Britney Silva

More About Britney Silva

Clinical Interests:

I have experience working with youth aged 5-18, adults aged 18-72, families, and couples who may be struggling to balance their overall well-being, including their physical, emotional, and spiritual health, as well as their relationships, vocational, and even financial concerns. I tell all my clients: “I am not interested in navigating and managing symptoms, I am interested in bringing you to true healing”. I have knowledge and/or experience in treating anxious and depressive disorders, stress-related disorders, especially trauma, substance use, developmental disorders that include impulse control disorders, and more.

Clinical Approach:

I praise anyone for taking the first step in their healing journey, which is even having the courage to reach out for help. In using a strengths-based approach to highlight this courage, I then use a person-centered lens to understand you from a nonjudgmental, empathetic stance that pulls on your strengths and your capacity for growth. I always say, “We don’t knock the tools that have helped you make it or cope with life this far; we just improve or upgrade them to make life easier.” For example, you may have been using a hammer all this time to get the job done, but we found out you needed a screwdriver, or yes, you have a shovel, which certainly gets the job done, but how much easier would it have been or be with a snowblower? I am eclectic in my approach, meaning we will find what works for you or what project you are working on and create your toolbox together. The therapeutic approaches I gravitate to the most are holistic therapies such as transpersonal therapy that addresses the health of the whole person, not solely the emotional or mental areas; cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and all its derivatives, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which tend to look at how thoughts and emotions affect behavior, and narrative therapy that generally works well for those with a traumatic past. I like to incorporate a lot of psychoeducation for “knowledge is power, or should we say empowering”; relaxation techniques like mindfulness and breath work; behavioral skills training that includes things like modeling, role-playing, and goal setting; as well as social skills or assertiveness training, among others. For couples, I tend to use many techniques from the Gottman method, and for families, I use a structural family approach. Ultimately, I am just another tool in your toolbox, similar to a spirit or bubble level; it’s an essential carpentry tool you only need when trying to align something either horizontally or vertically, but for the most part, you don’t use it that often.

Hobbies:

I enjoy spending time with our creator, my family, and outdoors. Outside of this, you might find me reading or watching something educational, as I love to learn and consider myself a lifelong student, or even playing logic games like Sudoku. I have a passion for all-natural anything that would be eating all-natural or making all-natural products. I love to sweat and work out. I am a goofy mother and love laughing with my fiance or kids, and I am a sports mom who knows how to cheer, but that’s about it. I also love spending time with my little puppy named Theodore, who is a pomchi and so cute it hurts.