Widyasita Sawyer, Ph.D.

Philosophy

I’m passionate about mental and physical health's relationship, and specialize in behavioral medicine. Mental wellness and physical wellness can either help or hinder the other. Behavioral treatments significantly improve both mental/emotional and physical outcomes, but we know it's easier said than done. I take a primarily cognitive-behavioral approach, which has the strongest evidence base and research backing, to most problem areas impacting your wellness. I also embrace the powerful clinical utility of third-wave CBT approaches, emphasizing mindfulness, acceptance, multicultural sensitivity, and values-based treatment. CBT techniques effectively change your life in the here-and-now, but careful consideration of your values show us what changes to make and how. We will explore your values and goals together; I have not climbed your mountain, but as I climb mine I’m driven to help you summit yours.

Romantic and family relationships can often be the primary source of our distress and the explicit focus of treatment. Social connections have been an explicit focus of mine from my undergraduate education (Human Biology major with concentration in Social and Health Psychology) through my graduate training. Good or bad, we take learnings from our experiences with close others and they inform our current patterns. Integrative Behavioral Couples Therapy can help elucidate and gradually change problematic patterns in your current relationship. Considering your family of origin can help you decide which behaviors and thoughts you want to continue to live the life you want today. Whether relationships are your primary concern or not, possible strengths and stressors of relationships are likely to be considered.

Sleep is currently an undervalued aspect of our wellness and quality of life in our modern society. Quality and duration of sleep are as important to your wellbeing as nutrition, exercise, stress, and social connections. I aim to improve sleep that is disrupted by any of the following: insomnia, nightmares, CPAP usage, jet lag, delayed/early sleep phase, past trauma, or co-occurring medical conditions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, in particular, is the recommended treatment for insomnia (above medications) and can be effective in as few as 3-6 sessions. I completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Cognitive Behavioral Sleep Medicine at Stanford and have treated sleep patients across the lifespan and in multiple healthcare settings.

Again, all is easier said than done. In addition to the above, my clinical background is also founded on specific mood-related issues (ie depression, anxiety, stress) using often short-term (12-16 sessions) treatments.

No matter how far in the process you are, I’d love to chat with you to see if I can help you with your goals. To learn more click below for a free phone consultation!