Clinical Services
We at Ciccone Child & Family Therapy, LLC offer multiple different therapeutic modalities to assist in in achieving your therapeutic goals! We are honored to support you in achieving your goals individually, for your child/ teen, family unit or within your marriage. We offer a holistic Mind-Body-Soul approach to healing that has a lasting effect on your overall wellbeing. Training and/or consultation is also available, whether in your home, family, business or school seminars, classrooms, organizations, or government agencies, are available to assist change the culture climate in your environment that promotes healing and reduces the risk of trauma.
Indiviual Counseling
Offering various individual therapy techniques and different modalities to help individuals address difficulties, gain insight, and build new coping mechanisms. Together, we can uncover the difficulties you are facing and cultivate new perspectives and actions. Having a therapist on your side, and the relationship built with a strong foundation of trust, over time, individual therapy sessions will allow the therapeutic relationship to mature and deepen.In having the opportunity to work closely together and address any issues arising 1:1 in comparison to family therapy, the focus is on the single client and the relationship, rather than the process of the family as a unit. At times having individual sessions intermittently along with family sessions can promote successful family therapy outcomes.
Family Counseling
What is family counseling?Family counseling, or family therapy, is a method to develop and maintain healthy and functional family relationships. The goal is to identify and address problems in the family. These issues could be emotional, psychological, behavioral and/or have to do with a current crisis or trauma. Many approaches to family therapy stem from family systems theory. This suggests that families work in systems rather than groups of people who function independently of each other.​According to family systems theory, changes in one family member will influence changes in other parts of the family. Families might find therapy useful to address difficulty communicating or expressing emotions, conflicts between siblings, inconsistent parenting, marital problems, developing a functional and healthy relationship following a divorce, adapting to a major change, dealing with a chronic illness or death in the family.
Marriage Counseling
Let’s face it. Love Is Complicated. I know how much is at stake. My aim is to quickly assess your history, your core conflicts and possible solutions. I believe that relationship problems tend to show us exactly where our biggest opportunities for growth are. Although difficult at times, growth may come from staying committed to your relationship and learning new ways of relating more deeply and lovingly together. Seeking support is the first step. Thus, if you are looking to work on your marriage and if you and your partner love each other, I can help you shift your patterns and build a deeper and more lasting intimacy.Working from a set of proven criteria for healthy and happy relationships, my goal is to help you see the deeper truth about your relationship within a session or two. With that said, I can understand how one can spend years trying to make relationships “work” -- and within minutes can also wreck a good, solid marriage with an act of betrayal, or the repercussions addictive behaviors, or a lack of attention and affection can have on a relationship. In sessions, I will help you assess the strengths and weaknesses of your relationship, identify improve communication, resolve conflict, process unresolved issues, and develop deeper intimacy and trust. I am here to help you find clarity. I will help you sort through the chaos and teach you the tools to create a great relationship. Yes, both partners usually contribute to a problem, but I can help you figure out how to change it for the better.
Child & Teen Counseling
Children and adolescents experience stress as they learn to manage and solve problems in their everyday lives. Additionally, I believe that with young people behavior is communication, thus helping them identify their feelings, thoughts, concerns and assisting them by increasing their communication of the same can reduce behavior, as well as mental health related symptoms. In sessions, children can learns ways to better understand their emotions, they can learn healthy ways to cope with stress, they can improve their self-esteem and build strong relationships, they can pursue their future goals. Each phase of a child’s development brings specific challenges, but mental health conditions can make these challenges a lot harder.During teenage years, every adolescent reacts differently to events in their life, which can be routine as moving to a new house or prolonged and traumatic like the death of a loved one, natural disaster, getting bullied, parental divorce or separation. Stress can be due to worrying over platonic or romantic relationships, disordered eating habits that can harm both physical health and self-esteem of the individual, or indulging in substance abuse to push boundaries. The age and gender of the adolescent can also influence their resilience to life changes, as younger teens find an easier time adjusting to these changes and genetics can also come to play a role as some mental issues like bipolar might run in families. All of these challenges can cause difficulties at school, home and with friends and family, and it is essential that these adolescents receive counselling, and their thoughts and feelings are heard without criticism or judgement, ensuring it is a safe place where one can be honest about their struggles.
