INDIVIDUAL THERAPY

Individual therapy is strongly recommended for people struggling with depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and work-related concerns. I help the client learn more effective ways to interpret and think about his/her experiences. Skills such as reframing and refuting negative thoughts, positive self-talk, interpersonal communication, breathing techniques, and relaxation are taught to clients.

COUPLES THERAPY

The divorce rate in the United States for first marriages is ~50%; second marriages ~67%; and third marriages ~74%. Couples therapy focus on helping the partners communicate their feelings, develop greater understanding and sensitivity to each other’s needs, and work on more effective ways of handling their conflicts. I help the couple to clarify their expectations of a marriage/committed relationship and expectations of each other; work out a mutually agreeable compromise. I help the couple develop skills such as equity in communication, defining the problem, conflict styles and consequences, and conflict management strategies.

DEPRESSION

Depression does not have to be a way of life. Take back control of your life!! About 17% of people suffer an episode of severe depression at some time in their lives. Depressed people tend to have negative thoughts, low self-esteem, and blame themselves for their failures. Typical symptoms include difficulty getting out of bed and a loss of pleasure in activities previously enjoyed for at least two weeks; extreme sadness, emptiness, worthlessness, and fatigue; difficulty sleeping, concentrating, and recalling information.

Suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States; more than 30,000 people kill themselves each year. Four times as many men as women “complete” suicide (i.e., hanging, shooting self); but women make more “attempts” (i.e., overdose, cutting). About 2/3 of all suicide attempts are a “cry for help”. Some of the risk factors include drug or alcohol abuse, prior suicide attempts, depression, hopelessness, worthlessness, severe anxiety, family history of suicidal behavior, shame, humiliation, failure, rejection, and impulsive or aggressive behavior.

Let’s join forces to eradicate your feelings of sadness, emptiness, irritability, hopelessness, and powerlessness that are interfering with your relationships and accomplishing your goals.

WOMEN ISSUES

Women are very strong and resilient human beings BUT tend to experience more emotional ups and downs due to their unique biological anatomy, hormonal fluctuations, body esteem, societal pressures, financial difficulties, sexual harassment, and violence against women. Women are twice as likely as men to experience depression. Factors contributing to women’s greater risk of depression include singlehood, relationship problems, work and parenting, poverty, sexual and physical abuse, and conflicts regarding birth control and pregnancy.

The two most common problems that women face after childbirth are maternity blues (about 25-50%), a mild depression that usually lasts from 1 to 2 days after childbirth; and postpartum depression (about 13%), a moderately severe depression that begins within 3 months following childbirth; may last 2 to 12 months. Typical symptoms include mood swings, feelings of inadequacy, an inability to cope with the infant, a negative attitude toward child rearing, and marital conflict.

The discovery of infertility can be emotionally devastating to a woman. The current couple infertility rate is 10%. Infertile women tend to experience depression, emptiness, sense of failure, shame, and anger. Depression and anxiety are most common after 4-6 years of infertility. Severe depression may be experienced by women diagnosed with infertility for 7-9 years.

Menopausal women may experience unusual “coming and going” of memory, speech , attention, behavior, thinking, and time-tracking symptoms. Emotional changes usually associated with transitioning from reproductive to non-reproductive years include irritability, depression, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.

Come into my office so that we can tackle and normalize these mountainous, fluctuating emotions. You are not alone; there is power in knowledge and a supportive environment.

LESBIAN ISSUES

Bisexuality among women in the United States has nearly tripled in the past decade: 11% of women reported having had at least one sexual experience with another woman in their lifetime. Lesbians have been coming out at earlier ages in the past few years. The first awareness of sexual orientation occurs between ages 8 and 9. Faced with possible rejection by family friends, and others; discrimination in hiring and housing, some lesbian women are often reluctant to accept or embrace their sexual orientation. Social rejection often produces higher rates of depression, suicide, anxiety, substance abuse, and eating disorders.

Let’s work together to make the “coming out” process a less stressful transition to a happier and fully integrated woman.

SENIOR/ELDERLY ISSUES

It is essential that seniors learn new skills to successfully cope with the inevitable loss of structure and function, as well as, the loss of a spouse, sibling, or friend and their own approaching death. Retirement is an important life transition. Caring for a spouse puts considerable strain on the relationship. Widowhood is a difficult transition for most people. The emotional problems will likely include depression and anxiety due to loss of health, relocation, isolation, and fear of dependence.

Together we can develop aging transitional skills; grief and loss coping skills; and reduce depression, anxiety.

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING

Psychological tests do a good job of predicting academic and career success. IQ scores can help educators 1) identify a student’s strengths and weaknesses and 2) offer the curriculum that will best serve that student. IQ scores appear to be highly correlated with performance on “real-life” tasks such as reading medicine labels.

My office will provide a safe environment in which to explore individual psychological and psycho-educational testing needs such as autism, ADHD/ADD, learning disability, giftedness, memory difficulties, personality problems, etc. I provide comprehensive testing services to children, adolescents, adults, and senior adults. Sometimes making the choice to be tested is a difficult decision for a family, but being informed can be a tremendous relief. The knowledge gained through testing will help you make the best choices for yourself and your family. Each test is carefully selected to evaluate mental, emotional, behavior, and/or interpersonal characteristics. For more information www.psychtestingctr.com