Counseling Services
Personality Disorder Therapy and Treatment
I am a Certified Personality Disorder Treatment Provider (C-PD). Which essentially means
I understand what a personality disorder is and how it develops, how to use clinical assessment tools, distinguish personality disorders from other clinical disorders, recognize co-morbidities, identify symptoms and distinguish between all 10 personality disorders, and utilize current diagnostic models and how to accurately diagnose and treat.
I continue with the necessary training for licensure around this specialization to establish both my credibility and my boundaries of professional competence, keeping up with the latest knowledge about personality disorders and how they affect those living with them, their families, coworkers, and friends. As well as how to better assess, diagnose and treat.
Adolescent/Teen Counseling Sessions
Teen life is hard! They have to navigate a world that is mostly foreign to us parents. It often seems as a parent we have everything going against us who want to raise mentally healthy mature young adults. They do not always respond in the healthiest ways to the problems they encounter and we are at a loss for what to do. Most often, this comes from a lack of understanding of their own emotions, social cues, and the world around them.
In some cases, teens need counseling to help them cope with the day to day difficulties. Parents need to be aware of any possible danger signs to look out for and how to find a counselor when their teen needs one. Parents need to know when they need help and support themselves. You, as the parent, can help your teen through these difficult times with proper support as well. That is what I am here for; I will help you in creating a healthy environment that is beneficial to both of you.
Some of the common issues’ teens and their parents need help with include:
Changes in family life, divorce, death or severe illness in a parent or sibling
Developing an illness or disability
Substance abuse or addiction
Bullying or abuse
Teen pregnancy
Self-esteem or confidence issues
Children react to stressors in different ways, suicidal thoughts/attempts, depression, anxiety, violent or disruptive behavior, harming themselves, changes in mood and personality, risky sexual behavior.
With counseling, these teens can come to understand why their behavior is negative, why it is they react in this or that manner, and how to cope better. They can learn to change their negative thoughts that trigger their behaviors. They will find better ways to solve their problems and learn appropriate social skills that will bring about the happiness they so long for. Counseling is the first step in regaining your family and child back to the happy, easygoing, untroubled times you remember.
Whatever you are struggling with, if you or your teen is in need of counseling, please, by all means, call for a free consultation.
Child Therapy Session
For children, therapy goes better with parent involvement. I work with both the parent and child. I want you as the parent to implement much of what I use in therapy sessions. I will help you as a parent navigate some of the common difficulties that present themselves with children who are defiant, who show aggression, who have extreme emotional behaviors. If your child does not listen, if your discipline does not affect your child. I will help you in creating a behavior management plan that works! It will target the problem behaviors, and provide you with structure, straight forward actions and consequences that will give you results.
In sessions, I will give your child tools for alternative ways to think about and manage their anger and misbehavior. They will learn to implement calming strategies and learn to identify, challenge, and replace thoughts that lead to anger. They will go home weekly with new problem solving and conflict resolution skills through role-playing, behavioral rehearsal, and working through their current conflicts in sessions.
I implement play in therapy to help children navigate these conflicts. In the younger ones, more emphasis is placed on play because this is the natural way children express and learn about themselves. They are given toys and games to play with that encourages communication and expression of feelings. I work with them as they present in different ways and help them modify behavior and develop problem-solving skills while also discovering new ways to relate with others.
I look at each child as a unique person with his or her own special set of skills and strengths. I attempt to understand your child and their personality and help them find ways to get their needs met in socially appropriate ways. As a result, your child will learn pro-social skills and responsible ways of interacting with the environment. They will learn to view themselves in a more positive light and learn that they are capable of living a life of fulfillment and happiness.
If your child is struggling with:
Anxiety
Bedwetting
Divorce or separation
Grief from the loss of a family member
Illness
Depression
Aggression
Difficulty in social interaction
Low frustration or tolerance
Impulsivity
Give me a call. I will help you both navigate whatever issues you may be struggling with and live life to its fullest.
