiential avoidance at the core of many addictive patterns. Substance use and behavioral addictions are often maintained by the desire to escape or suppress painful internal experiences — emotions, thoughts, memories. ACT works to develop a different relationship with those experiences: accepting them rather than fighting them, while taking action toward what genuinely matters.

Identifying patterns and building skills

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for substance use focuses on identifying the thoughts, triggers, and behavioral patterns that maintain addictive behavior — and developing concrete coping strategies to interrupt them. CBT has a strong evidence base for alcohol, cannabis, stimulant, and other substance use disorders, and it translates well to behavioral addictions where thought-behavior cycles play a central role.

Regulating emotion without substances

Dialectical Behavior Therapy's skill modules — particularly distress tolerance and emotion regulation — are highly applicable in addiction work. Many people use substances or compulsive behaviors as a primary method of managing emotional pain. DBT offers a structured alternative skill set: ways to tolerate distress, regulate difficult emotions, and navigate relationships without those behaviors.

Recovery built on what is already there

A strengths-based approach to addiction counseling starts from what a client already brings — their resilience, relationships, values, and capacity — rather than cataloguing only what is broken. Research in recovery science supports the importance of identifying and amplifying existing protective factors as a component of sustained recovery.