Seeing a Counselor or Therapist

When we get stuck it is very difficult to view our options. Often it is a feeling of anxiety, stress, depression, marriage or couples problems, etc. which leads us to seek outside assistance. If it is a simple issue or one that is not too personal we turn to friends and family for input or advice. The problem is that the people closest to us are often affected by our choices and may have a real or imagined stake in our choices. They may want to help but are unable to take a neutral position that serves you well. If the problem is more complex or personal you may be uncomfortable sharing it with those who are near to you.

People often turn to a trained counselor-therapist for help to resolve individual, family, relationship and/or marital issues when the solutions they have tried are not working. Most of us try hard to resolve issues on our own before we seek help. This is a necessary process and one, as a counselor and therapist, I understand and respect.

What is a therapy or counseling session like?

If you haven’t seen a counselor, therapist, or psychotherapist before, it can be helpful to know that it is quite different than visiting with family or a friend. A therapy session is a working environment in which we explore your essential concerns. This exploration may reveal pain, joy, gratitude and humor. The goals are for you to feel supported and comfortable in our sessions while helping you relieve feelings of stress, depression, anxiety, pain and so forth while helping you achieve new levels of contentment, happiness and good mental health.

As a licensed Master Social Worker, or LMSW, with additional certification in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, I am trained in emotional and memory processing, individual and family dynamics, holistic health and counseling.

Therapy with Children

Marks Family Counseling offers supportive individual and family therapy to children ages 4-12. I have been successful in building strong therapeutic relationships with clients and their families which is a critical foundation to providing effective therapy. We will collaborate to develop goals in addressing presenting concerns and challenges while focusing on strengthening your family relationships. I utilize a variety of therapeutic modalities and approaches with clients including Child-Centered Play Therapy, Art/Expressive Therapies, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, “Social Thinking” interventions, and EMDR.

Clients and families dealing with a diverse range of issues are served including:

• Adjustment to stressors (e.g., parental separation, divorce, illness of a parent)
• Attachment issues
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Grief and loss
• Trauma (e.g., physical/sexual abuse, neglect, exposure to domestic violence)
• Social challenges
• Behavioral issues

Therapy with Teens

When teens are going through a rough time, such as family troubles or problems in school, they might feel more supported if they talk to a therapist. They may be feeling sad, angry, or overwhelmed by what's been happening — and need help sorting out their feelings, finding solutions to their problems, or just feeling better. That's when therapy can help.

Here are a few examples of situations in which therapy can help when teens are:

• feeling sad, depressed, worried, shy, or just stressed out
• dieting or overeating for too long or it becomes a problem (eating disorders)
• dealing with an attention problem (ADHD) or a learning problem
• coping with a chronic illness
• dealing with family changes such as separation and divorce, or family problems such as alcoholism or addiction
• trying to cope with a traumatic event, death of a loved one, or worry over world events
• being challenged by a habit he or she would like to get rid of, such as nail biting, hair pulling, smoking, or spending too much money, or getting hooked on medications, drugs, or pills
• sorting out problems like managing anger or coping with peer pressure
• wanting to build self-confidence or figure out ways to make more friends

I meet teens where they are emotionally and developmentally and give them a safe, non-judgmental space to talk about whatever is on their mind. Support and education for them in learning about themselves and developing the skills to make healthy choices and decisions in their life is a vital part of therapy. Collaboration with parents about how to best facilitate the emotional growth of their teen is an integral part of this work.

Therapy with Adults

There are times when we need extra support to cope with grief, stress, worry, family conflict or unhappiness associated with challenging life circumstances. Some may need help in overcoming habits and life patterns that impede our ability to maintain healthy relationships and achieve goals. Others may be dealing with a mental illness that can make normal functioning difficult at times. Reaching out for a professional takes strength and courage. Marks Family Counseling is proud to offer high quality, client-centered therapy to adults.

I offer a diverse background, life experience, and training to utilize a variety of therapeutic approaches to assist clients in achieving healing and recovery. With your approval, I offer participation in an active collaboration with you and your other health and mental health providers (primary care physicians, psychiatrists, nutritionists) to provide you with continuity in your care.  My theoretical orientations include Life Coaching, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eclectic, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Family/Marital Systems, Guided Imagery, Holistic Health and Wellness, Mindfulness-Based (MBCT), Narrative, Play Therapy, Solution Focused Brief (SFBT), and Trauma Focused Therapy. I provide therapy in a comfortable and collaborative manner and ask for your input in the treatment process.

Family Counseling

Family therapy is useful in addressing issues which involve two or more members of a family. As with couple’s therapy, in family therapy our goal is to help each member of the family get as many of their needs met as possible within the context of respecting and honoring the needs of others in the family. Achieving these goals often involves improving communication, working through and resolving long-standing issues, building conflict resolution skills, and supporting each family member in expressing their opinions, thoughts and feelings.

At Marks Family Counseling we see families as a dynamic system where anything anyone does in the family has the potential to profoundly impact other family members. This connectedness is what can make families so important, but it can also cause difficulties. Through developing a better understanding of how your family interacts with each other and the world, we can support you in making changes in your family that are supportive of individual and family emotional health.