Individual Therapy
Individual counseling is a process where you learn about yourself, your moods, feelings, thoughts, and behaviors and how they affect your life. You will learn how to respond to challenging situations with healthy coping skills.
Therapy can help treat most mental health problems, including:
Anxiety disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), phobias, panic disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder
Addictions, such as alcoholism, drug dependence or compulsive gambling
Personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder or dependent personality disorder
Not everyone who seeks therapy will be diagnosed with a mental disorder. Even when diagnosed, I tell my clients that the diagnoses is simply a way to label and categorize behaviors so to better apply evidence-based treatment based on the most current research. It does not mean the disorder or problem is inherent or beyond help. The behaviors and the issues that arise still need to be dealt with.
Therapy can help with life stresses and conflicts that affect anyone such as
Settle current differences with others
Ease anxiety and stress
Conquer negative feelings and emotions
Recover from abuse
Alleviate depression
Improve coping skills
Improve family support and other relationships
Relapse prevention
Establish a consistent and healthy lifestyle
In session I encourage you to look into your own thoughts and feelings about what is troubling you. I will be there to help you cope with some of the strong feelings and emotions that may come up. You will learn to implement personal skills for managing stress and solving daily problems. Often you will be sent home with instruction to practice and build on what was learned in therapy. Eventually, you will begin to feel better about yourself and improve your quality of life.
Do not hesitate to call if you think you would benefit from therapy.
Trauma Focused Therapy
a characteristic state or mode of living More (Definitions, Synonyms, Translation)Trauma centered sessions are tailored to meet the needs of children and adolescents who have experienced emotional and psychological difficulties as the result of a traumatic event. I help clients deal with the overwhelming thoughts that cause stress, anxiety, and depression. Clients will learn how to manage difficult emotions more healthily and how to deal with self-defeating thoughts.
I give both parents and children skills to take home and practice. Parents will ultimately be able to help their child cope with the psychological effects of the trauma, as I do in a therapy session, further increasing their odds at improvement.
What to expect out of trauma centered therapy
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Psychoeducation and parenting skills
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Relaxation
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Affective regulation
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Cognitive processing of the trauma
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Trauma narrative
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In vivo mastery of trauma reminders
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Conjoint child-parent sessions
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Enhancing future safety and development
If you or someone you know has suffered from trauma. I can help! I have developed a 9-week resiliency course that is being incorporated in schools for teachers and further integrated into the classroom with students. I am an EMT with 14 years of experience and understand the complexities of trauma and PTSD. Feel free to call for a consultation and make an appointment if you exhibit any of the stressors associated with trauma and PTSD.
Reunification Therapy
Reunification therapy is a process in which a qualified therapist works with the whole family reuniting estranged or alienated parents with their child or children, usually due to an extended separation, divorce, or custody dispute.
Sometimes this may be the result of parental alienation. It could be due to a pathological attachment to an abusive parent or enmeshment with an emotionally needy parent who likely struggles with their own attachment issues. In other cases, it may be a rejection of the estranged parent because of past abuse, absence, neglect, or simply the failure to facilitate a bond or attachment to the child.
In all cases, the goal of reunification therapy is to help both parent and child develop a closer, healthy, and secure attachment. Most often, reunification is a court-ordered intervention to protect the child from developing any lifelong difficulties. If parental alienation can be determined, then the therapist will work to end parental alienation tactics by the alienating parent in the reunification process. The goal is to have all parties involved as children do much better with both parents being involved with the process.
Unless the Court specifies it, the cost will be split between the two parents. The duration and frequency vary depending on the parties' motivation and participation in the reunification process. The fee is more than other therapies because it usually requires frequent communication between parents, attorneys, and letters to the Court.
It is often that one parent is less motivated than the other. The parent who cancels or is a no-show without a 24-hour notice, and at the therapist's discretion, would charge the parent the full amount even if the Court ordered the other parent to be financially responsible.
If you are a parent struggling to be involved with a distancing child and are at a loss for what to do, reach out to me for a free consultation.