Christian Counseling
Could you benefit from Christian Counseling? Christian Counseling can be a great benefit to a marriage, personal struggle or family issue. The Bible teaches that Biblical Christian Counseling is important. It isn’t so much about doctrinal methods or content, but about Jesus Christ’s teachings and how we can apply those to our life. The foundation for this counseling is the application of God’s truth to the heart. Christian Counseling is one avenue God can use to help you walk through the process of healing and change.​Christian Counseling is for those that want to abide by the teachings and traditions of Christianity and desire to gain full reliance on God. There are many areas where Christian Counseling can help. Some examples are: depression, marital problems, family issues, addition and grief or loss of a loved one.Christian Counseling isn’t about overcoming the pain that is caused by life’s difficulties, it is about using the truths of the Bible, the tools of the mental health profession and life experience to help those in need. God is the ultimate healer and Biblical Christian Counseling is one avenue that God can provide the needed healing and life change. If you are interested in hearing more, and would like to experience the ultimate forgiveness, love and hope that only God can provide don't hesitate to schedule your first session with me today! I am passionate about the Christian faith and believe wholeheartedly that this could be the solution you've been waiting for.
Nurtured Heart ApproachTraining
Benefits of the Nurtured Heart Approach, is exactly that. An approach to working with challenging children and adolescents, which includes understanding the unique dynamics of the challenging child, learning ways to shift a child toward using his/her intensity in successful ways, create a deeper sense of success & inner wealth for the child. In creating a new way to be in relationship with your child/ student, you have to be willing to allow the negative to not have all the “power” in the relationship, you need to create more opportunities for the positive to shine in, and lastly you need to set the clear expectations which allows for the relationship to grow. ​As reported at difficultchild.com, “The Nurtured Heart Approach® is a set of core methodologies originally developed for working with the most difficult children. It has become a powerful way of bringing inner wealth to all children while facilitating parenting and classroom success. It has a proven, transformative impact on every child, including those with behavioral diagnosis such as ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Reactive Attachment Disorder – almost always without the need for medications or long-term treatment.” ​When you create a deeper relationship by allowing by building success & inner wealth for the child it becomes more simply a matter of identifying behavior that is working by feeding the soul with greatness this is not complimenting and feeding empty words and teaching a child to be Fearless in standing in their own Greatness. If you are interested in learning more about NHA whether personally, in your family or within your classroom / school seminar, organizations, or government agencies and workplace environment to assist in changing the culture climate surrounding you and become enlightened in how to promote healing and reduce the risk of trauma.
Professional Support Services
It is vital for therapists, professionals and employees to take care of themselves in order to be successful. Allow time to co-create a space with you that offers you the support, guidance, and assurance you need to take with you into the workforce. Professional Support Services can help create the best version of yourself for you, your loved ones, and your clients and your business.
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Business Consultation
Guidance the sole practitioner, wanting to transition to a group practice, or just starting your private practice. As a certified trainer request an appointment to received business consultation services. From state requirements, business startups. Step by step instructions as well as marketing, business planning, documentation guidelines, identifying your brand and vibe of your office. Together we can establish your private or group practice business goals!
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Diagnostic Assessment / Fit-to-Return (FIT)
Return-to-work evaluations are assessments of individuals who have taken a leave of absence due to emotional or physical concerns. Return-to-work / school evaluations can identify the timeline for resuming employment / attendance as well as determining workplace accommodations and/or referrals to services in your community as needed.
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Depending on the issue you’re dealing with and your goals, there are several ways to approach CBT. This well-known theory is used for many different mental health problems like, Anxiety, OCD, depression, eating disorders, and related issues. Whatever approach your therapist takes, it will include:
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Identifying specific problems or issues in your daily life.
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Becoming aware of unproductive thought patterns and how they can impact your life.
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Identifying negative thinking and reshaping it in a way that changes how you feel.
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learning new behaviors and putting them into practice
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Understanding ways your thoughts and feelings impact your daily behavior, relationships and overall productivity in your life.
