Category Archives: Counseling

Counseling, LGBTQ

LGBTQ

What is LGBTQ Therapy?

Many lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (or questioning) individuals seek counseling for reasons similar to non-LGBTQ individuals (i.e. depression, anxiety, grief, couples, therapy, work stress, etc.). And while some issues have little to do with sexuality, gender, or identity, the LGBTQ community does have their own set of unique challenges as well.

LGBTQ Mental Health Issues and Coping with Stigma

Research suggests that LGBTQ individuals seek mental health treatment at a higher rate than their non-LGBTQ counterparts.  This may be due to the stigma and discrimination LGBTQ individuals often face on a regular basis, from society, family members, peers, co-workers, and even classmates. This discrimination contributes to the higher rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental health struggles seen amongst LGBTQ. Those in the LGBTQ community are also much more likely to have a substance abuse problem, engage in self-harm behaviors, and/or experience suicidal thoughts. Thus, it is not surprising this population seeks mental health services at higher rates. In addition to the effects of stigma and discrimination, the LGBTQ population also often obtains mental health support for:

  • Gender dysphoria – according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.), gender dysphoria is a psychological condition experienced by individuals whose gender identity and expression does not match with the gender assigned at birth.  Gender dysphoria can cause significant distress and affect a person’s overall mental wellbeing.
  • Sexual identity issues – sexual identity issues can refer to numerous concerns.  Sexual identity (or sexual orientation) refers to the emotions, thoughts, feelings, and fantasies that contribute to a person’s sexual or romantic attraction to another person.  LGBTQ individuals often go through periods of questioning their sexual identity, which can cause confusion and stress. Also pertinent to the LGBTQ community and sexual identity issues is the “coming out” process, and coping with the reactions of friends and family.

Over the past several years, the general public seems to have become more aware of the issues faced by the LGBTQ community. With this heightened awareness, mental health services have become more tailored to this population’s specific needs. One way this is being carried out is through LGBTQ affirmative therapy. This approach to psychotherapy is focused on the empowerment of LGBTQ individuals in all areas of life and relationships. Therapists working from an affirmative approach seek to honor the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ individuals and help them navigate the challenges in an effective way.

Historically, many in the LGBTQ community who sought mental health services found counselors and therapists were uneducated about issues around sexuality, gender, and identity.  Unfortunately, this often resulted in LGBTQ clients ending their treatment prematurely or never actually seeking the treatment and support needed. And, in some cases, the client would end up being the one to educate the therapist on the struggles unique to the LGBTQ population. Thankfully, with the emergence of affirmative therapy (as it is referred to in the mental health community), this gap has started to close, and there has been a significant increase in the effectiveness of mental health treatment for the LGBTQ population.

Discrimination and stigma, in any form, can seriously impact the well-being of those who experience it. In order to begin to combat some of this (or cope with the stigma if it is directed at you), here are things you can do:

  • Learn more about the LGBTQ community and their struggles. Education is a way to increase understanding and raise awareness about the unique issues this population often faces (socially, economically, financially, etc.)
  • Educate yourself on human rights laws and how they pertain to the LGBTQ population.
  • Surround yourself with healthy people, such as supportive and encouraging family members, friends, and peers.  Whether or not they are dealing with the same issues as you (or someone you know), it is important to have people with whom you feel safe to express yourself and be open with.
  • Speak up if you witness (or are the victim of) discrimination.  Although it can be scary to share these kinds of experiences, it is one of the best ways to advocate for yourself, the LGBTQ community, and fight back at the discrimination.
  • Seek professional help. If you are facing a mental illness as a result of the stress from stigma and/or discrimination, getting support from a professional can help you learn ways to better cope, feel less isolated, and establish overall mental health and wellbeing.
  • Share your experiences with others. Whether you are part of the LGBTQ community yourself or have friends or family who identify as LGBTQ, share what you can with others.  The more the stigma surrounding this population is talked about, the more awareness it can gain.
  • Join a political or advocacy group to combat unjust policies and/or unfair treatment of the LGBTQ community.
  • Join an online support community to connect with others that can relate: LGBTribe. 

Given the stressors that LGBTQ groups must confront, such as homophobia, societal discrimination and prejudice, coming out, and negotiating family relationships, finding a therapist that is openly LGBTQ or specializes in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender issues can offer some support and healing. Search TherapyTribe to find a therapist who is openly LGBTQ, LGBTQ-friendly, or specializes in LGBTQ issues.

