Counselling Services

Counselling Services

In our fast-paced contemporary world, mental health is a vital part of comprehensive wellness. At Connections Comprehensive Psychiatric Services, we grasp the bewildering intricacies of this health dimension and the deep-seated influence it can exert on someone's existence. Consider us your safe, sound, and supportive environment to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Our team is well-trained in a set of mental health approaches, with a preeminent place given to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). We also work with psychodynamic therapy and family therapy. Regardless of the particular avenue we traverse, our shared goal is your empowerment to secure the coping mechanisms, the understanding of your particular mental health challenge, and the roots of it that will allow you to lead a more fulfilling life.

The manifestations of mental health issues can take numerous and varied forms. Anxiety, depression, trauma, and difficulties with relationships are just some of the serious mental health challenges that individuals face. These same challenges, when left untreated, can all too often corrode the quality of a person's life down to its very core. Work, relationships, and even the most mundane daily activities can become fraught with difficulty and, at times, unbearable. In such instances, the afflicted are often left feeling overwhelmed and even somewhat cocooned—in a disheartening way—by the mental health problems from which they suffer. At such times, the notion of talk therapy might not seem so appealing. Yet here at Connections, we see talk therapy as a pathway to healing.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is well-known as an effective and proven remedy for many forms of human suffering. It focuses primarily on the mind's capacity to either help or hinder a person in living a life of meaning and joy. CBT posits that the brain can be trained to serve a person better. In the case of disorders, what CBT aims at is the unhealthy thoughts a person has — disorders being the thoughts that recur and, in a way, control a person's life and serve as an impediment to just living a life without control. CBT is very effective in treating these disorders. And what it does is help a person think healthier thoughts — to have a brain that's more at peace with just being rather than always serving up good or bad thoughts that either make a person happy or help a person serve a meaningful and joyous life.

The behavior of an individual is profoundly affected by what lies in the depths of the conscious and unconscious mind. Even the most murmured of thoughts can easily be translated into powerful actions. Deep-seated motivations and conflicts—many emerging from experiences in early life—greatly influence performance and mental health in the present. Connections Comprehensive Psychiatric Services provides a secure environment for the exploration of past and present experiences and the seeds of internal conflict that affect both. We work toward the understanding of the dynamics involved in those conflicts and the development of a healthier mental state and relationships with oneself and others. This is particularly beneficial for those with poor mental health and self-esteem issues and for those whose lives are centered around unresolved conflict and trauma.

Mental health problems often do not exist in isolation; they can influence and be influenced by the dynamics of family life. And so, family therapy naturally is an avenue worth exploring. It isn't just for "crazy" families. Mental illness is a part of numerous family systems in our society, and family therapy helps not only the mentally ill individual but also the family as a whole. Connections Comprehensive Psychiatric Services offers family therapy. Therapists lead sessions where family members communicate. Therapists also tune in to what is happening in the family system as a means of promoting healing.

Helping individuals develop sound coping mechanisms is one of the principal aims of therapy at Connections Comprehensive Psychiatric Services. A multitude of problems can beset a person, and a big part of mental wellness is having the wherewithal to get through various tough situations. It's true that some people are better at navigating life's ups and downs than others, but almost anyone can learn to be resilient. Therapy is one way to help a person figure out how to be more resilient and how to stay that way once they have achieved it.

For healthy relationships, whether with family, friends, or coworkers, effective communication is critical. It is like the oil that allows the machinery of relationship to run smoothly. Therapy can help individuals learn the essential skills of clear and assertive communication, which can lead to more intimate and connected relationships with others. Trauma can profoundly affect an individual's mental health, often leading to difficulties in relationship maintenance and overall quality of life. At Connections Comprehensive Psychiatric Services, we offer specialized support for individuals affected by trauma. Our therapists give "treatment" a good name because they embody the values of safety, empowerment, and healing that we hope all mental health professionals uphold.

Identifying what is genuinely essential to you can be a difficult but crucial component of therapy. While life can throw many challenges our way, understanding the core values that guide our decisions and the type of fulfillment we seek can help us push through. This is what we work on with our clients at Connections Comprehensive Psychiatric Services. We explore these fundamental elements of our clients' lives to help them understand what molds their decisions—both big and small—and what guides them toward a place of contentment. One of the central figures in many people's lives is that of the parent, and parenting can be one of the most demanding yet rewarding roles that someone plays.

Parental counseling addresses the timeless and universal art of parenting. Most of us could have benefited from a few sessions before we embarked on that adventure! Parenting is life’s most important job. Good parenting is, alas, most often thought of after the fact and when things go awry. Counselors and therapists assist parents in dealing with immediate and pressing problems. They work with the parent for the parent to be part of the problem-solving process. More often than not, the therapist is a bridge to the parental achieving effective and maladaptive behavior correction. The old proverb "It takes a village to raise a child" turns out to be as true as the sunset in the West.

The relationship between the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of parents and children is quite profound. Studies have found that when parents are sort of "victors" in the parenting game, their children are much more apt to succeed. As far as a child's emotional state goes, it has been found that when a child has emotional difficulties, the odds of the mother having mental health problems also is, shall we say, unfavorable. The same goes, of course, for fathers. Conversely, when a child thrives mentally, emotionally, and physically, it is almost a sure bet that the parent(s) is/are doing just fine. This is roughly the bet that Connections Comprehensive Psychiatric Services is making.

At Connections Comprehensive Psychiatric Services, we understand that mental health is a societal issue, not just a personal one. Everyone has the right to good mental health. Yet, good mental health is an unclaimed right for far too many. In our "societal mental health imperative," we see three critical barriers to individuals obtaining the mental health services they need and deserve: Affirmative services are too expensive. Affirmative services are often located far away. And too many people don't know that affirmative services exist. We see our efforts to make these services understood, nearby, and affordable as the first steps in both claiming and in guaranteeing this right to good mental health.

The local community is very important for mental health care. We connect and collaborate with local organizations, schools, and groups to establish a good support system for our services. In fact, the first thing we did was reach out to the local community to ask them what we could do better for them. Our outreach includes a school program that works with at-risk kids. This is something I really believe in. I think you can look even at a societal level and say, "Ooh, what's going on in society that is making so many more of us have these kinds of problems?" And that's part of the problem when you look at it.

If you're looking for individual therapy, family therapy, or parental counseling, we are committed to aiding you on your journey to healing and well-being. In summary, mental health is a vital component of our collective wellness, and reaching out for assistance is an act of bravery and fortitude. At Connections Comprehensive Psychiatric Services, we uphold your right to lead a mentally healthy life. With our help, you can work toward suitable life alternatives that reinforce your path to mental well-being. Our healthy coping mechanisms; understanding the sources of your disorders; and your newfound ability to lead a satisfying life are our primary focus. Contact us to learn how we can help you regain your mental wellness.