INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING
What should you expect? The first session we will discuss what symptoms you are experiencing (like anxiety, sadness, conflict with another, difficulty making decisions, sleeping problems, eating issues, any disruptive patterns etc). I will also ask you about your history - medically, psychologically, socially, geographically, relationally, etc. Then we will discuss past attempts of dealing with the situation that is troubling you.
If you are in an emergency situation, where you need to make an immediate decision, we will look first at any safety or risk concerns and then at the pros and cons from your perspective and others around you.
However, if you have an ongoing situation with which you have struggled, then we will look at the history of the problem, and any past treatment attempts. In the end there will be a treatment plan strategy to deal with the issue in a way that is comfortable for you.
COUPLES COUNSELING
Every couple can be different. However, many marriages seek mediation when communication has derailed. So the first goal is to call a truce to stop any blaming and shaming in order get to the real issues in the couple’s system.
Information about the couple’s life separately and together is gathered. We spend time focusing at what brings the couple together, and what conflict drives the couple apart. Finding out what each person seeks in the relationship, and seeing if this is something that the other can fulfill.
Time is spent examining looking at any negative patterns that weaken that system, (i.e.: aggressive speech or actions, codependency, addictions, etc.). It is not about finding out who is the most to blame, or who is the bad guy. However, there may be mindsets that lead to unproductive behaviors that lead to the breakdown of the relationship. These behaviors are examined and methods to replace them are given.
EMDR COUNSELING
I am excited about a new therapy I have been using, called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), which has a proven track record with traumas and emotional distress. Many of my clients have found it helpful to connect past experiences to current emotional and behavioral states.
“EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal. EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. “
The EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation, right/left eye movement, or tactile stimulation, which repeatedly activates the opposite sides of the brain. This releases emotional experiences that are "trapped" in the nervous system. This further assists the neurophysiological system, the basis of the mind/body connection, to free itself of blockages and reconnect itself. As troubling images and feelings are processed by the brain via the eye-movement patterns of EMDR, resolution of the issues and a more peaceful state occurs. To see what can be treated with EMDR, please visit blog.