Abortion Recovery
Approximately 1.2 million abortions occur each year. Ninety-three percent are because of unwanted pregnancies. The spiritual and emotional scars can be devastating. Taking time to explore the negative impact of this experience without fear or judgment can lead to healing and acceptance.
Abuse and Trauma Resolution
Half of all adults will experience abuse or trauma. When dealing with issues of abuse and/or trauma, appropriate education, support and therapy can help bring resolution and restore healthy functioning.
Anger Management
Anger is a normal and healthy emotion. When it is expressed appropriately individuals are letting go of the stress and frustration that they are experiencing. However, when anger is expressed inappropriately, it can be a destructive force-both for the person experiencing it and those subjected to it. It is not uncommon for people to deny they have feelings of anger or to simply be aware that they are angry until it escalates to a rageful explosion. Through the counseling process: insights for understanding and skills for effective coping and management can be learned.
Anxiety
A certain amount of anxiety can be normal and even necessary in life. Normal anxiety keeps us busy, reminds us to pay our bills, and pushes us forward to succeed. But too much anxiety can be problematic, leading to physical symptoms including chest pain, difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, dizziness, with accompanying feelings of fear, worry, even panic. It is called a “disorder” when the problem persists for more than a month.
Chronic Illness/Pain
The goal for working with individuals presenting with a medical crisis is not to affect a cure, but to optimize quality of life by teaching individuals and their families to cope with the emotional and psychological trauma which often accompany the medical crisis.
Codependency and Developing Healthy Boundaries
Psychologists define codependency as an excessive and unhealthy compulsion to rescue and take care of and control people. Codependents are driven by people pleasing, at the risk of neglecting themselves. They live with the false belief that the bad feelings they have (e.g. fear, anxiety, inadequacy) can be gotten rid of if they can just “do it better” or if they can win the approval of certain important people in their life. It was working with families of alcoholics and other chemically dependent people that first brought codependency to the attention of professionals.
Communication Training/Conflict Resolution
Whether in personal relationships or with colleagues at work, effective communication enables a person to skillfully obtain the insight and knowledge they need for healthy and dynamic connections. How to assert yourself is the ability to express your feelings and ask for what you want. Conflict is unavoidable but can be beneficial with positive outcomes when approached with godly attitudes and learned methods for resolution.
Coping Skills/Stress Management
Often when a person enters therapy they are feeling overwhelmed by stressors in their life. The crisis presents an opportunity for cognitive-behavioral changes which are beneficial to the person’s overall ability to cope effectively. Counseling provides an opportunity to identify and accurately evaluate stressors and to learn key strategies for effective stress management for healthy living.
Depression
Depression is a common human experience. Most people will at some time experience depression. The difference between normal depression and major depression is that the symptoms are more severe, last longer and impair a person’s ability to function. There are a number of treatment interventions that can improve the life of a person struggling with depression. Therapy is a key factor in understanding the source of depression and making the appropriate changes. Discussing the possibility of antidepressant medications with a physician, in conjunction with talk therapy, is critical for those with chronic and severe depression.
Developing and Maintaining Healthy Relationships
People are in need of healthy and satisfying relationships. Sometimes individuals find themselves in relationships that lead them to intense hurt, anger, guilt, and loneliness. Counseling can help you become more objective about your relationships and yourself so that you can experience growth and health in every aspect of your life.
Disordered Eating
Many people have unhealthy associations with food. Some severe enough to be an eating disorder. No single cause for eating disorders exits. There is no simple answer for why one person develops an eating disorder and another does not. If you are a person who suffers from an eating disorder, or someone you love does, the important issue is recovery – how to overcome the compulsion. Through the help of a knowledgeable and trained counselor, healing from the painful effects of dysfunctional behaviors is possible.
Divorce Recovery and Blended Families
Fifty percent of all first marriages, and seventy percent of all second marriages, end in divorce in the United States, leaving a wake of brokenness and painful affects on the family. Counseling can help with the emotional and spiritual aspects of divorce on the family. Grief and loss are at the core of the many layers of complexities to be understood and processed for recovery. Insight can be gained to ensure past mistakes are not repeated. Factors are considered for creating healthy families.
Grief and Loss
Loss comes in a variety of forms: loss of health, loss of a job, death of a loved one, death of a relationship, loss of innocence, a home, and the list goes on. Based on contemporary understandings of the nature of personal and interpersonal loss and the ways people integrate loss and grief into their lives, a counselor can tend to the uniqueness of each griever’s experiences.
Identity Development
Confusion related to goals, career, friendships, sexual orientation, faith and culture sometimes exist. An individual can experience distress over his/her inability to clarify and integrate these factors into a self-assured, goal directed sense of self. Counseling allows for self-exploration and self-discovery.
Life Transitions
Human development occurs over a life-span. Whatever stage a person finds themselves in life, change and adapting to new situations or a need to create change, may require the help of a counselor.
Pre-Marital and Marital Relationships
Counseling can help strengthen good relationships and identify areas for growth in struggling relationships. There is no way to eliminate all conflicts between two people. However, by improving your coping skills, you can go a long way to alleviating the distress of seeing things differently. Learning how to communicate effectively, evaluate your problems and how to resolve them, will ensure the lifelong loving relationship a couple desires.
Self-Care and Self Esteem
Developing self-esteem is an active process. Self-esteem is composed of such factors as self-worth, self-competence, and self-acceptance. Entering therapy in a safe, non-judgmental environment where a person can speak freely about their thoughts and feelings without being self-conscious how others will respond, or feeling the need to protect those close to you, is part of self-care. Counseling allows a person the space and time to explore their uniqueness and worth.
Spiritual Formation
There is a hidden place inside a person, filled with limitless freedom, love, peace, and compassion in Christ. How can they discover it? By setting aside time and space to be attentive to God’s presence and to one’s experience of that presence. The counselor becomes a sacred companion as he/she journeys to discover more of themselves, as they discover more of God.
Vocational Counseling
Sometimes a person needs help to discover their interests, passions, and talents for college study or career choices. The process can be a rewarding endeavor.
Disclaimer:
The content of this website is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for medical or professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. We recommend that you always seek to follow the advice of a qualified mental health professional or physician with questions you may have regarding your physical or mental health.