References

  • Ulrike, B. (2002). Twenty years of public health research: Inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations. American Journal of Public Health 92(7), 1125-1130.
  • Mustanski, B., Garofalo, R., & Emerson, E. (2010). Mental health disorders, psychological distress, and suicidality in a diverse sample of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youths. American Journal of Public Health, 100(12): 2426–2432.
  • Wolford-Clevenger, C., Cannon, C. J., Flores, L. Y., Smith, P. N., & Stuart, G. L. (2017). Suicide Risk Among Transgender People: A Prevalent Problem in Critical Need of Empirical and Theoretical Research. Violence and gender, 4(3), 69-72.
Counseling

Mood Disorders

Overview

A mood disorder is a mental health class that health professionals use to broadly describe all types of depression and bipolar disorders.

Children, teens, and adults can have mood disorders. However, children and teens don’t always have the same symptoms as adults. It’s harder to diagnose mood disorders in children because they aren’t always able to express how they feel.

Therapy, antidepressants, and support and self-care can help treat mood disorders.

What are the different types of mood disorders?

These are the most common types of mood disorders:

  • Major depression. Having less interest in usual activities, feeling sad or hopeless, and other symptoms for at least 2 weeks may indicate depression.
  • Dysthymia. This is a chronic, low-grade, depressed, or irritable mood that lasts for at least 2 years.
  • Bipolar disorder. This is a condition in which a person has periods of depression alternating with periods of mania or elevated mood.
  • Mood disorder related to another health condition. Many medical illnesses (including cancer, injuries, infections, and chronic illnesses) can trigger symptoms of depression.
  • Substance-induced mood disorder. Symptoms of depression that are due to the effects of medicine, drug abuse, alcoholism, exposure to toxins, or other forms of treatment.

What causes mood disorders?

Many factors contribute to mood disorders. They are likely caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals. Life events (such as stressful life changes) may also contribute to a depressed mood. Mood disorders also tend to run in families.

Who is at risk for mood disorders?

Anyone can feel sad or depressed at times. However, mood disorders are more intense and harder to manage than normal feelings of sadness. Children, teens, or adults who have a parent with a mood disorder have a greater chance of also having a mood disorder. However, life events and stress can expose or worsen feelings of sadness or depression. This makes the feelings harder to manage.

Sometimes, life’s problems can trigger depression. Being fired from a job, getting divorced, losing a loved one, death in the family, and financial trouble, to name a few, all can be difficult and coping with the pressure may be troublesome. These life events and stress can bring on feelings of sadness or depression or make a mood disorder harder to manage.

The risk of depression in women is nearly twice as high as it is for men. Once a person in the family has this diagnosis, their brothers, sisters, or children have a higher chance of the same diagnosis. In addition, relatives of people with depression are also at increased risk for bipolar disorder .

Once a person in the family has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, the chance for their brothers, sisters, or children to have the same diagnosis is increased. Relatives of people with bipolar are also at increased risk for depression.

What are the symptoms of mood disorders?

Depending on age and the type of mood disorder, a person may have different symptoms of depression. The following are the most common symptoms of a mood disorder:

  • Ongoing sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
  • Feeling hopeless or helpless
  • Having low self-esteem
  • Feeling inadequate or worthless
  • Excessive guilt
  • Repeating thoughts of death or suicide, wishing to die, or attempting suicide (Note: People with this symptom should get treatment right away!)
  • Loss of interest in usual activities or activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
  • Relationship problems
  • Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
  • Changes in appetite and/or weight
  • Decreased energy
  • Trouble concentrating
  • A decrease in the ability to make decisions
  • Frequent physical complaints (for example, headache, stomachache, or tiredness) that don’t get better with treatment
  • Running away or threats of running away from home
  • Very sensitive to failure or rejection
  • Irritability, hostility, or aggression

In mood disorders, these feelings are more intense than what a person may normally feel from time to time. It’s also of concern if these feelings continue over time, or interfere with one’s interest in family, friends, community, or work. Any person who expresses thoughts of suicide should get medical help right away.

The symptoms of mood disorders may look like other conditions or mental health problems. Always talk with a healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

How are mood disorders diagnosed?

Mood disorders are a real medical disorder. A psychiatrist or other mental health professional usually diagnoses mood disorders through a complete medical history and psychiatric evaluation.

How are mood disorders treated?

Mood disorders can often be treated with success. Treatment may include:

  • Antidepressant and mood stabilizing medicines—especially when combined with psychotherapy have shown to work very well in the treatment of depression
  • Psychotherapy—most often cognitive-behavioral and/or interpersonal therapy. This therapy is focused on changing the person’s distorted views of himself or herself and the environment around him or her. It also helps to improve interpersonal relationship skills, and identifying stressors in the environment and how to avoid them
  • Family therapy
  • Other therapies, such as electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial stimulation

Families play a vital supportive role in any treatment process.

When correctly diagnosed and treated, people with mood disorders can live, stable, productive, healthy lives.

Can mood disorders be prevented?

