Services Provided

Counseling services are provided to children ages 3 and up, adolescents, adults and families.

Treatment Specializations

  • Depression: Learn to manage symptoms of depression which can range from mild to severe.
  • Anxiety: Explore thoughts, feelings and behaviors that contribute to the symptoms of anxiety and work to manage or eliminate them.
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Process the effects of the traumatic experience through trauma focused therapy (TF-CBT).
  • Traumatic Experiences: Work through traumatic events and their impact on a person. This can include life events or transitions, accidents, abuse, death, or catastrophic events.
  • Abuse (Physical, Emotional or Sexual): Coming to terms with abuse and working through feelings surrounding the abuse and the abuser.
  • Grief and Loss: Work through the stages of grief and the mourning experience.
  • School Concerns: Deal with academic, behavioral or social issues (such as bullying, peer relations, poor social skills).
  • Parenting: Learn what are appropriate behaviors for your child’s age. Gain tools to deal with problem behaviors or your child’s specific needs.
  • Relationship Issues: Work through problem areas with others (family members, friends, dating/romantic relationships,  co-workers/bosses/employees, teachers, etc.)
  • Self Esteem:  Improve one’s perception of self image, worthiness, and confidence.
  • Life Transitions: Guide through changes related to age, home environment/family structure, education, employment, physical health issues.
  • Panic Disorders: Deal with severe anxiety and work to decrease or eliminate panic attacks.
  • Divorce: Grieve the loss of the relationship, adjust to shifting family roles and guide children through changes in family routine and structure.
  • Emotion Regulation: Identify various feelings and learn how to cope with them.
  • Anger Management: Learn to express intense feelings of anger in a healthier way.
  • Behavior Management and Modification: Target children’s specific behavioral problems and find effective ways to manage them.
  • Self Care: Address life situations that prevent one from having optimal physical, mental and emotional good health to include improved hygiene and daily functioning.

In addition to counseling services, we also provide clinical supervision for provisionally Licensed Professional Counselors and clinicians seeking to obtain their Registered Play Therapist credential.

What is play therapy?

Play therapy is an evidence based practice, which has proven results.

Children ages eleven and younger don’t have the same cognitive functioning to process life events the same way as adults. They experience their world through doing and through play.

Children in play therapy can create a world in the sand, as sand trays and props are the primary tools used in this approach. Kids also express themselves through art and role playing. Even kids that are resistant to share their feelings often open up and enjoy play therapy.

Play therapy isn’t just for children – it’s also effective with tweens, teens and even adults.

For more information on play therapy, please visit the About Play Therapy section of the Association for Play Therapy website.

Book Recommendations

Parenting

  • Smart But Scattered Teens: The Executive Skills Program for Helping Teens Reach Their Potential – Richard Guare, Ph.D., Peg Dawson EdD and Colin Guare
  • Getting Your Child from No to Yes – Jerry Wyckoff and Barbara Unell
  • Setting Limits with Your Strong-Willed Child: Eliminating Conflict by Establishing Clear, Firm and Respectful Boundaries – Robert J. Mackenzie
  • How to Talk to Kids so Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk – Adele Feber and Elaine Mazlish
  • Discipline Without Shouting or Spanking: Practical Solutions to the Most Common Preschool Behavior Problems – Jerry Wyckoff and Barbara Unell
  • Combative to Collaborative: The Co-parenting Code – Teresa Harlow
  • How to Get Your Kid to Eat, But Not Too Much – Ellyn Satter
  • Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete Authoritative Guide for Parents – Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D.
  • Anxious Kids Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry and Raise Courageous and Independent Children – Reid Wilson, Ph.D. and Lynn Lyons, LCSW
  • The 5 Love Languages of Children – Gary Chapman and Ross Campell
  • Beyond Behavior Management: The 6 Life Skills That Children Need – Jenna Bilmes
  • A little spot of feelings books are all great by Diane Alber The A Little SPOT of Emotion 8 Plush Toys with Feelings Book Box is popular with kids.

