Anxiety is a normal and healthy emotion all people experience. It signals us to be alert to important situations and to be ready for impending danger. But when worry and fear become significantly more intense than is warranted and begin to interfere with life functions, anxiety disorder is likely the reason. Depression is different from anxiety. Rather than feeling anxious and nervous, feelings of gloom and melancholy overwhelm. Feeling sad or down after experiencing a loss or disappointment is an emotion that everyone feels at one time or another. But when low mood and sadness is severe and lasts for long periods of time, it could be due to depression.

Grief is a natural response to loss. This could include the death of a loved one, a relationship break-up, a miscarriage, the loss of a cherished dream, a serious illness, an abortion, or a job loss. There is no “normal” timetable to the grieving process. If you have or are currently suffering through a loss, some grief counseling can be extremely beneficial. Just talking about your pain is very helpful in and of itself, but also having a professional who can give you guidance on how to cope with the pain is just as critical. 

Relationships are hard. And sustaining a long-term relationship or marriage takes effort, dedication, and lots of hard work.  Stresses and demands can take a toll on yet the most stable of relationships.  Marriage and Family Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that addresses the behaviors of all family members and the way these behaviors affect not only individual family members, but also relationships between family members and the family unit as a whole. As such, treatment is usually divided between time spent on individual therapy and time spent on couple therapy, family therapy, or both, if necessary.

As adults, we view therapy as a time to “talk out” our feelings. Children, however, are not always equipped with the skills or language to understand and verbalize their feelings. Rather than relying on words, children often use play instinctively to process both environmental stress and inner conflict. Play can allow them to express thoughts or feelings when words fail them. Gary Landreth, an internationally recognized play therapist, states it simply as, “Toys are like words to children, and play is their language.”

Psychological testing involves the use of various measures to help assess intellectual, academic, emotional, behavioral and personality functioning. It helps facilitate accurate diagnosis and comprehensive treatment recommendations.  Evaluations typically include initial interviews followed by individual testing.  Assessment materials are chosen specifically to address the areas of concern and may include cognitive, behavioral, personality, psychoeducational, and neuropsychological tests.  Following the evaluation, a feedback session is held to discuss the results of the evaluation and relevant recommendations and is then followed by a detailed report.  In addition, consultations and/or follow-up services may be offered.

Trauma survivors are those who have suffered an emotional or physical wound or shock caused by violence, accident, or circumstance. These events are overwhelming to the central nervous system and often have long-lasting effects. When our central nervous system is overwhelmed, the body holds onto the traumatic memory, while the brain has adapted a series of responses that shut down advanced thinking, sending post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sufferers into a painful "fight, flight, or freeze" mode.  Healing Grace offers EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) to clients suffering from PTSD. This form of treatment is specifically designed to help with the symptoms of PTSD and have been tested and proved to be very effective. This is a short term and structured treatment approach that have long lasting effects. 

Adolescence can be a trying time for teenagers as they mature emotionally and try to handle new responsibilities in school, at home, and in planning for the future. It becomes all the more difficult if a teen is going through another issue like their parents getting divorced, difficulty learning in school, or losing an old group of friends. Sometimes just being able to talk to an adult who isn’t their parent can help them process everything going on in their world and make positive changes. We provide a safe, confidential place for teens to better understand this stage in their life, understand their parents better, and learn to love themselves. 

Many people are learning that yoga is not what they thought it was.  Yoga is not a religion or simply a way to stretch out all your muscles as part of physical fitness.  Rather yoga is a way to connect body, mind and breath.  Science  continues to provide us with the proof that yoga can help in the treatment of anxiety, depression and trauma related symptoms.   Dr. Bessel van der Kolk says, “One of the clearest lessons from contemporary neuroscience is that our sense of ourselves is anchored in a vital connection with our bodies. We do not truly know ourselves unless we can feel and interpret our physical sensations; we need to register and act on these sensations to navigate safely through life." Yoga is coming soon. Please fill out the form below to register.  

Being a member of the LGBTQ community can certainly have its' difficulties and finding a counselor should not be one of them.  Please know you will be accepted as you are and treated the same as any other client. Healing Grace Counseling Center does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, age, sex, marital status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, non-disqualifying disability or veteran/military status in matters of admissions, employment, or services.