Expectations

Research has shown that spirituality and one's faith is an essential part of healing. I view therapy as a partnership between you, me and God. That being said, I respect your right to choose a secular approach. You define the problem areas to be worked on; I use my knowledge and experience to help you make the changes you want to make. Together, we will develop a mutually acceptable plan. Psychotherapy is not like visiting a medical doctor. *It requires your best efforts to make the changes necessary to reach your goals. I will ask you to do some homework assignments outside of therapy such as writing in a journal, completing a workbook, practicing a new skill, monitoring your thoughts to deepen your learning, and/or reading a book or reviewing handout materials.

During the course of therapy, I am likely to draw on various psychological approaches according to the problem that is being treated and my assessment of what will best benefit you. Sometimes family of origin issues have caused great emotional pain and need to be resolved before one can move on. I will help you identify losses, examine contradictions to your values and beliefs and help you realize how your coping reactions have caused you more loss and pain. You may be challenged to work on important relationships in your life to improve the quality and depth of these relationships. You will be encouraged to take healthy risks to change behaviors that no longer work for you. Successful therapy requires your best efforts. Effective treatment will restore your emotional, mental, relational and spiritual health.

Explanation of Therapy Approaches

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT): a psychotherapy that focuses on changing thinking processes by identifying and challenging distorted and negative thinking, problem solving and skill building.

Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy (DNMS): A comprehensive, strengths-based, client-centered, Ego State Therapy for healing Adults with childhood traumas and attachment wounds.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): uses a mindfulness approach to emotion regulation.

Trauma Resolution Therapy (TRT): a comprehensive trauma-informed treatment approach. TRT uses techniques to identify feelings, losses, and contradictions to values asserting one’s own survival responses are ineffective and inadvertently continue old patterns of behavior. Awareness of these ineffective patterns helps to integrate new behavior choices.

Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR): a late-stage trauma resolution method using bilateral brain stimulation to integrate trauma events in the brain so the brain can properly store them in the past where they belong.

Mindfulness: a type of meditation that uses guided imagery and focused attention to gain a calming perspectives and new meaning to life situations in order to reduce anxiety.

Progressive Relaxation: Current research in the Neuroscience field has shown the importance of progressive relaxation and deep breathing techniques to limit the effects of stress on the brain.

Sex Therapy: includes addressing sexual issues, such as; sexual abuse, sexual addiction, sexual dysfunction, sexual desire, sexual identity and sexual wholeness. My work includes focusing on women who are dealing with partners with sexual addictions issues. I also work with men struggling with the out of control nature of sexual addiction. Our cyber world makes pornography easily accessible causing the objectification of women and furthers deterioration of the family. Extra-marital affairs are a primary reason for many couples seeking counseling.

When Should You Seek Help?

* Are your symptoms causing distress?

* Does your sadness not go away?

* Are you experiencing significant changes in your relationships?

* Are you having difficulty functioining at work?

* Are there days you don't feel like getting out of bed?

* Are you self-medicating with alcohol or drugs or pornography?

* Have you lost interest in things you used to enjoy?

* Are you having difficulty concentrating or focusing?

* Are your thoughts racing?

* Are you experiencing increased worrying and fear?

* Have there been changes in your eating habits?