DEFINITION
What is Integrative Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy has been evolving. Traditional therapy often followed one main model and used it with nearly everyone. Integrative psychotherapy takes a more individual approach. It considers your history, nervous system, culture, body, and the way you experience the world.
Treatment might include cognitive behavioral therapy, somatic or body-based work, narrative therapy, mindfulness, or trauma-focused approaches. Sometimes we use several of these together. The goal is not to follow one particular school of therapy, but to find what is most helpful for you.
Integrative psychotherapy is also part of a larger approach to healthcare. With your permission, your therapist may coordinate with your physician, naturopathic doctor, acupuncturist, or other members of your care team. Mental and physical health are closely connected, so it can be helpful to address both rather than treating them as completely separate.
About our psychotherapist Dr. Sally Novak
Dr. Sally Novak brings something genuinely rare to her work as a psychotherapist: she is both a licensed clinical social worker and a doctor of Chinese Medicine, a certified yoga teacher, and a trained practitioner of somatic therapies, EMDR, DBT, somatic work, and clinical hypnosis. That combination of Eastern and Western clinical training means she can meet patients at the intersection of mind, body, and spirit.
INDICATIONS
What conditions does it help with?
ADVANTAGE
Our Advantage
Many therapy practices focus only on psychotherapy. At GWCIM, mental health care is part of a broader, multidisciplinary medical practice. We look at mental health in the context of your overall health.
Physical health can affect emotional well-being. Thyroid problems, gut inflammation, chronic pain, and unresolved trauma may all contribute to symptoms such as depression or anxiety. When therapists work with integrative physicians, naturopaths, acupuncturists, and other members of your care team, treatment can be more coordinated and responsive to your needs.
Dr. Sally Novak integrates Chinese medicine, somatic therapies, EMDR, DBT, clinical hypnosis, and yoga, depending on what is appropriate for each person. This flexible approach can be especially helpful for people who have not found relief through traditional therapy alone.
We also value culturally responsive care. Our goal is to provide treatment that feels respectful, accessible, and meaningful to people from different backgrounds and belief systems.
APPROACH
Our Approach
Whole-Person Care
Mental health cannot be separated from physical health, life history, relationships, or the body. We treat the whole person.
No Single Map
No one therapeutic model fits every person. We draw from many traditions and adapt to what each individual actually needs.
Cultural Humility
Meaningful mental health care is culturally aware and inclusive. Every background and belief system is respected.
Compassion Is the Medicine
The quality of the relationship between patient and therapist is one of the most powerful drivers of healing there is. Trust, safety, and genuine human connection are clinically significant. We take that seriously.
Care Options
Initial and Follow-up Psychotherapy Consultations
One-on-one sessions with Dr. Novak. Available via telehealth.
Initial and Follow-up ReCODE Program Consultations.
Comprehensive, ongoing psychological support — from first assessment through continued care — addressing the emotional and relational dimensions of cognitive decline within the ReCODE program.
ReCODE Support Group
Dr. Novak facilitates weekly online support groups as part of the GWCIM ReCODE Program - one for patients with mild cognitive impairment, and one for family members and caregivers.
EXPERTISE
Recommended Providers
FAQ
Common Questions
Conventional therapy typically works within one or two theoretical frameworks. Integrative psychotherapy draws from a much broader range of evidence-based approaches. At GWCIM, it also connects with the rest of your medical care. It's not just talk. It considers your body, your biology, your life circumstances, and your cultural background as part of the picture.
Yes, and often very well. Dr. Novak regularly works with patients who are on psychiatric medications, and she can coordinate with prescribing providers to ensure that psychotherapy and medication are working in the same direction. For some patients, integrative approaches may also reduce the need for medication over time - though any changes to medications are always made carefully and collaboratively.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a well-researched, evidence-based therapy specifically developed for trauma and PTSD. It uses guided bilateral stimulation to help the brain process traumatic memories that haven't been fully integrated. Many patients find it remarkably effective, particularly when talk therapy alone hasn't been enough. Dr. Novak is trained in EMDR and can help you determine whether it's appropriate for your situation.