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Family Systems Therapy utilizes many techniques including Structural therapy; Strategic therapy; Systemic therapy; Narrative therapy; Communication theory; Reality therapy; Relationship counseling; Relationship education; Family Genograms; Psychoeducation; Psychotherapy.
Some common family systems therapy techniques include:
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psychoeducation
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marital counseling (as a means to improve the system),
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behavioral management
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improving communication
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fostering coping skills
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future planning
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vocational/job related counseling
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medication management or holistic suggestions (in some cases)
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Play therapy is a form of therapy used primarily for children, primarily when children are not able to process their own emotions or articulate problems to parents, adults, or others.
While it may look like an ordinary playtime, play therapy can be much more than that. During "playtime" the goal is to observe and gain insights into the child’s challenges. We can also then help your child explore emotions and deal with unresolved trauma. Through play, children can learn new coping mechanisms and how to redirect inappropriate behaviors. Some of the potential benefits of play therapy are:
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taking more responsibility for certain behaviors
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developing coping strategies and creative problem-solving skills
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self-respect
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empathy and respect for others
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alleviation of anxiety
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learning to fully experience and express feelings
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stronger social skills
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stronger family relationships
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encourage use of language or improve fine and gross motor skills.
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can be used alone or alongside other therapies including medication management
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Psychodynamic therapy developed from psychoanalysis, a longer-term approach to mental health treatment compared to CBT and other shorter term approaches. In psychoanalysis, you can expect to talk about anything on your mind to uncover patterns in thoughts or behavior that might be contributing to distress. It’s also common to talk about your childhood and past, along with recurring dreams or fantasies you might have. In psychodynamic therapy, you’ll work with us to explore the connection between your unconscious mind and your actions. This involves examining your emotions, relationships, and thought patterns. Many people continue to improve, even after they complete psychodynamic therapy due to the intensity of treatment. Psychodynamic therapy may be a good choice for addressing:
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depression
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anxiety
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eating disorders
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somatic symptoms
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substance use disorder
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a variety of other conditions
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People who are experiencing distress from their family, intimate, professional, or social relationships may benefit from relational therapy. This includes those who are experiencing the following; mood disorders, anxiety, depression, or stress, that are causing relationship issues and those who suffer from low self-esteem, eating disorders, and poor body image. In relational therapy, you learn to identify how you may be pushing people away rather than attracting them and also come to understand how these behaviors are related to past experiences. The goal is to develop new ideas about relationships, to build a strong relationship with the therapist, and to use both those new ideas and the therapeutic relationship as a model to create healthier, longer-lasting relationships with others.
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Trauma-Focused Therapy is a specific approach to therapy that recognizes and emphasizes understanding how the traumatic experience impacts a child's mental, behavioral, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. Trauma-informed therapy is not about a specific intervention but rather tailoring interventions in the context of the individual's trauma history, triggers, and specific needs, taking into account the impact of trauma on emotions, regulation, and behavior. The Five Guiding Principles are:
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Safety
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Trustworthiness
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Choice
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Collaboration
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Empowerment
Furthermore, the trauma-informed approach is guided by the “Four R's”: Realization about trauma and how it can affect people and groups recognizing the signs of trauma, having a system which can respond to trauma, and resisting re-traumatization.
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Motivational interviewing is a counseling approach designed to help people find the motivation to make a positive behavior change. This client-centered approach is particularly effective for people who have mixed feelings about changing their behavior. Originally, motivational interviewing was focused more on treating substance use disorders by preparing people to change addition-related behavior. Over time, however, motivational interviewing has been found to be a useful intervention strategy in addressing other health behaviors and conditions such as:
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Diabetes control
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Diet
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Obesity prevention
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Physical activity
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Sexual behavior
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Smoking
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Motivational interviewing can also be used as a supplement to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for;
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anxiety disorders
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generalized anxiety disorder
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social anxiety disorder
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post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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This approach has even been used to reduce the fear of childbirth.
