Specialities

Each of us is the sum of our experiences in life. The secret is discovering how those experiences interrelate. I offer professional counselling in the areas described below.

Children

Children and adolescents receive mental health services for a variety of reasons. It is important to recognize that any problem needs to be considered in context with a child’s development. During these periods of growth, it can be difficult for families to know when a change reflects the normal challenges in child development or, rather, signs and symptoms of something that more significantly interferes with their child/teen’s happiness, and/or functioning within their family, at school, or with social connections.

Some child/adolescent areas that might be addressed by mental health services include:

Learning, attention, or social skill problems
Episodes of sadness, tearfulness, or irritability
Social withdrawal or isolation
Experiencing bullying or bullying other children
Excessive school absenteeism or tardiness
Test anxiety
Alcohol, drug, or other substance use.
Problems adjusting to transitions following separation, divorce, relocation, medical diagnosis, grief, or loss.
Experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event including sexual, physical, or emotional abuse
Repeated thoughts of death or signs of self-destructive behavior.

How Do I Get Started With Children/Adolescent Therapy?

Have questions or are ready to get started please fill out the contact form today.

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Individuals

You may benefit from therapy throughout your life, or you may terminate therapy after seven sessions because you have learned the skills and found the inner resources to meet your life challenges on your own, with your well-being intact. (Though it never hurts to go back for a refresher now and again!) People often come to individual therapy because they want to improve their lives in some way. They’re ready for a change.

Here are some examples of individual therapy goals:

I want to feel better about myself.
I want to break a cycle and quit making the same mistakes.
I want to feel less depressed or anxious.
I want to become better at tolerating stress and frustration.
I want to find more meaning in my life.

And of course some people come to therapy with very specific, concrete goals:

I don’t want to turn into my father.
I can’t make a decision about a career change.
I keep erupting at my kids.
I need help getting through a major life transition.
I want to stop sabotaging my romantic relationships.

It’s often the case, however, that even specific therapy goals can lead to reflection on deeper material. It means that current problems can sometimes be a gateway to exploring longer-standing patterns in your life.

How Do I Get Started Individual Therapy?

Have questions or are ready to get started please fill out the contact form today.

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Couples

Having a clinician that both partners in the relationship feel comfortable with is very important. Couples therapy involves work, openness and honesty and feeling that you can speak freely and confidently is an important part of the process. As a licensed therapist I do have specialized training in working with couples.

What Kinds of Things Can Couples Therapy Help With?

Couples therapy can focus on multiple issues, and teach valuable skills for improving the along the way. A few of the commonly addressed topics are:

Conflict Resolution
Intimacy Concerns
Affairs / Trust Problems
Parenting
Co-Management of Finances
Difficulty with Other Family Members
Work / Home Boundaries
Issues Around Separation or Divorce

How Do I Get Started With Couples Therapy?

Have questions or are ready to get started please fill out the contact form today.

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Families

The Benefits of Family Counseling

Families can benefit from therapy when they experience any stressful event that may strain family relationships, such as financial hardship, divorce, or the death of a loved one. In addition, it can be effective in treating mental health concerns that impact the family as a whole, such as depression, substance abuse, chronic illness, and food issues, or everyday concerns, like communication problems, interpersonal conflict, or behavioral problems in children and adolescents.

Family counseling aims to promote understanding and collaboration among family members in order to solve the problems of one or more individuals. For example, if a child is having social and academic problems, therapy will focus on the family patterns that may contribute to the child's acting out, rather than evaluating the child's behavior alone. As the family uncovers the source of the problem, they can learn to support the child and other family members and work proactively on minimizing or altering the conditions that contribute to the child's unwanted behavior.

How Do I Get Started With Family Therapy?

Have questions or are ready to get started please fill out the contact form today.

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