Whether you are new to individual or family counseling or have a lifetime of experience in the therapy room, it is our place to tailor the therapeutic approach to meet your needs. Below are several of the services we offer. This is just a brief overview of the focus of each type of counseling. It is a collaborative process, which means you help identify what goals you want to set, what changes you are willing to make, and if a suggestion is the right fit for you, your relationship, and your family. If you have more questions, look at our frequently asked questions. If that does not answer your question, please get in touch with us; we will do our best to help you.
Family Counseling
Is your family struggling with everyday living? Is there a separation or divorce? Do your children have behavior problems? Do you struggle to connect or understand the next generation? Does someone in the family have a neurodevelopmental, mental health disorder, or substance abuse problem, and you don’t know how to support them?
These are just some of the issues that family counseling can help:
- Improve communication between family members.
- Learn to set healthy boundaries with your children or in-laws
- Improve family dynamics and the quality of relationships
- Increase the family cohesiveness
- Help families learn how to problem-solve
- Help the family cope with crisis or difficult times
- Define the roles of each family member
- Help families create a division of duties that is equitable and supportive of the family as a whole.
In family counseling sessions, the therapist identifies the family unit as the client. The needs of the family as a whole are prioritized. Sometimes, that means that everyone involved should attend the session. Other times, it could be a session for only the parents or a parent and a specific child. The therapist assesses the family’s presenting issue and helps them come up with a plan to address their specific needs and goals. The therapist will help you identify patterns of behavior and the underlying needs that are not being met.
Relationship Counseling
Does it feel like the magic is gone in your relationship? Do you find yourself thinking, “What happened to us? We used to be happy. Has there been a crisis? Infidelity? Loss? Has someone brought up the topic of divorce? Do you need someone who can be a neutral party to create a safe space to have difficult conversations? Have you grown apart, and do you want to reconnect? Are there sexual or intimacy issues?
What we can do to help:
- Improve communication and active listening skills
- Develop emotional intelligence skills (i.e., empathy)
- Promote healthy boundaries
- Rebuilding trust
- Infidelity recovery
- Improve a sense of connection
- Work together through life’s challenges
- Address intimacy and issues related to sex (e.g., lack of libido, erectile dysfunction)
In relationship counseling sessions, the relationship is the client. Relationships can take many forms; spouses and dating are the most common. However, it also includes business partners, roommates, parent/adult child relationships, and polyamorous relationships. Sometimes, that means one or both participants will be referred to someone else for individual counseling. The therapist will interrupt negative cycles of interaction, assign homework, and help the couple identify their goals.
Individual Growth
Are you struggling with what life has thrown your way? Experiencing a crisis? Do you struggle to get out of bed in the morning, and accomplishing the tasks of daily living feel exhausting? Do you worry or stress so much that you cannot sleep at night? Have you been diagnosed with a mental health disorder? Did someone important to you say, “You should get some therapy?” Know that you are not alone. It is ok to ask for help. There was a time when being in therapy was stigmatized. But the world is changing, and more and more people want help learning a new way to live.
Below are some of the most common issues we can help with:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Supporting a loved one struggling with substance use
- Anger management issues
- Stress management
- Interpersonal relationship skills
- Assertiveness training
- Self-care
- Learning to identify needs
- Increasing emotional intelligence
During individual counseling sessions, you are the therapist’s primary focus. Where else can you experience being the one whose needs matter most? Individual growth is difficult; sometimes, you might not like what your therapist tells you. You get to set the pace for your development. The therapist will help you identify behavior patterns, create insight into your actions, and empower you to change your life.
Trauma Healing
Something terrible happened to you, maybe as a child or more recently. It could have been physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Perhaps you experienced neglect, struggled with poverty, or witnessed something awful. Did you live through a severe accident or natural disaster? Perhaps because of your job, you see the horrible things that can happen to people every day, and you are dealing with secondary traumatic stress. The common theme is that something terrible happened, you could not make it stop, or you could not get away, and that trauma is now impacting your life.
Trauma therapy helps in the following ways:
- Decreasing negative symptoms (e.g., flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, depressive symptoms, anxiety, etc.)
- Build self-regulation skills
- Understand how trauma affects the brain and body
- Recognize reactions to trauma triggers
- Master managing your own trauma response to triggers
- Connect with someone who understands
- Learn how to trust again
- Discover ways to feel safe
- Process traumatic experiences and develop new ways of thinking
The therapist’s first goal in trauma healing is to help you feel safe in the therapy room. The therapist slowly builds the therapeutic relationship while assessing how you have adapted to the traumatic experience and how you are over-adapted to your current situation. The therapist will help you develop skills and find new ways to cope. Over time, the therapist will support you as you develop insight and build a new life.
Check out the following articles for more information
Frequently Asked Questions
What To Expect Before And During Your First Session
What Do I Need For Therapy To Be Successful?
