You’ve heard about the benefits of this life-changing therapy called EMDR therapy, and you’ve booked that first session with your EMDR therapist. What happens next?
You’ve heard about the benefits of this life-changing therapy called EMDR therapy, and you’ve booked that first session with your EMDR therapist. What happens next?
EMDR therapy is a highly effective treatment for unhealed trauma. Read this blog to learn more about what it is and how to get started.
Our world validates broken bones and bruises but often doesn’t “see” brokenness in our spirits or hearts. This doesn’t mean that those inner wounds aren’t worthy of attention and healing.
What is Betrayal Trauma? A progressive intimacy disorder marked by compulsive sexual thoughts and actions is better identified as sexual addiction. As the disease progresses, the detrimental effects on the person with the addiction and their family members increase. Just as with substance addiction, thoughts and behaviors escalate and over time, to obtain the same […]
Abuse occurs in many ways, can happen at anytime regardless of gender, age, or place in life. Abuse also occurs in different areas of life. Here are a few different forms of abuse that we treat at Counseling Alliance. Sexual Abuse Sexual abuse unfortunately occurs in childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and even in one's senior adult years. […]
Dissociation Are you concerned that you are dissociating? Dissociation can be a debilitating disorder that impacts a small percentage of the population (about 1.5% of adults). Those who have this disorder may be in therapy as long as seven years on average before they receive an accurate diagnosis. Symptoms include: Depersonalization Depersonalization. This may be experienced […]
Developmental Trauma Author and speaker Pia Mellody wrote, "None of us escape childhood unscathed." Even when we have well-intentioned parents who are loving and caring, we in our childlike minds, often internalize negative messages. Common messages include: Unfortunately, we carry these negative internal messages into adulthood and they can powerfully impact our mental, emotional, spiritual […]
Is your family going through a stressful time? In that case, whether it's due to stress, anger, or sorrow, family therapy can make a difference. It may help spouses, teenagers, or extended family members learn to connect better and function through conflict. What is Family Therapy? Family therapy or family counseling is a type of […]
Are you considering if you need marriage counseling? In this article, learn what it is, who it's for, and how it could help.
In an ideal world, you would hope that churches and homes are safe and nurturing places for our spiritual growth and development. Unfortunately, the opposite is sometimes true. Read more below to discover the nature of spiritual abuse. What is Spiritual Abuse? Why is so much is being said about spiritual abuse these days? Unfortunately […]
Are you a betrayed partner who experienced a betrayal in your relationship due to sex, porn, or love addiction? Get help today.
Trauma is a strong word. Trauma also impacts people very differently. Even the small hurts of life take a toll when repeated. Unfortunately, some experience hurts that are anything but small. Trauma comes in many forms. So too does treatment. In addition to the traditional 50-minute session, group therapy, and telehealth, we offer our JUMPSTART […]
Relationships are hard but help is available. Therapists at Counseling Alliance LLC have training from experts such as John Gottman and Stan Tatkin. They have the knowledge and tools to help you recover the joy that brought you together. We help couples manage a lot of different problems. We get to know you as a […]
We now offer multiple formats of intensive outpatient workshops. The one-day JUMPSTART TO HEALING® has proven to be very popular, so it will continue to be an option. However, JUMPSTART TO HEALING® programs can now be extended to as long as five days. These extended intensives are available for a variety of topics including:
Counseling Alliance LLC is proud to be part of the mental health community that has found a way to provided services over distances and in spite of a pandemic. Research has demonstrated telehealth to be as effective as in-person therapy. We utilize Zoom which is a HIPAA compliant (that means secure) platform for telehealth. Don't […]
We are extremely grateful to the EMT’s, Fire Fighters, Police Officers, Emergency Room Personnel, Dispatchers, First Responders and Military Personnel who keep us safe and maintain our liberty. We also know that there are unique challenges when you as first responders provide your services. Contact us to learn more about how we are supporting first […]
EMDR is an acronym for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a treatment method developed by Francine Shapiro in the late 1980’s. This approach has been widely and extensively researched and validated to address a wide variety of therapeutic issues. Several of our therapists are EMDR trained and have found it to be very […]
What is a Sex Addiction Sex addiction is the compulsive urge to engage in sexual behaviors, without an ability to stop, regardless of the consequences. One may recognize a problem when, although there is a strong desire to stop, they are unable to do so. Sex addiction is destructive in nature. For example, it can […]
A natural response that our minds and bodies do to check out from, escape from, numb the pain of life. People, places, situations or things that are stressful often results in wanting to escape. Unfortunately when people use pornography to escape that can present a whole set of problems. The therapists at Counseling Alliance LLC […]
We all experience many losses in our lives. Some are small, a friend cancels a lunch. Others are devastating, a loved one who overdoses, a completed suicide, or any of a number of major losses. Even supporting a loved one who is terminally ill or aging can be traumatic and is in fact a form […]
I recall a bumper sticker from some time ago that said, "I do what the voices in my head tell me to do." At the time I thought that was somewhat cute; a novel way to poke fun at mental illness. However, as I have worked in the field of mental health for almost two […]
Narcissism can appear in many ways. Here are some key areas. Have we become a nation of narcissists? Many suggest that narcissism has infiltrated our most trusted institutions from the corporate boardroom, to high offices of government and even our places of worship. To understand how narcissism finds its way into our lives we must […]
Stages, Levels and Processes of Change The ability to facilitate change in people’s lives was a key factor in helping me decide to become a professional counselor. I addressed the nature of change in a previous post, "Avoiding the Spiritual Bypass." There's much to be said about how people change. Since the 70’s counseling and […]
We may not fully understand the impact of COVID-19 for years to come. However, what we know now is the pandemic seems to have affected everyone in one way or another. On the spectrum of surviving, the pendulum swings drastically from side to side. As we begin to emerge after a year of change, challenges, […]
There seems to be a debate about whether pornography is harmless or addictive. Likewise, opinions vary in regard to its impact on intimacy and relationships. The WHO added compulsive sexual behavior disorder to the upcoming IDC-11. However, the DSM, put out by the APA, does not name porn or sex addictions. Many professionals view these as destructive addictions. […]
What Constitutes A Porn Addiction? It's true; anyone can develop a porn addiction. The question then, is what does it take to reach and maintain recovery? As with any addiction, there may be underlying mental health issues to address in order to fully recover. So, how do you begin your journey toward overcoming your porn […]
"Shame on you" or "You should be ashamed of yourself" are common statements we hear growing up as children. Consistent comments like this have serious consequences to how we view ourselves. Below, we will address what shame is, what its impact is, and how to move forward. What is Shame? Shame is something that is taught […]
What is Bullying? The Oxford Languages defines bullying as "to seek harm, intimidate or coerce". Studies have shown that there is much more to bullying than what we see or hear. If we were to ask our children if they have been exposed to bullying, most of our children, teens or young adults would say […]
When Mother's Day Isn't Happy Mother’s day is approaching and for many the day is not filled with flowers, sunshine and brunch. This day is filled with dread, pain and memories of loss. This day can bring up memories of the loss of your own mother whether they have passed or possibly through a current […]
What is Vulnerability? Vulnerability is a driving force in connection. When we think about vulnerability, we think about it from one external place with others. We see it as our connection to others and our willingness and/or ability to be exposed physically and/or emotionally. Although this is true that vulnerability is an external connection with […]
