Ed.D., M.A., M.A., LMHC-S, LPC
Counseling From A Psychological & Biblical Perspective
Faith Based
Research demonstrates a better well-being, with lower depression and anxiety levels, for those who incorporate spirituality into their lives. This is especially true for those who have experienced some form of trauma. Faith based counseling provides a holistic approach, incorporating both the spirit and the mind, in the healing process.
If you have experienced trauma in your life, you may have been left questioning God, your faith, or your belief system. First, I want to assure you that this is not only ok, but also normal. Through faith based counseling we can explore these questions and help you reach a point of understanding and peace.
Life Coach
A Life Coach will walk you through issues, setbacks, defeats, roadblocks, and the potholes of life, not as a counselor or therapist, but as a peer and trained life coach. Another set of eyes, another perspective, to help you see where you want to go and how to get there. It's a time of discovery. You will not be judged or prodded, but with understanding and confidentiality, you will move forward setting goals.... determine boundaries.... exploring your purpose.... and making the right choices.... to be the best you can be. We will be exploring and applying principles that will empower you to thrive, not just survive.
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A Business/Executive Coach, emphasizes on your business and professional life; helping you see clearly how you want to chisel out your future - with purpose and determination. Together we will explore the proven principles that God Promises will bring success when applied correctly.
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Play Therapy
For children:
Play Therapy breaks through the language barrier. Children’s primary means of communication is through play. During the mid and later elementary years, children are just beginning to gather a decent vocabulary, yet this continues to fall short in regards to emotion and the ability to communicate what is going on inside. Through play and a trained therapist, the child is able to communicate and/or work through the internal struggles and establish healthier ways to deal with the struggles of life, lowering anxiety, depression, and inappropriate behaviors.
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For adults:
Many individuals who experienced trauma or neglect as children internalize this impact in the lower parts of the brain. What this means is that they often do not have the language to communicate what they are feeling or why they do the things they do. This creates a complication in relying on traditional talk therapy. If you have a hard time putting into words what is going on inside, certain aspects of play therapy may enable the ability to reach the part of the brain where this is stored and work through the trauma.
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Marriage & Family
A family’s patterns of behavior influences the individual. Even if only the individual is in therapy, patterns and systems within the family are included in the treatment plan. Marriage and family therapy is: solution focused, specific with attainable therapeutic goals, designed with the “end in mind”. Marriage and family therapists treat a wide range of serious clinical problems including but not limited to: depression, anxiety, marital problems, individual psychological problems, relational problems, behavioral issues, and child-parent problems. Research has indicated that marriage and family therapy is as effective, if not more effective than standard and/or individual treatments for many mental health problems (AAMFT.org).
Trauma
Trauma is a deeply disturbing experience that causes severe physical or psychological harm. Trauma is subjective, and relies on a person’s response to an event as opposed to the event itself. A person’s response to trauma, and the reason people respond differently, is due to development, previous experience or trauma, and current stability, among other things. Traumatic experiences cannot be compared – wounds are wounds and need to be treated so they can heal.
Research reveals that trauma impacts the whole person – psychologically, physically, and spiritually – which is why a holistic approach is most effective for a positive long term prognosis. Research also reveals that different parts of the brain are impacted when trauma occurs, depending on the age and stage of development, requiring different therapeutic approaches to reach the area of the brain most impacted.
Addiction
Many things influence the development of an addiction, and they are all inter-related. That is why we use an integrated approach to treating addictions. We will take a look at how your family history and personal experiences, cultural factors, interpersonal relationships, and your faith inform your decisions. Then, we can develop a plan that is specific to your personal needs to address coping skills, cognitive behavioral issues, decision making, and spirituality.
We want to deal realistically with cognitive, social, and behavioral aspects of addiction with the goals of providing the expectation and hope for change in your life.