OUR SPECIALTIES
DIVORCE AND SEPARATION
Divorce and separation are issues that impact every family member. They are experiences that shake the foundation of our belief systems, that violate issues of basic trust, and create an emotional tsunami for those involved. The role of the psychologist is not to direct the couple to any specific decision but rather to guide them through an examination of how their marriage got to this painful place. Through the process of therapy, they will hopefully be able to understand whether reconciliation is a possibility. Throughout this process, it is also essential that both parties understand how their behavior can impact their children and how a level of honesty and civility must be maintained. Divorce and separation are as much about the children as they are about the parents.
COUPLES THERAPY
​All relationships can run into roadblocks. Differing beliefs, needs, goals, hopes, and desires, communication styles, can be significant issues. Couple therapy does not have to be seen as only for married couples.
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Don't be concerned by "couple" therapy. That's what it should be called, even though people tend to refer to is as "couple's therapy".
ANXIETY
Being anxious can be the result of many things, from work pressure to being in large groups, from giving a lecture to venturing outdoors. A little anxiety may be healthy in that it keeps us vigilant, but when it becomes overwhelming, it cripples our lives on multiple levels. Our muscles tighten, it becomes difficult to breathe, our palms get sweaty, we get into that "fight or flight" posture.
Psychotherapy can help an individual examine the triggers for their anxiety and then help build a repertoire of behaviors that can help manage this frightening experience.
ADHD
Too many thoughts intruding on our daily life, interrupting our professional and social life. Too many impulsive acts or words that we later regret. Too much difficulty starting a project, or staying with a project. Difficulty focusing. How frustrating. The term "ADHD" seems to be so loosely used that most people do not have a true understanding of its core features and how they interrupt our lives. We feel as if we are its victim when in truth there are many coping strategies that allow an individual the ability to reduce its intrusive nature. With therapy both an educational component and a behavioral component become that major focus of treatment. It is possible to retrain the brain, create new behavioral patterns that can bring an individual to a healthier level of performance and satisfaction. But first, one must have a basic understanding of what ADHD is and more importantly, what it is not. Too many individuals who are challenged by ADHD begin to feel as if they are somehow flawed, incompetent, not smart. None of this is true.
DEPRESSION
We've all had moments when the world looks dark and the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be an oncoming train.
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That feeling that we just want to pull the covers over our heads and stay in bed, hide from the world, be alone. Like anxiety, experiencing depression is not, by itself, a psychological disorder. Extended, overreaching depression that stops us from daily functioning, that stops us from eating properly, thinking clearly, wanting to socialize, going to the gym, and taking care of our basic needs are just some of the signs of depression that needs to be addressed. Like anxiety, the triggers for our depressive episodes need to be identified so that they can be managed. Therapy allows for this investigation, provides hope and restoration of the spirit.
GRIEVING ISSUES
There is a lyric from "Les Miserables" that so eloquently describes real grief. "There's a grief that can't be spoken. There's a pain goes on and on." How does one grieve? How long does one grieve? Is there a right way and a wrong way? We are crippled by grief. Our world comes to a sudden halt, and nothing seems to make sense. How do we move on? In much the same way we are products of different religions, cultures, customs, and coping styles, the way we grieve is very individualized, and when in the throes of grief, it is difficult to make sense of much. Our senses are numbed by sorrow, fear, anger, and doubt. The role of therapy for those who are struggling with grief can strengthen one's ability to cope, give meaning to the sadness, and help one look to the future with more than just a glimmer of hope.
LGBTQ+ ISSUES
Accepting one's sexual identity is a frightening process for gay and lesbian individuals, and "coming out" to others cannot begin until the individual has fully accepted their own sexual identity. The pressures to do so are overwhelming in today's world, and one is faced with great fear and perhaps shame. Accepting one's gender identity, identifying as transgender is no easier, and in fact it is perhaps even more difficult. Hoping to be accepted by a world that is largely unaccepting leads to anxiety, depression, guilt, and shame, to name just a few of the turbulent emotions.
Working with a therapist who truly understands the journey faced by many members of the LGBTQ+ community can make that journey less emotionally damaging and more emotionally empowering. The role of the psychologist is to neither encourage nor discourage someone to "come out of the closet" at a given time. Like most things in life, it is a process that must be carefully and cautiously evaluated, so that there will be a point when there is a certainty that the time is right, that the need to be authentic overcomes the fear.
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Issues within the LGBTQ+ community are more far-reaching than considering the "coming out" process. Members of the LGBTQ+ community face significant relationship concerns.
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Questions that will define the relationship regarding whether it will be a monogamous, polyamorous, or a throuple situation cannot be taken lightly, as the presence of jealousy, anger, resentment, or abandonment can easily surface. Entering into any relationship requires a serious and honest discussion of goals, needs, fantasies, and desires Here is where the therapeutic process can aid in creating a relationship that is satisfying to all concerned and that can be long-lasting
