Individual counseling in Palm Beach Gardens

Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Do you live with anxiety that interferes with your daily life? Has this ever happened to you: You are having a regular day, doing something you enjoy, then all of a sudden you feel lightheaded, short of breath, or like you’re going to pass out or die. Or maybe you worry so much that you stop doing important things. Maybe you worry people will judge you, worry about getting sick, or worry about something bad happening. You might have scary thoughts or images that pop up in your mind at random times.

People who feel this way usually try everything to feel better. They try pushing the thoughts away, or maybe self-medicate with unhealthy behaviors, but the anxiety and panic only seem to get worse.

Anxiety and panic attacks can be debilitating but recovery is possible. We will work with you to discover the root of your anxiety and teach you tools that will not only relieve your anxiety short-term, but also have long-term benefits so you see a lasting decrease in overall anxiety and panic. We provide therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Health Anxiety, Social Anxiety Disorder, panic attacks, and phobias.

Strategies for treating anxiety and panic include cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, EMDR, the Safe and Sound Protocol, somatic therapy, and functional nutrition consulting. We strive to have the best therapists for anxiety in Palm Beach.

Depression

It’s not a matter of just lightening up or moving on. It’s more than a bad day or just feeling burnt out. Depression is all-consuming. It can feel like a thick cloud surrounding you. It goes wherever you go and nothing feels the same anymore.

Depression is one of the most debilitating experiences but is sadly misunderstood. The good news is depression is treatable. Depression keeps you sick. It tells you nothing will work and you will always feel this way or worse. The first thing to know is depression lies. Depression doesn’t want you to even make the call to talk to a therapist. You must do it anyway.

Don’t let depression steal more of your life and time. You can get better with the right treatments. We have provided therapy for chronically depressed clients who tried everything and thought they would never improve, only to find themselves feeling better than they ever thought they would, after working together. We provide therapy in Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter for Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Depression.

We will work with you to identify the root of your depression as well as the factors that keep it in play. You can also learn to transform your lifestyle to one that is more depression-proof so you can live a full life without therapy in the future. Call us for cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression in Palm Beach Gardens and surrounding areas.

Divorce/Breakups

Divorce is a unique challenge because it brings two kinds of feelings simultaneously – anger and regret/guilt. We could be angry at our ex-spouse while still feeling guilty about all the things we could have done differently. By the time a relationship ends, you could be filled with self-doubt.

You might blame yourself for things you had no control over or wonder if you are deserving of love or can ever trust again. Maybe your partner blamed you or convinced you that you are insecure or not thinking clearly. Maybe your partner insulted you or made you feel self-conscious and even though you know they were wrong, you keep replaying their words in your mind. Maybe your marriage seemed perfect to everyone and sometimes you are unsure of why it couldn’t work. You could feel guilty about children, in-laws, and pets, or wish for closure that won’t come.

These experiences can happen to anyone leaving a relationship, even if you were not married. We will help you explore what happened and learn to cope with your feelings. We can work together to find ways for you to come to a place of peace with your past relationship and put all of yourself into your future. Divorce/breakups are a process and it is good to get help as early as possible. A qualified divorce therapist in Palm Beach can help you feel better and look towards the future.

Teens

Whether it concerns self-esteem, body image, bullying, coming out, or family problems, we have worked with all kinds of adolescents and we find they are all unique and wonderful individuals. Working with teens is a practice of understanding. Teenagers need to be understood, even on those days when they don’t really understand themselves, because this is the time when we go through tremendous changes and figure out who we are.

As teens, we are no longer sheltered from the harder truths in life, but we are still learning how to navigate the world. Luckily, regardless of the problems, most teens mature to live happy, fulfilling lives. Our job is to help support teens as they navigate the complex problems life throws vast experience from college counseling centers to community mental health agencies, and even the department of juvenile justice. Our therapists were voted Best Private Mental Health Practice in Palm Beach County for a reason. We use cognitive-behavioral therapy, somatic therapy, Dialectical Behavior therapy, EMDR, the Safe and Sound Protocol, and more. Additionally, we offer a sensory room that teenagers love as well as functional nutrition consulting as a supportive service.

