Counseling Services and Treatments
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a directive form of counseling that focuses on the role that thoughts play in our emotions and behavior. This involves education about mental health, problem solving and a variety of other interventions.
My form of CBT is Rational Living Therapy. Using this technique, I will help you dissect your thinking process to identify mental mistakes and outline some clear and effective ways to improve your life. My goal is for you to GET BETTER rather than just feel better. I was trained by leading CBT researcher, author, therapist and the head of the National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists, Dr. Aldo Pucci, Psy,D.
Trauma Treatment
At Choices, I will blend a variety of techniques to reduce the power post traumatic symptoms have in your life. Therapy for trauma focuses on reducing the frequency, intensity and duration of trauma symptoms. You want to work with a counselor who uses evidence based interventions with a proven track record of success. Choices is that place.
Marriage Counseling
Couples and Marriage Counseling reduces family conflict that stems from a variety of interpersonal issues and lead to divorce. I use therapeutic methods to increase positive communication and reduce negative interactions. I provide an objective third party perspective, and this gives me the ability to quickly problem solve and help save your marriage or family relationships from decline.
EMDR
Is Your Therapist Trauma Certified?
There may be many therapists out there, but few are Certified Trauma Therapists. Your average counselor has only minimal training with trauma therapy. I took the time and worked until I received full certification in trauma therapy. Many psychological issues are caused by negative and traumatizing events in the past. This does not mean that you meet the criteria for PTSD, it only means that it is highly likely that some bad things happened to you (they happen to everyone) and had an effect on you.
EMDR is a specialized and complicated technique for therapists to learn. I was skeptical about EMDR at first, but after experiencing EMDR both personally and professionally I have seen the results and they are undeniable. I pledge to continue advancing my training in EMDR and any technique that can help me to better serve my clients.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) is a groundbreaking method that safely and effectively helps you resolve and permanently get over traumatic memories. First, you will learn how to visualize the traumatic image and attach meaning to it. Then you will work through the process. It is done in a gradual manner until your traumatic memories are reprocessed and given new meaning.
We will list your traumas and rate them from 0-10. Then I will systematically work through each and reduce it to as low a number as possible. For example, you may have had a car wreck that is an 8 on the trauma scale. I will work with you to reduce it to as close to 0 as we can get. When the memory is processed it will have less power over you and free up your mind to deal with other pursuits.
I am fully Certified and extensively trained in this approach. Feel free to contact me for more information.
More than 20 Randomized Studies show EMDR effective
EMDR is an evidence-based practice that has been shown to have an 80 percent success rate with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). EMDR stimulates our brain's natural ability to process life events so that we can let go of the emotional distress connected to our past.
EMDR is now accepted as a treatment of choice by numerous mental health departments and trauma organizations. More than twenty randomized studies support EMDR therapy as an effective and efficient treatment of trauma.
Trauma Therapist
State grant supports training of therapists on trauma connected with sexual abuse.
Attachment Based Therapy
How Attachment Work Helps
Attachment work utilizes the relationship with others as the central theme. Starting with your parents, you gradually learned how to relate to people. If the relationship with your parents was negative and traumatizing, you are likely experiencing symptoms from that. This can affect all relationships, friendships, marriages and any situation in which you interact with other people. Think of attachment along a spectrum, the closer to secure attachment you get, the more rewarding and healthy your relationships will become.
Types of attachment styles are: dismissive-avoidant, anxious-ambivalent and secure. The goal of attachment work is to attain a secure attachment. In session, I explain the different type of attachment styles in depth. You will see instant benefits in the way you view yourself in relation to others. When a secure attachment is achieved people are able to trust, develop relationships and also have confidence in themselves.