At this time, there are no ways to prevent or reduce the incidence of mood disorders. However, early diagnosis and treatment can reduce the severity of symptoms, enhance the person’s normal growth and development, and improve the quality of life of people with mood disorders.

Key points about mood disorders

  • A mood disorder is a mental health class that health professionals use to broadly describe all types of depression and bipolar disorders.
  • The most common types of mood disorders are major depression, dysthymia (dysthymic disorder), bipolar disorder, mood disorder due to a general medical condition, and substance-induced mood disorder.
  • There is no clear cause of mood disorders. Healthcare providers think they are a result of chemical imbalances in the brain. Some types of mood disorders seem to run in families, but no genes have yet been linked to them.
  • In general, nearly everyone with a mood disorder has ongoing feelings of sadness, and may feel helpless, hopeless, and irritable. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years, and can impact quality of life.
  • Depression is most often treated with medicine, psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, or a combination of medicine and therapy. In some cases, other therapies, such as electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial stimulation may be used.

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Addiction, Counseling

Substance Use

Substance abuse counselors are not able to prescribe medicine or give medical or psychological therapy. Rather they work with the client in an advocacy and mentoring capacity. The substance abuse counselor becomes a key figure in the life of the addict. From helping the client to see clearly the emotional underpinnings of their dependency to helping with more mundane tasks such as helping the client find or maintain employment, the substance abuse counselor works with the client to help them become self-sufficient in life.

Some of the duties of a substance abuse counselor might include:

  • Working with the client to gain or maintain employment
  • Helping the client understand the nature of their addiction
  • Helping the client to have the support networks they need to break free of addiction
  • Helping the client create concrete plans to improve their life
  • Working with the clients family to help them heal from the trauma inflicted by addiction
Counseling, Divorce

Couples Counseling

Significant Other Work

Do you feel like your relationship is at a standstill? Are you and your partner stuck in the same argument loop every night? Do you feel like the you and your partner are drifting away? Do you desire more intimacy between you and your partner?

All things can be improved, changed and bettered, with just a little support, no matter how big or small. With couples therapy, you’ll learn how to communicate your feelings and needs, and get what you want out of your relationship.

Some issues that bring couples to therapy are:

  • Addiction/Partner Addiction Support
  • Balance (Work/Life/Family)
  • Blended Families
  • Chronic Illness
  • Divorce
  • Extended Family
  • Infidelity/Cheating
  • Intimacy
  • Mental Illness
  • Pre-Marital/Readiness
  • Pornography
  • Sex

In our couple’s therapy sessions, we help people develop the necessary skills needed to maintain sustaining love.

If any of the above relate to your and your partner in your relationship, contact us today for a free consultation. We would love to speak about how we may be able to help reconnect and rekindle your love for one another.

Counseling

Therapy for Depression

Are you feeling hopeless, isolated, and not your usual self?

Do these thoughts often enter your mind?

  • I am worthless and can’t do anything about it.
  • I feel guilty for just wanting to eat, sleep, and be alone.
  • I hate who I am these days.
  • I can’t stop crying, which makes me want to stay away from others.
  • I feel gut-wrenching pain, but no one understands.
  • My life and the world around me are dark. I hate it, but I can’t change it.

If you have had any variation of these thoughts and don’t feel like your usual self, chances are you may be suffering from depression.

I want you to know that you are not alone and there are people who can help. Many of my clients find relief in realizing that their struggle does not own them and that there are many options available for them to once again have hope for their lives.

I understand the social stigmas that come with the label of being depressed, and thus aim to help clients sort out their environmental, biological, and circumstantial factors while offering support and care through a very dark time in their lives.

If you are hoping to finally lighten this load and feel like yourself again, contact me today for a free consultation.

Anxiety, Counseling, Fear

Social Anxiety Disorder

Do you experience intense anxiety or nervousness when faced with social situations?

Do you fear being judged or criticized by others?

Are you always worried about making mistakes, looking bad or being embarrassed in front of others?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you may have social anxiety disorder. While it is normal to feel nervous in some social situations, people who experience daily social anxiety tend to avoid everyday interactions that cause them significant fear, anxiety, self-consciousness, and embarrassment because they fear being scrutinized or judged by others.

People with Social Anxiety Disorder often experience significant distress in the following situations:

  • Being teased or criticized
  • Being the center of attention
  • Being watched or observed while completing a task
  • Having to say something in a formal, public setting
  • Meeting people in authority, such as important people or authority figures
  • Feeling insecure and out of place in social situations
  • Embarrassing easily
  • Meeting other people’s eyes

Social anxiety disorder is a chronic mental health condition. Learning coping skills in therapy sessions can help you gain the confidence you need to improve your ability to interact with others.

If you feel you may have social anxiety disorder, we encourage you to contact us today for a free consultation.