There are several reasons why motivational interviewing is a widely used form of mental health therapy, including:
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Building the client's self-confidence and trust in themselves
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Lowering the chance of future relapse with addiction
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Showing clients that they have the power to change
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Teaching responsibility
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Adlerian theory is a holistic approach to psychology that emphasizes the importance of overcoming feelings of inferiority and gaining a sense of belonging in order to achieve success and happiness. Adlerian theory is often used in counseling and psychotherapy. Using this approach, we cab help you develop a better understanding of your goals and motivations. The process takes place over four stages which will be explained to you during treatment.
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Adlerian therapy can also be helpful for treating a number of mental health conditions. Some of the problems this type of therapy may be used to treat include:
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Adjustment issues
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Anxiety
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Depression
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Eating disorders
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Personality disorders
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Schizophrenia
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Substance abuse problems
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Low self-esteem, loneliness, or negative thinking.
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People often find treatments based on Adlerian theory helpful because it emphasizes the importance of community involvement and social interactions in order to promote individual growth.
Because it is a holistic approach, people are able to gain a greater awareness of different aspects of themselves as well as a greater understanding of how they fit in within their social world.
Another benefit of the Adlerian approach is that it avoids pathologizing people. Instead, it emphasizes how people can experience difficulties and discouragement during life, which then contributes to psychological problems. By affirming the individual and rebuilding social relationships, people are able to gain confidence and empowerment that allows them to pursue their goals and make healthy choices.
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The Person-Centered Approach (PCA) is an approach to human relationships. It values attitudes such as: not judging others, trying to understand the experiences of others from their point of view, and fully honoring the uniqueness of the individuals we meet in a genuine and heartfelt way. This therapy provides clients with the tools and resources they need to understand themselves and what they need to achieve positive change in their lives. It empowers the person seeking help and emphasizing that they are in control of their life and future and are capable of overcoming any difficulties they face. In PCA we work together as a team. It is empathetically driven toward providing a person with a safe space to talk and self-actualize positive changes in their life. This type of therapy can help with various types of mental distress including:
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Anxiety
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Psychosis
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Dementia
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Depression
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Post-traumatic stress disorder
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Other mood disorders
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There are many benefits associated with person-centered therapy including:
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Improved self-awareness
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Improved self-concept (the way you see yourself)
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Greater trust in oneself and one’s own abilities
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Healthier relationships with others based on an improved view and understanding of oneself
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Healthier communication skills
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Improved ability to express opinions and feelings
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Ability to let go of past hurt or mistakes
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Ability to strive for healthy changes that make one's life better.
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Use of essential oils is used with the understanding that our emotional, social, and psychological wellbeing, can have an effect on how we think, act, and feel. Your mental health also determines how you make choices, relate to other people, form relationships, and handle stress. Mental health issues can have an impact on your mood, thinking patterns, feelings, behaviors, and temperament. There are various factors that can have a negative impact on our mental health, including:
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Biological Factors: when your brain chemistry or genes cause an imbalance in your mind.
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Hereditary Factors: when a family history of mental health issues increases your risk of developing it.
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Personal Experiences: when various events in your life – such as trauma or abuse – put you at risk of mental health issues.
Disclaimer: Although essential oils shouldn’t be treated as a cure-all for all mental health issues, they can be used as a complementary treatment for certain mental health disorders during sessions. * A holistic treatment method known as aromatherapy has been used to treat physical and emotional ailments since ancient times. This treatment includes adding essential oil to a diffuser and inhaling the scent as the person relaxes. * The research surrounding the benefits of aromatherapy is still limited. Yet, the practice possesses enough benefits for people to continue it for centuries now. Even though there isn’t any proof that essential oils can treat anxiety or depression on their own, several studies have observed that many oils have effectively minimized its symptoms.
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The Nurtured Heart Approach® (NHA) was created by Howard Glasser, marriage and family therapist, and is a highly acclaimed relationship-focused methodology founded strategically in The 3 Stands™ for helping children (and adults) build their Inner Wealth™ and use their intensity in successful ways. What began as a method to help challenging children has become a powerful way of awakening the inherent greatness in all children. It’s a method that helps children see the beauty of who they are by our intentional interactions with them and our delivery of emotional energy at the right moments.
