Providing individual, couples and family counseling.
Treatment specialization includes:
Trauma Work
I believe most of us have past hurts and traumas that affect who we are and how we do life. Traumatic experiences from the past affect us as individuals, spouses, parents, friends, employees, etc… These Negative Cognitions become who we are, they define us; affecting our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and choices. Using the works of Pia Melody and somatic therapy we can start the journey of healing from these traumatic experiences.
Life Transitions
All of us encounter difficult circumstances at some time in our lives. It may be death of a loved one, parenting issues, conflict in our marriages, divorce recovery, issues from childhood, past abuse, work stress, or just dealing with change. Sometimes, we need an objective person to talk with, share our feelings, and learn some tools to help us in our journey. I am are here for you and are able to counsel all ages and different life stages.
Connecting Couples and Families
We help couples and families restore strength and security to their relationships. We show families how to communicate more effectively and resolve conflict, and show couples how to create a conscious partnership focused on valuing and validating each other’s experiences in order to deepen the emotional connection, restore intimacy, and show couples how to become responsive to their partner’s needs and wants.
I utilize Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for Couples developed by Dr. Sue Johnson as the primary modality in treating couples. EFT teaches couples how to recognize the deeper emotional dynamics that are happening between them and how to emotionally reach for one another in ways that create safety, attraction, connection and joy.
Addictions
There are many types of addiction, including substance abuse, process addictions (such as gambling, food, video games, compulsive exercise or work), sexual addiction or addiction to love or relationships.
Sexual Addiction
Sexual addiction is defined as any sexually related, compulsive behavior which interferes with normal living and causes severe stress on family, friends, loved ones, and one’s work environment.
What Defines a Sex Addict?
No single behavior pattern defines sexual addiction. These behaviors, when they have taken control of addicts’ lives and become unmanageable, may include:
- Compulsive masturbation
- Compulsive use of pornography
- Prostitution
- Anonymous sex
- Chronic affairs
- Exhibitionism
- Voyeurism
- Indecent phone calls / Internet chats and video
- Exploitive sex
- Boundary violations
- Fetish behavior to the exclusion of other behaviors
Using the task centered approach developed by Patrick Carnes we will develop an individualized treatment plan. Once the compulsive behaviors are managed we will also begin trauma work to include an in depth study of your family of origin to identify where these behaviors originated and how you were shaped to be who you are today.
Love Addicts
Just like in any other addiction, love and relationship addicts are searching for something outside of themselves – a person, relationship, or experience – to provide them with the emotional and life stability they lack. When they are not in a relationship, they feel desperate, unworthy, and alone until they find a new potential mate and get to experience the high of “falling in love” once more. I specialize in working with this population and will start by helping you to identify these patterns and once sobriety has been established doing some family of origin and trauma work to understand these behaviors and what purpose they served.
Partners of Sex Addicts
The discovery for partners that their spouse or significant other is a sex addict is traumatizing and while the behaviors of the addict is not about the partner it profoundly impacts him or her. Once we provide an understanding of the partner trauma they have suffered and create stability we will then walk partners through the tasks and phases involved in healing from betrayal trauma.
Other issues we treat:
- OCD/Anxiety
- Sexual Anorexia
- Codependnecy
- Affair Recovery