Trauma/ PTSD/CPTSD

We are a clinical experts in treating both PTSD and CPTSD (complex trauma). PTSD symptoms usually occur when we experience one big traumatic event and complex trauma symptoms develop when we experience multiple big and small traumas over time.

Common PTSD Symptoms: flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, anger, feeling numb, startling easily, feeling detached or out of body, insomnia, intrusive thoughts.

Common CPTSD Symptoms: all or some of the above plus inability to control emotions, fear of abandonment, difficulty making decisions, self-hate, self-harming, depression, poor self-care, emotional outbursts, dangerous impulsive behaviors.

Some people experience dissociative symptoms like feeling outside of one’s own body or feeling like surroundings are not real.

Trauma symptoms can result from sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional/psychological abuse, being assaulted, witnessing something terrible, almost dying, being shamed, etc.

We provide trauma therapy in Palm Beach Gardens for PTSD and CPTSD by addressing the underlying traumas using integrative techniques like EMDR, psychodynamic therapy, existential therapy, Sandtray, the Safe and Sound Protocol, somatic experiencing, internal family systems, dialectical behavior therapy, and cognitive-behavior therapy.

Borderline Personality Disorder

If you are looking for a therapist for Borderline Personality Disorder in Palm Beach County, we are here to help. This highly misunderstood set of symptoms refers to the highly emotional way some people experience the world. Usually rooted in trauma, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) can cause extreme emotional ups and downs that can make relationships and daily living extremely difficult.

This disorder can be effectively treated, and many people find they can discover who they truly are and build a life they enjoy living with proper treatment. We provide therapy for Borderline Personality disorder using various approaches, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), somatic experiencing, inner child work, internal family systems, and the Safe and Sound Protocol.

Addiction/ Substance Use Disorders

We understand how challenging it is to come to terms with addiction. Support is essential, whether you are in long-term recovery or starting to consider the negative role of substances in your life. We work with individuals in recovery and those who are questioning if substances are having a detrimental effect on their lives. We offer a holistic technique based on harm-reduction and tailored to each individual. Some individuals need a higher level of care, some need to maintain abstinence, and others benefit from learning healthier coping mechanisms. We respect each individual’s journey. We offer the Safe and Sound Protocol as part of your long-term recovery journey. Call us for a consultation to see if one of our addiction therapists is right for you.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder/ ADHD

ADHD can occur in children, teens, and adults, though it can look slightly different for each person. Forgetfulness, irritability, and lack of focus can interfere with your ability to meet your potential and live the life you want. This can lead to self-medicating, frustrations in your relationships, and even anxiety. Behavioral interventions have been shown to be highly effective in managing the most common symptoms of adult ADHD. We offer therapy for ADHD in Palm Beach Gardens, and can help you set goals for ADHD management and identify behavioral strategies that can help you succeed. Our Safe and Sound Protocol and functional nutrition consultations can help support you in taming ADHD. We also offer a unique Sensory Room featuring fiber optic light features, soothing sounds, textured and fidget wall tiles, weighted blankets, and a Kinnebar foot swing to help soothe anxiety and sensory overload.

Anger

Anger issues can destroy relationships, career opportunities, and even a person’s physical health. Anger is often rooted in deeper issues and serves as a mask for other difficult emotions. Counseling for anger can help you uncover and heal the underlying causes of chronic anger as well as identify anger management skills that work for you as an individual. Anger management skills often include techniques from Cognitive-Behavioral and Dialectical Behavior Therapies. A typical treatment plan can include identifying triggers, using mindfulness, relaxation techniques, nervous system stabilization, and finding healthier outlets. Controlling anger does not mean you have to suppress it or that you have to let other people walk all over you. Counseling can help you find ways to truly feel better while still having boundaries and being effective in life. Call us to find out more about anger management in Palm Beach Gardens

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

We provide therapy for children and adults on the autism spectrum as well as their families, serving Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and North Palm Beach. Our services focus on acquiring coping strategies, social skills, and the tools needed to be more effective in academic, vocational, and social settings. We offer a unique Sensory Room featuring fiber optic light features, soothing sounds, textured and fidget wall tiles, weighted blankets, and a Kinnebar foot swing to help soothe anxiety and sensory overload. Additionally, we offer the Safe and Sound Protocol – a music intervention that helps with anxiety and sensory processing issues, as well as functional nutritional consulting as a supportive service.

