Integrated Therapy Modalities
How Common Therapy Models Like CBT, DBT, and ACT Fit Inside Our Structured Identity-Level Approach
At ShiftGrit, we use a structured method that targets identity-level patterns—those deep loops of belief, emotion, and behaviour that shape how you experience life.
But structure doesn’t mean rigidity.
Many of our therapists are trained in respected clinical modalities like CBT, DBT, Schema Therapy, ACT, and more. When helpful, they integrate aspects of these models into our method—not as replacements, but as enhancements.
You might think of it like baking:
- The ShiftGrit Method is the cake—essential, central, foundational
- These models? They’re the icing—added strategically when the situation calls for it
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT focuses on identifying and modifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. It’s goal-oriented, evidence-based, and widely recognized.
How It Integrates at ShiftGrit:
We may use CBT-based thought tracking or reframe techniques to support clients as they gain awareness of automatic thoughts. These tools are used after belief-level reconditioning has occurred—helping reinforce new interpretations.
Example:
A client who has reprocessed the belief “I’m incompetent” may use CBT-style journaling to spot and challenge any lingering thought distortions.
🔎 Based on: Beck, J.S. (2011). Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
DBT was originally developed for individuals experiencing intense emotional dysregulation. It focuses on skills like mindfulness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance.
How It Integrates at ShiftGrit:
DBT tools are brought in to manage high-arousal emotional states between sessions—especially during intense reprocessing work. They help clients stay grounded and build tolerance for emotional discomfort.
Example:
A client learning distress tolerance strategies to stay regulated between belief reprocessing sessions.
🔎 Based on: Linehan, M.M. (1993). Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder.
Schema Therapy
Schema Therapy targets early maladaptive schemas—patterns formed in childhood that influence how people relate to themselves, others, and the world.
How It Integrates at ShiftGrit:
Our own Pattern Theory aligns closely with schema theory. When appropriate, we use schema language to help clients label their internal loops. But instead of just naming the schema, we aim to recondition the belief beneath it.
Example:
A client with a “Defectiveness/Shame” schema might process the associated limiting belief (“I’m broken”) through the ShiftGrit Core Method, leading to broad downstream change.
🔎 Based on: Young, J.E. et al. (2003). Schema Therapy: A Practitioner’s Guide.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT promotes psychological flexibility. It teaches clients to accept difficult thoughts and emotions while committing to actions that align with personal values.
How It Integrates at ShiftGrit:
ACT strategies like defusion and values clarification are sometimes used to support integration after reconditioning. When belief-level change has occurred, ACT helps clients anchor their new identity through consistent, values-driven action.
Example:
A client uses ACT-based metaphors to tolerate post-repatterning uncertainty while building new habits that reflect their rewired self-concept.
🔎 Based on: Hayes, S.C., et al. (1999). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative Therapy helps clients separate themselves from their problems and rewrite the meaning they give to their life experiences.
How It Integrates at ShiftGrit:
Once the emotional charge of a pattern is reduced, narrative work can help clients integrate what’s changed. Re-authoring helps consolidate identity shifts and reduce relapse into old frameworks.
Example:
A client revisits a painful memory post-repatterning and rewrites it from a perspective of strength rather than shame.
🔎 Based on: White, M. & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
SFBT emphasizes practical solutions and goal achievement over problem analysis.
How It Integrates at ShiftGrit:
We may use solution-focused questions to help clients clarify their ideal outcomes and notice subtle changes after reconditioning. This helps measure progress and increase motivation.
Example:
“On a scale of 1–10, where are you today compared to when we first identified this pattern?”
🔎 Based on: de Shazer, S. & Dolan, Y. (2007). More Than Miracles.
Attachment Theory
Attachment Theory explores how early caregiving shapes emotional regulation and relational behaviour.
How It Integrates at ShiftGrit:
Attachment concepts inform how we identify the origins of patterns—especially those tied to core fears like rejection or abandonment. While we don’t “treat” attachment styles directly, we target the beliefs they reinforce.
Example:
A client with anxious attachment might recondition the belief “I’m only valuable if I’m needed,” which reduces reactivity in relationships.
🔎 Based on: Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and Loss.
Mindfulness & Somatic Techniques
Mindfulness is used to build awareness of thoughts and sensations. Somatic work helps track the body’s response to emotional material.
How It Integrates at ShiftGrit:
Mindfulness helps clients stay present during imaginal exposure. Somatic tracking can guide therapists in identifying when a threat loop is still active and when the client has returned to regulation.
Example:
A client uses body scans to locate a threat signal before reconditioning and reports a noticeable shift in sensation afterward.
🔎 Based on: van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score.
Other Models That May Be Integrated
Therapists may also draw from:
- EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) for attachment-focused language in couple work
- IFS (Internal Family Systems) when naming internal protectors that maintain patterns
- EMDR as a secondary tool in cases where trauma is the primary driver of a loop
- Gottman Method in relationship-focused reconditioning
These are all used situationally—never as full replacements for the ShiftGrit Core Method.
🔄 Therapist Experience Matters
Not every therapist uses every integration.
At ShiftGrit, we train all clinicians in our Core Method. From there, they bring their own professional background and post-graduate training in models like DBT, ACT, Schema Therapy, or EMDR.
Each therapist’s profile includes a breakdown of the therapy models they’re experienced with and how those might be integrated into their work. This ensures clients can make informed choices about fit and preference.
Looking for a therapist trained in Schema Therapy? Or one who uses ACT-based metaphors alongside reconditioning?
We’ve got you covered — and we make it easy to find the right fit.
📘 Meet Our Therapists → View individual profiles and modality backgrounds
💬 Final Thought
We don’t follow trends—we follow structure.
And when the foundation is strong, you can add as much icing as needed.