Kimberly Young, Psychologist in Bradford, 16701

Dr. Kimberly Young

Profession(s):
Psychology, Counselling
License Status:
I'm a licensed professional.
Primary License:
Psychologist

My Approach to Helping

Focus on moderated and controlled use of the Internet.

My Therapy Focus

Therapy is focused on helping clients manage their time online. In 1995, I founded the Center for Internet Addiction and my primary practice has been treating Internet-related health issues. I have developed what I refer to as CBT-IA, a uniquely designed model for treating Internet addiction applying Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Harm Reduction Therapy (HRT). CBT-IA utilizes a three-phase approach. In the first phase, behavior modification is used to gradually decrease the amount of time the addict spends online. In the second phase, cognitive therapy is used to address denial that is often present among Internet addicts and to combat the rationalizations that justify excessive online use. The third phase applies HRT to identify and treat co-existing issues involved in the development of compulsive Internet use. As the first model of its kind, it can be used both on an outpatient and inpatient basis to deal with this emergent client population.

The Duration and Frequency of Therapy

Clients must be motivated to enter treatment and I have found that Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is treatment based on the premise that thoughts determine feelings. In general, clients are taught to monitor their thoughts and identify those that trigger addictive feelings and actions while they learn new coping skills and ways to prevent a relapse. CBT usually requires three weeks to twelve months of treatment with an average of approximately 12 weekly sessions. With Internet addicts, it has been suggested that the early stage of therapy is behavioral focusing on specific behaviors and situations where the impulse control disorder causes the greatest difficulty. As therapy progresses, the focus is more on the cognitive assumptions and distortions that have developed and the effects of these on behavior. When applied, techniques involve the assessment of the type of distortion, problem-solving skills and coping strategies training, modeling in therapy, support groups, and keeping thought journals.

Services I Provide

Individual Therapy & Counseling
Family Therapy
Coaching
Consultation
Clinical Supervision

Ages I Work With

Children
Teens
Adults
Elders

Languages I Speak

English

Groups I Work With

Internet addiction and any kind of Internet or online related problems including online sexual addiction, online gaming addiction, Internet gambling, and compulsive online shopping.