Behavioral/Impulsive Problems

We work with behavioral problems in children, teens, and adults. These can include compulsive behaviors like skin picking, nail biting, and hair pulling, anger, and ineffective coping strategies. Additionally, we work with compulsive disorders like compulsive lying or stealing.

Bipolar Disorder

While Bipolar Disorder is a chronic condition, therapy can help make it more manageable. Counseling can help people with Bipolar Disorder manage stress, identify and avoid mood episode triggers, create safety plans, and manage medication and treatment plans. There are many different types of Bipolar Disorder, varying by frequency, intensity, and duration of both depressive and manic or hypomanic episodes.

Bipolar Disorder is more than just mood swings. Fluctuations in brain chemistry affect mood, sleep, motivation, thoughts, ability to focus, anxiety, and more. Counseling can help people living with Bipolar Disorder and their loved ones understand and manage symptoms more effectively. We provide counseling for Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and cyclothymic disorder.

Caretaker Issues

We provide counseling for caretakers - people caring for ailing loved ones. Whether you care for a parent, child, or other loved one with medical issues or mental health issues, this role can be taxing. Caretakers often find themselves feeling helpless and frustrated, or even resentful and guilty. It can be challenging to always put your own needs aside and to feel as though you are limited in how much you can help your loved one. Therapy can help caretakers cope, find balance in their lives, make decisions, and take care of themselves as well.

Chronic Illness

People living with chronic illness and chronic pain can feel frustrated and defeated. It is not uncommon to also experience anxiety and depression. Those with chronic illness may find it challenging to adhere to their treatment plans and experience stressful thoughts about their medical conditions and might find that their medical providers do not help alleviate these stressors. Unfortunately, this can take a toll on mental health which, in turn, can worsen physical symptoms.

A therapist can help you find effective ways of coping and use cognitive-behavioral strategies to alleviate emotional distress, physical pain, and help you manage treatment plans. Counseling for chronic illness in Palm Beach Gardens can be helpful for adults, teens, and children. This support can be priceless in navigating newer and existing medical diagnoses.

Chronic Pain

While acute pain is the result of nerve signals, chronic pain is often not so simple. Factors like our emotions, mood, attention, and expectations can all play a part in how and even if we experience pain. Our brains are able to generate pain signals without any signals from our physical nerves, and are also able to regulate and control pain even when physical symptoms are present. Our therapists can help you learn how your emotions contribute to your chronic pain, whether back pain, neck pain, or headaches, and how you can use the power of your mind to control and even get rid of pain.

Codependency

Though people debate the validity of the term “codependent,” the concept refers to someone caught in a pattern of self-defeating behavior that revolves around another person. Someone stuck in a pattern of codependency may feel like they need to be needed, or like everything will fall apart if they aren’t the ones keeping things together. They may expend excess energy trying to keep others from engaging in harmful behavior. People stuck in this pattern often find themselves feeling depleted, used, and taken for granted. They might feel their needs are being overlooked and that no one cares for them as much as they care for others. Breaking the pattern of codependency can feel scary but opens one up to leading a more fulfilling life.

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a cutting-edge treatment for trauma, phobias, and irrational fears. EMDR uses bilateral brain stimulation through tactile or visual sensations to reduce distress related to fears and traumatic memories. This treatment can accelerate trauma treatment for many clients. We can provide EMDR in person or virtually, using either an EMDR light bar, hand buzzers, or headphones.

We provide a unique treatment by allowing decompression time in our signature sensory room. EMDR can also be enhanced with the Safe and Sound Protocol. The Safe and Sound Protocol helps stabilize the nervous system, making EMDR easier to tolerate as well as more effective. Our therapists can work with anyone in Florida (in person near our office in Palm Beach County) or virtually to provide a custom treatment plan that incorporates the various Safe and Sound Protocol programs with EMDR to achieve maximum benefits and to do so more comfortably.

Personality Disorders

All personality disorders occur on a spectrum of severity. Living with people who have traits of antisocial personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder, etc. can be challenging. These relationships can lead to confusion, frustration, and even posttraumatic stress. Counseling can help those who have been affected by people with personality disorders recover from a range of resulting mental health symptoms.

