Our Specialties
Children (3+), Adolescents, & Adults
Abuse
Abuse can take many forms, including emotional, verbal, sexual, or physical. Regardless of the form it takes, abuse can cause lasting mental and emotional harm. Survivors of abuse may find themselves struggling with shame, guilt, anxiety, depression, anger, trust problems, or self-destructive behavior. A qualified mental health professional can help survivors of abuse, both children and adults, to recover from the trauma they have experienced. Family members of abuse survivors can also benefit from therapy, which can help them develop healthy and supportive ways of coping.
Trauma
Trauma is your mind and body’s response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms your ability to cope. Traumatic experiences may cause feelings of helplessness, diminish your sense of self, and shatter your sense of security. Psychological trauma can leave you fighting to deal with upsetting emotions, memories, and anxiety. It may also result in feeling numb, disconnected, and unable to trust or rely on others. Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety; however, any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and alone can result in trauma, even if it doesn’t affect you physically. It’s not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your emotional reaction to the event. The more scared and helpless you feel during an experience, the more likely you will be traumatized. Some trauma symptoms may gradually improve as you process the overwhelming event while others remain or even worsen. If your symptoms do not improve, you may have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Whatever the cause of your trauma, and whether it happened years ago or yesterday, counseling can help you make healing changes and move on with your life.
Relationship/Marriage Issues
Occasionally, fights and conflict within a relationship or marriage are a fact of life. But when the conflicts in your relationship are threatening your health and wellbeing, it may be time to seek help. Most relationship problems are caused, at least in part, by communication difficulties. Seeing a mental health professional can help you develop strategies to improve your overall happiness and communication or target a specific conflict like anger, infidelity, money, sex, or relationship trauma.
Parenting
Raising children is tough. While there is more than one right way to be a good parent, the wealth of information, advice, and opinions (both solicited and unsolicited) available is overwhelming. Issues including discipline, household responsibilities, child behavioral problems, setting boundaries, and scheduling can be daunting. With the right support system in place, parenting, though difficult, is also highly rewarding. Whether you are facing a specific problem or you just need a sounding board and some general guidance, a qualified mental health professional can help with parenting challenges.
Adoption Issues
Families going through the adoption process face unique challenges. Navigating the emotional, logistical and legal impacts can be tough for all family members. Depending on their role within the family, adoption may trigger feelings of loss, rejection, guilt, grief and shame. The adopted child may have a hard time adjusting to their new circumstances and may experience symptoms of trauma, PTSD or develop an attachment disorder. A therapist who specializes in adoption issues will be well-versed in the issues that adoptive families face. Seeing a qualified professional, even before concerns arise, can help adoptive (and foster) families to ease the transition during this exciting time.