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The proven methodology of NHA creates healthy, connected, positive and strengthened relationships among family members and couples. It is also widely used in schools, residential facilities and other workplaces. Through acknowledgement and recognition and the purposeful delivery of positive energy, even the most “difficult” children are capable of shifting their negative behavior patterns. When the right, intentional interactive strategies are executed, through the development and growth of these relationships into ones filled with positive, nurturing substance, children and adults alike, clients begin to reach their full potential.
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Through my work with challenging and intense children, traditional methods often fail because of three reasons. The 3 Stands™, children receive more intense relationship when things are going right. The foundational error in conventional ways of parenting, school discipline and treatment is to give more intense relationships when things are going wrong. Together we can discuss how your best efforts may actually fuel the fire of challenging behavior and how to make simple shifts that will change everything. Including saving some of your own energy for the positive instead of the negative leaving you feeling more refreshed, happy and successful!
NHA is being used in tens of thousands of families around the world, thousands of classrooms, various clinical settings, group homes, etc. to help children and families thrive.
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​Christian Counseling techniques will be similar to that of traditional therapy with the incorporation of Christian belief practices such as prayer and bible reading:
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CBT
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Meditation
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Prayer
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Implementing biblical practices
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Christian counseling can be helpful in addressing conditions and life concerns such as those mentioned below:
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Spirituality
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Self-esteem
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Stress
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Chronic Illness
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Depression
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Anxiety
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Anger
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Grief
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Relationships
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Marriage
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Divorce
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Domestic Violence
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Faith based practice and spirituality are both associated with greater mental and physical well-being. It is very beneficial to engage in spiritual practices and seek spiritual advisory for mental health challenges as well as additional life concerns.
Integrating faith based concepts into psychotherapy is correlated with more positive traits, such as gratitude and optimism, which are linked to less depressive feelings. Religion and spirituality are both associated with greater mental and physical well-being.
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Many clients chose to see a counselor remotely rather than in person because it is convenient and affordable. Online counseling has gained popularity in recent years as more therapists than ever before offer long distance sessions. This type of therapy goes by many names including telehealth, e-counseling, or cyber-counseling. Generally, these sessions take place over the phone or via a secure video chat software to insure client’s privacy and comfort.
The Benefits of Online Counseling
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More affordable than conventional counseling
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No commute time
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Have therapy in whatever environment you prefer
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No difficult traveling for people with different ability levels
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Save time
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Continue with your therapists even if you move
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Increases access to counseling
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See a specialist even if there isn’t one in your are
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At Ciccone Child & Family Counseling, LLC we use a secure online therapy session software to ensure client’s confidentiality. When you make your initial appointment, you will receive easy- use friendly instructions on how to use this software.
When engaging in Telehealth, we ask that you are somewhere that is private and has a reliable internet connection. Most people chose to have their session in the comfort of their home. Then we proceed just like you would with in person counseling!
Mindfulness is being aware of internal thoughts, feelings, and emotions, as well as external surroundings and situations, without automatic responses such as judgment or stress. Mindfulness therapy is a type of talk therapy that focuses on learning how to be more aware and to reduce automatic responses.
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Mindfulness therapy is a type of psychotherapy provided to diagnose and treat dysfunctional thought patterns and behaviors. Mindfulness therapy does this by incorporating awareness of thoughts, emotions, feelings, surroundings, and situations. It involves conversations with professionals that help a person develop greater awareness of their thoughts and the world around them. This increased awareness helps them avoid destructive or automatic responses or habits. Some examples of the health and life benefits of mindfulness therapy include improved focus and memory, empathy and compassion, and increased overall quality of life.
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Mindfulness therapy can be used for:
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Autism
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Side effects of cancer
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Chronic illness (for example, respiratory conditions)
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Chronic pain (including arthritis)
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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
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Heart disease
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Stress
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Improved immune function
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Mental health (obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
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Other conditions in which mindfulness therapy may help include:
High blood pressure, Insomnia, Substance misuse and addiction, Eating disorders, and Post-traumatic stress disorder. Mindfulness therapy also offers life benefits through improved capacity for relationships, self-confidence and self-control, and even the potential for improved ecological sustainability.