Post-partum, New Parents

We provide perinatal counseling and postpartum therapy in Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and West Palm Beach. New parents who can experience a range of emotions resulting from this major life change. It’s not uncommon parents can experience stress, worry, depression, guilt, loneliness, relationship strain, and overwhelm. A therapist specializing in postpartum counseling can help new parents manage their stressors, bring harmony into their relationships, manage issues like sibling jealousy, and address a host of other complaints.

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

We help clients who have loved ones with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, including parents of newly-diagnosed children. We help families understand this spectrum of mental illness and how to best approach treatment and lifestyle changes. We help clients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, that are being managed with medication, to find coping mechanisms, identify and manage triggers, and customize and adhere to their treatment plans.

Sleep Problems

Sleep problems and disorders can take a huge toll on one’s quality of life. Lack of sleep and poor-quality sleep can lead to memory problems, difficulty concentrating, poor reaction time, poor work performance, irritability, anxiety, and depression. Sleep difficulties can also exacerbate both mental health and medical problems. We provide psychotherapy for sleep problems including insomnia – this can be difficulty falling or staying asleep. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help improve sleep habits and tame stressful thoughts that lead to sleep problems.

Sex therapy

We offer sex therapy for women, men, nonbinary individuals, and couples. Issues addressed include orgasmic disorders, pelvic pain and erectile dysfunction. Our expert sex therapist works with individuals and couples in person in Palm Beach Gardens and throughout Florida virtually to treat a range of sexual problems. Sex therapists can also work with people who struggle with overuse of pornography, including virtual reality pornography, pornography subscriptions, and other impulsive sexual issues.

Grief/Loss

Counseling for those who have lost a loved one or are coping with the illness or decline of a loved one, including caregivers. Grief is a complex process that can last for some time. While grief often resolves on its own after a period of time, grief counseling can help make healing easier and prevent long-term complex grief. A grief counselor can help you mourn your loss, find meaning in your grief, and learn to live a fulfilling life despite grief. Contact us to find a good grief counselor in Palm Beach.

Eating disorders

We offer therapy for a variety of eating-related concerns including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Please note, some clients might need a higher level of care than we can offer

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

We offer behavioral therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), intrusive thoughts, and other related concerns like hair-pulling, skin-picking, and nail-biting. Treatments can include Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), cognitive replacement, coping skills, medication management, and other behavioral tools.

Functional Neurological Disorder

Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a complex condition in which the body exhibits psychological and emotional disturbances in a physical manifestation. FND can include difficulty walking, spells of falling or fainting, functional seizures (pseudo-seizures), and other symptoms that cause a lot of distress and interfere with daily life. If your medical doctor has ruled out all medical conditions and believes you may have a diagnosis of FND, we can help with psychological interventions. We use various approaches including the Safe and Sound Protocol, Somatic therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, and psychodynamic therapy to treat Functional Neurological Disorder.

Life Transitions

Life changes can be challenging, even when they are positive. Our brains actually can’t detect the difference between positive and negative stress, reacting the same way to all big changes. These are some examples of life transitions: graduating school or starting school, ending a relationship or starting a new one, divorce or becoming widowed, moving into a new home, changing careers, retiring, becoming an empty nester, transitioning your parents into assisted living, starting a new job, leaving a job, etc. Counseling for life transitions in Palm Beach Gardens can help you make meaning of where you are, find ways to cope, and learn to see yourself in a new light.

Somatic Symptom Disorder

Somatic symptom disorder occurs when we have physical symptoms as a result of underlying psychological or emotional distress. This disorder is similar to Functional Neurological Disorder, but symptoms are primarily not neurological. Symptoms can include, aches and pains, chronic pain, headaches, stomach issues, and more. We use techniques from psychodynamic therapy, somatic therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Sandtray, and the Safe and Sound Protocol to treat somatic symptoms.

Stress management

We offer counseling for stress management whether you are a busy executive or overscheduled mom. It’s common to need help managing stress as stress can often accumulate and its effects can sneak up on us. At first, we think we are managing just fine, then we can find we have lots of symptoms driven by stress. Stress can show up as physical pains, headaches, gut problems, anxiety, anger, shutting down, procrastination, perfectionism, avoidance, and negative coping mechanisms. A psychotherapist can help you identify stress, reduce causes of stress, and identify better coping strategies that help you feel better long term.