When I was in my Clinical Psychology MA program, we were often encouraged to choose one theoretical orientation to start with. While I chose Depth Psychology as my initial approach, I always felt that each theory had advantages that would prove useful for specific situations or clients. I found myself developing quite an anti-dogmatic approach that focused on making the most of each theory. As I’ve developed in my practice over the past 8+ years of seeing clients, I have realized that I see each theory as lending itself well to a certain aspect of the human experience. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Narrative Therapy are focused on changing thoughts and the stories in our minds. Somatic Therapy and Gestalt are much more body-oriented. Psychodynamic approaches tend to be especially helpful for diving deep into emotional history and experience, what we might think of as the heart. Jungian approaches tend to move closer to the mystery of the human experience, the spiritual dimension, if you will.
As an anti-dogmatic therapist who prioritizes what works over theory, I am able to utilize all of these approaches and tailor them to my clients as individuals with a unique set of needs and preferences. While some of my professors might have said that these theories are at odds with one another and don’t blend well together, I strongly disagree. If you are able to hold a pluralistic view that acknowledges the multifaceted truths of the human experience, then it becomes much easier to synthesize these varying approaches and utilize them when it makes the most sense. I see each psychological theory and its interventions as tools, and each tool has its own unique strengths and specific uses, much like a hammer is used for driving in a nail, while a screwdriver is meant for tightening or loosening a screw.
As a Holistic-Eclectic therapist, I view healing as a process that is best supported when it involves the four major dimensions of being: mind, or thoughts; heart, or emotions; body, meaning sensations and physiology; and spirit. I define spirit quite loosely as the mysterious aspect of human experience that helps us feel connected to something greater than ourselves, which can mean many different things to different people. This approach has been a long time in the making, but it was greatly influenced by what I learned from Jacqueline Mendez when I joined this practice, which she learned from the late, great Gina Ogden. This framework, known as the 4-D wheel, is a means of healing that honors these four major pathways. When I first learned about it, it immediately made sense to me, and over time I began to orient my approach to healing around these four dimensions.
As I expanded this framework beyond the intervention of the wheel itself and into how I formulate treatment more broadly, I began to see how naturally my eclectic approach and views on psychological theories fit within it. Rather than experiencing these theories as conflicting or incompatible, I came to understand them as addressing different dimensions of the same human experience. From this perspective, therapy becomes less about rigidly applying a single model and more about responding to the whole person, honoring their complexity, and supporting healing across the multiple dimensions that shape how we think, feel, and experience ourselves in the world.