COUNSELING

Individual Counseling
Everyone finds that there may be times in their lives when they don’t feel satisfied and fulfilled. During these times, you may experience symptoms such as depression, anxiety, grief or substance use that you want relief from. Therapy can offer you support to work on relieving these symptoms. I will work with you at a pace that is right for you. I compassionately guide you to examine your family and relationship history to help gain insight on how this history has lead to negative symptoms in your current life. Working together, I will help you to be able to view your thoughts, feelings and behaviors without attaching negative meanings to them. This, in turn, will enable you to have a more enriching life.

Family Counseling
Family relationships can be some of the most difficult to manage. These family relationships often involve the greatest amount of conflict and challenges. Family dynamics have changed immensely over the last 10 years. Traditional family structures that many people grew up with are not as common anymore. We now see many different forms of family: both parents working, divorced families, single-parent families, children being raised by grandparents, and gay- and lesbian-headed families are just a few examples. Though the structure of families has changed, the power of family remains the same. I work with all types of families, and I work with the entire family in order to develop strong communication skills among every member of the family.

Relationship Counseling
Relationships with our partners can be challenging from time to time. Relationships are always changing and evolving, and people sometimes struggle with that change. If not dealt with properly, resentment can breed and grow in the relationship. This often leads to individuals being left feeling lost and misunderstood. For the relationship to work effectively it essential for both partners to look at what they brought into the relationship and how that effects the other person. I will work with both you and your partner on ways to communicate your thoughts and feelings more effectively. This is not always easy since we oftentimes may hear things we don’t necessarily want to hear about ourselves or our partners. However, by developing compassionate listening and communication skills, you can both learn to better understand each other and get through those challenging times together.

Group Counseling
There are currently no group counseling sessions scheduled.

Crystal Meth Support
Crystal meth abuse in our community has become an epidemic. My own past history with this drug drives my passion for recovery work in relation to crystal meth. In my practice I offer an alternative to 12 step programs. If you are not at a point to completely stop your use we will work from a harm reduction approach. This approach will support you in becoming more aware of the negative consequences surrounding your use and how to minimize those negative effects on your body, relationships, and life.

If you are ready to abstain from crystal meth use our work will be from a rational approach based on the work of Dr. Thomas Horvath called SMART Recovery. This approach focuses on taking responsibility for your actions and control for yourself. It is a very empowering way to approach treatment. I will introduce you to ways to understand what your crystal meth use is truly about, and how to develop alternative coping methods, how to manage and understand cravings and urges, and how to build true caring and healthy support for yourself. This is a very non-threatening approach the is free of both shame and criticism.

Crystal Meth Resources:
How Meth Affects The Body
Quitting Crystal?
www.knowcrystal.org
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/body/
www.methmovie.com

Counseling Support
Substance Use/Harm Reduction—Many times people are aware that drugs and alcohol have become a challenge in their lives. Having this awareness does not always mean that the person is ready to completely abstain from substance use. I work with current users of alcohol or drugs regardless of where they are at in their transition process. I can support you to develop insight into your use of alcohol and drugs. We can work together to help reduce your use, minimize the harm of your use, or abstain completely, depending on what you desire. A wealth of my experience has been working with crystal methamphetamine users.

Depression—Everyone suffers from depression at different times in their lives. Unfortunately, in our society we have been conditioned to simply take a pill to relieve these symptoms. Although I believe psychotropic medications can be helpful and appropriate at times, they are not the only treatment people should rely on. Even though these medications can relieve symptoms, they do not address the underlying issues that have lead to the symptoms. I offer an environment where you can address these underlying issues. I also encourage my clients to discover and try additional approaches, such as proper nutrition, exercise and acupuncture, as a way to understand their bodies and relieve the symptoms that can lead to depression and anxiety.

Anxiety and Obsessive Thinking—All people suffer from anxiety and obsessive thinking at different times. Our world has been moving faster over the years.  Now with the fast paced world of technology including cell phones, text messages, computers, emails, etc, we are moving faster than ever. For most people work is no longer a 9 to 5 job Monday through Friday. Many people find themselves having to be available for work on the weekends which leads to less down time for themselves which contributes to increased stress and anxiety. The symptoms of stress and anxiety usually contribute to obsessive thinking which can be very difficult for some people to stop. Obsessive thinking is a theme that all people struggle with from time to time but very little people have a tendency to talk about it. Dialogue about obsessive thinking is essential to start to externalize it. Medication for anxiety only works for a brief period of time and in the long run may cause additional health problems. In our work together we will develop skills and a framework for you to learn to slow your thoughts down. We will also develop skills to help you reduce the stress and anxiety in your life.  This is done by learning skills that will help you become more aware of your bodies reactions to your obsessive thinking and anxiety with techniques which will calm your body in the moment.  You will have to work to create time for yourself in your life however I believe you will find many benefits for doing so. You can visit my community resource page for some additional at home resources to help with anxiety. 

Pain Management - If you suffer from pain issues, then you are aware of the many challenges chronic pain brings to your life.  Dealing with pain on a regular basis can affect every aspect of your life.  Sometimes relationships with friends, family and loved ones can be greatly affected by the symptoms of pain which can lead to a great amount of depression and anxiety for many people.  Often people find themselves reliant on pain medication just to be able to move through their day.  I offer pain management training to help you learn to use your mind and self care techniques to reduce the negative effects of pain.  In some cases actual pain can be reduced on an ongoing basis.  In others, tools can be developed for the pain to grab less of a hold of you so you are able to have a more active and involved life.  For those with severe chronic pain that are unable to leave their residence, in home counseling support may be available in some cases (call for more details).