Depression & Anxiety

Depression and anxiety counseling services can help people learn to cope with their symptoms and improve their mental health. Counseling sessions typically involve a therapist listening, providing feedback, and working with the patient to develop strategies for coping. The focus is often on the present, and the therapist may help the patient understand how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are affecting their life. 

Some common types of therapy for depression and anxiety include: 

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)A short-term therapy that can help patients change negative thought patterns and behaviors. CBT can be effective for mild to moderate depression, and can also help reduce the likelihood of depression returning after counseling. 
• Interpersonal therapy (IPT)Helps patients improve their communication skills, form social support networks, and develop realistic expectations. IPT can be effective for depression. 
• Exposure therapyHelps patients become more comfortable with situations they fear, which can be effective for treating phobias and other types of anxiety. 
• Mindfulness-based cognitive therapyHelps patients manage unwanted feelings by teaching mindfulness techniques and behavioral techniques. 
• Acceptance and commitment therapyHelps patients accept unwanted thoughts and stay present, while committing to positive activities. 
• Problem-solving therapyHelps patients use coping skills to manage mental health symptoms and stressful life experiences. 

Therapy can be delivered in person or virtually via telehealth. If you are suicidal or in emotional distress, you can call or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.

Like other forms of talk therapy, couples therapy aims to relieve people’s distress and improve their functioning in an important sphere of life. But unlike other forms of therapy, there are typically three parties in the room in addition to the psychotherapist. There is each of the partners in the couple, and there is the relationship itself. In a very dynamic high-wire act, the couples therapist impartially balances the needs and interests of all three.

Typically, couples seek therapy because they have conflicting points of view on the same experiences, and one or both partners is highly distressed. It’s not unusual for one partner to want therapy more than the other or feel more hopeful about it.

Most couples therapy is conducted conjointly—that is, with both partners present in sessions. Seeing or contacting one member of the couple separately is occasionally warranted but almost invariably done to gain information important to the relationship and with the permission of the other. Sometimes an individual seeks couples counseling as a way to prompt a change in a troubled relationship, most commonly because their partner is unwilling to participate in therapy.

The therapist is likely to ask many questions, including some about each partner’s family of origin and some that challenge an individual’s beliefs or perspective. Couples therapists do not take sides in disputes, but they may call out individual behaviors that contribute to joint problems. Relational science has firmly established that both partners play a role in most couple problems.

Therapy usually aims at bringing partners closer together or ending a partnership intelligently. In the process of resolving dilemmas, partners learn to have compassion for their partner and themselves, learn ways of constructively managing their own negative feelings, and rekindle the feelings that originally attracted them to each other.

Reference:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/therapy/how-does-couples-therapy-work

Family counseling, also known as family therapy or marriage and family therapy (MFT), is a type of therapy that helps families improve their relationships and resolve conflicts. It can help with a variety of issues, including:

• Improving communication
• Adjusting to life changes
• Dealing with grief and death
• Treating mental health conditions
• Addressing behavioral issues
• Working through relationship conflicts 

Family counseling can be beneficial because families play a significant role in shaping a person's identity, self-esteem, and mental health. Family therapists work with the whole family, rather than individual clients, to help improve relationships and resolve conflicts. 

Family counseling often involves the following steps: 

• Assessment: The counselor assesses the family's situation 
• Goal setting: The counselor and family members work together to set goals for the counseling process 
• Validating perspectives: The therapist validates each family member's perspective 
• Reframing perspectives: The therapist helps family members see each other's perspectives in a positive light