Depression

  • Winter Blues: Everything You Need to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder – Norman E. Rosenthal, MD
  • The Depression Cure: 6 Ways to Beat Depression Without Drugs – Stephen S. Ilardi
  • The Depression Workbook for Teens: Tools to Improve Your Mood, Build Self-Esteem, and Stay Motivated Katie Hurley LCSW

Self-Esteem/Self-Care

Adults:

  • List Yourself: List-making as the Way to Self-Discovery – Illene Segalove and Bob Velick
  • Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques for Assessing, Improving and Maintaining Your Self-Esteem – Matthew McKay, Ph.D. and Patrick Fanning
  • The Happiness Makeover: How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day – M.J. Ryan
  • Boundaries – Cloud & Townsend
  • Self-Compassion – Kristin Neff.
  • Radical Acceptance – Krsiten Neff

Kids:

  • The Body Image Workbook for Teens – Julia V. Taylor
  • The Care & Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls – Valorie Lee Schaefer
  • I’m Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem – Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell
  • Lucy and the Bully – Claire Alexander
  • The Self Esteem Workbook for Teens – Lisa M Schab
  • Stick Up for Yourself: Every Kids Guide to Personal Power and Self-Esteem – Kauffman, Raphael and Espeland

ADHD

  • Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder – Edward M. Hallowell M.D. and John J. Ratey M.D.
  • That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life Ana Homayoun
  • ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction – from Childhood Through Adulthood – Edward M. Hallowell M.D.
  • Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete Authoritative Guide for Parents – Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D. – John J. Ratey M.D.

Marriage/Relationships

  • Overcoming Anger in Your Relationship: How to Break the Cycle of Arguments, Put-Downs and Stony Silences – W. Robert May
  • The Art of Staying Together: A Couple’s Guide to Intimacy and Respect – Michael S. Broder
  • Love is Never Enough: How Couples Can Overcome Misunderstandings, Resolve Conflicts and Solve Relationship Problems Through Cognitive Therapy – Aaron T. Beck
  • Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How it Can Help You Find and Keep Love”

Divorce (Kids)

  • Helping Children Cope with Divorce the Sandcastle Way – M. Gary Neuman
  • Mom’s House, Dad’s House for Kids: Feeling at Home in One Home or Two – Isolina Ricci, Ph.D.
  • Why Can’t We Live Together?: The Kid-Sized Answer To A King-Sized Question About Divorce – Madison Lovato
  • Two Homes – Claire Masurel

Anger

Adults:

  • Taking Charge of Anger: 6 Steps to Asserting Yourself Without Losing Control – W. Robert May
  • Calm Your Anger Now: Stop Your Rage, Ease Anxiety, Lower Stress, and Learn to Control Your Emotions in Everyday Life – Alex M Langston
  • Anger Management Workbook for Men: Take Control of Your Anger and Master Your Emotions – Aaron Karmin

Kids:

  • Hands are Not for Hitting – Martine Agassi
  • Sometimes I flip my lid. Learning to be a Cool Calm Kid – Kellie Doyle Bailey
  • What to do when your temper flares – Dawn Huebner, Ph.D.
  • When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry… – Molly Bang
  • Anger Management workbook for kids – 50 fun activities to help children stay calm and make better decisions – Samantha Snowden

Grief and Loss

Kids:

  • The ABCs of Grief: a children’s grief book for all types of loss and grief – Jessica Correnti, MS
  • When Someone You Love Has Died: Talking to Young Children About Death – Stephanie Seidler
  • Your Pawprints Are on My Heart: A book on grief and loss of a pet –
    K. E. Manolas

Adults:

  • * Understanding Your Suicide Grief: Ten Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing Your Heart – Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. (also a journal version)
  • It’s OK That You’re Not OK – Megan Divine
  • Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go: A Modern Guide to Navigating Loss –
    Gina Moffa LCSW

Anxiety

Kids:

  • What To Do When You Worry Too Much (ages 6-12) – Dawn Huebner Phd
  • Outsmarting worry -(ages 9-13) – Dawn Huebner
  • What To Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck.A Kids Guide to Overcoming OCD– Dawn Huebner Ph.D
  • Go away Big Green Monster (ages 3-6) by Ed Emberley
  • How Zack Got his Z’s – A Guide to Getting Rid of Nightmares – Kerri Golding Oransky
  • The Invisible String Patrice Karst and Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
  • Anxiety Sucks- A Teen Survival Guide – Natasha Daniels LCSW

Adults:

  • Living with OCD: Triumph over Negative Emotions, Obsessive Thoughts, and Compulsive Behaviors (The OCD Breakthrough Series) – Cross Border Books
  • The Worry Trick: How Your Brain Tricks You into Expecting the Worst and What You Can Do About it – David A. Carbonell, PhD
  • Cards Against Anxiety – Dr. Pooky Knightsmith