Counselor - Sara Reeves, MEd, LPC Associate, LCDC Intern
Hello! My name is Sara Reeves. I wanted to reintroduce myself. I have been in the mental health field for over 5 yrs. I specialize in adolescents, women and autistic clients. I would love to help your family with any needs you have!
Counselor - Lauren Vines, MSW, LCSW, LCDC
We have added a new counselor to our practice. Lauren has over 10 years experience in the mental health field. She is passionate and dedicated to her clients. Lauren has evening and weekend appointments available. You can book a free consultation or an appointment today!
Counselor - Mallory Peterman, MEd, LPC Associate
Hello! My name is Mallory Peterman. I wanted to reintroduce myself. I have been in the mental health field for over 16 yrs. I specialize in adolescents, eating disorders and bipolar disorder. Feel free to reach out!
Counseling
You might be wondering when you should seek counseling for your child. The first step you should take is talking to them about their concerns and if they believe talking with a counselor may help. Once you have discussed things with him or her you can decide what is the best course of action for your family. Here are a few things that may indicate that you or your child should seek additional help to deal with their thoughts and feelings. With feelings of: emotional disconnect, easily irritated, constant sadness/hopelessness When you have: negative thoughts, intrusive thoughts, the desire to hurt yourself or others When changes happen: trauma and/or loss, with appetite, in relationships, motivation and interests Actions: self-medicating, distracted, coping isn't working
Good Counselor
When looking for a counselor there are many different styles and personalities. It is important that you find someone that you feel comfortable with. This person should make you feel at ease and be easy to talk to. There is not a one size fits all counselor because all clients are different. However, there are several indicators that can help you find a good counselor. Any counselor should build trust with you. If you do not trust them the counseling will not be beneficial for you. They should be open to feedback and be willing to discuss how they can do things differently. He/she should understand your context. In addition, the counselor should provide a clear and flexible plan. The plan should be done together and be something that you feel is appropriate and achievable. They should offer realistic hope for you. Lastly, good counselors use evidenced based interventions. These are skills that have been studied and are proven to be successful.
Picking a Counselor
The therapeutic relationship is the most important factor for your child's success during treatment. If they do not have a positive, trusting relationship with their counselor, it will be difficult to make progress. For this reason, you need to make sure you find the right counselor for their needs. Below are some questions that you and your child can discuss after meeting with a counselor in ensure a successful relationship. Do you like them? Do you respect them? Do you get along with them? Do they use an approach that fits you? Do you feel heard when you speak?
Is Therapy Working?
The reason you consider counseling is to make positive changes in your life. Once you start counseling you should be able to recognize that you are making progress after several sessions. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself that will show you if therapy is working.
Reasons for Therapy
Therapy can be beneficial for everyone. I don't believe anything has to be "wrong" for you to learn about yourself and grow as a person. We all have aspects of our lives that we could do better in. We are here to help cultivate that change and help you move forward.