Counseling

Counseling with Children ages 0-5

Infant Mental Health Counseling

Infant mental health therapy is a specialized form of therapy that recognizes that the early years of life are critical for laying a healthy foundation for mental health and well-being. Infant Mental Health Counseling focuses on promoting the healthy emotional, social, and cognitive development of infants and young children with the overall aim of strenghtening parent-child relationships, and support the well-being of infants during their critical early years.

Infant mental health therapists work with families with young children ages 0-5. The therapist works with the child and the parent together (in a dyad) in order to offer the parent and child therapeutic support. The therapist helps the parents or caregivers understand and respond sensitively to their child's needs. Promoting early intervention, the therapist provides guidance on fostering nurturing and responsive interactions, promoting healthy bonding, and supporting the parent-child relationship.

Infant mental health therapy takes a family centered approach, considering the interplay between the child, their parents or primary caregivers, and their environment. It recognizes that infants' well-being is closely tied to their relationships and the quality of care they receive.

The goal of this treatment is to improve the parents understanding of the child's problem, behavior or situation so that the difficulties that the child is having can be treated by the parent within the home when the targeted behavior is actually occurring. The therapist often acts as a guide or a coach for the parent. Many times, depending upon the cause for the child's difficulty, additional services are needed in order to stabilize the families situation.

Counseling with Children ages 6-12

Counseling with School Aged Children and PreTeens

Children ages 6 - 12 present with unique developmental needs that can impact their ability to regulate their emotions. Basically, that means that sometimes children in this age group can not calm themselves down. This happens for a variety of reasons.

Dr. Nikki Woller and her Associates have developed state of the art techniques to help address children in this age group that present with hyperactivity, oppositional behavior, who are argumentative, aggressive, sassy, strong willed, anxious, sad, not making friends, not keeping friends, hurting themselves or hurting other people.

We can also help with children who lack discipline, seem unfocused, have a hard time at school, bully people, who are the victims of bullying, victims of trauma, forget things, cry easily, or who seem easily frustrated.

Our clinicians address these issues in a variety of manners. Many times the primary caregiver is directly involved in the treatment of the children in order to carry out therapeutic techniques throughout the week while in the home.

Counseling with Adolescents (ages 13 +)

Adolescents and Teen Psychotherapy

Adolescents growing up in a technology age present with unique challenges. Dr. Woller and her Associates have the training, clinical skills, and practical experience to be able to help teens and their families manage the challenges that are impacting their lives.

Many times teens today present with immaturity, poor impulse control, disorganization, appear to be self centered, and lose control of their anger. They can be defiant, influenced by others and seem to have difficulty making or keeping quality friends.

Other teens have difficulty with picking up on social cues, maintaining their grades at school, have tantrums, rage, show a lack of respect, and have an inherent difficulty following rules or limits.

At times, adolescents will emotionally shut down or withdraw, use drugs, cut themselves, are addicted to the computer, addicted to their phone, refuse to go to school and seem to lose interest in things that they have enjoyed to do before.

Adolescents behave in these ways due to numerous reasons. Some of them have developed organic emotional conditions that they genetically inherited, such as depression, anxiety or bipolar illness. Some are victims of trauma, abuse, or bullying. Sometimes they have questions about their sexuality. Some teens are addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, the internet or pornography. Other teens have gotten involved with friends or crowds that have influenced them in a negative manner. Some simply lack discipline or proper emotional development that would help them navigate the teen world in which they live.

Despite the reason, we can help. We use our clinical skills combined with family engagement in order to help teens turn their behaviors in a new direction. Parents are extremely involved with the therapeutic process, being trained by the therapist in techniques that will help at home, in order to ensure that the therapeutic environment continues throughout the week when the child is at home.

Counseling with adults

Adult Psychotherapy

Being an adult comes with its own set of problems, concerns and situations. Sometimes we need to talk through these issues with someone who is not a relative in order to figure out what the best possible course of action is. We assist adults in resolving or addressing a variety of different problems or situations.

Dr. Woller and her Associates use an innovative approach in addressing complicated situations that are affecting the lives of our clients and their families.This approach takes a holistic method to recovery and wellness. We treat the following conditions:

                                    Depression
                                    Anxiety
                                   Bipolar Disorder
                                    Marital Issues
                                    Infidelity
                                    Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
                                    Bereavement
                                    Substance Abuse
                                    Anger Management
                                    Adult ADHD
                                    Adult Asperger's Syndrome
                                    College Management

Divorce

                                    Reunification
                                    Social Anxiety
                                    Occupational/Economic Problems
                                    Parent/Child Relationship Problems
                                    Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Counseling with Families

Family Counseling

Family counseling focuses on improving communication and resolving conflicts within a family system. It involves working with the entire family unit, rather than focusing solely on individual family members.

The primary goal of family counseling is to enhance the functioning and well-being of the family as a whole. It aims to help family members understand each other better, develop healthier ways of relating to one another, and create a more supportive and harmonious family environment.

During family counseling sessions, our trained therapists facilitate discussions and provides guidance to help family members explore and address various issues. Family counseling can be helpful in addressing a wide range of issues, such as marital conflicts, parent-child conflicts, sibling rivalries, substance abuse, mental health concerns, and chronic illness. It provides a safe and supportive space for family members to express their feelings, learn new skills, and work collaboratively towards positive change.

It's important to note that family counseling does not always require the presence of all family members in every session. Depending on the circumstances, the therapist may work with subsets of the family or individuals within the family, with the ultimate goal of improving the overall functioning and well-being of the family system.

Counseling with First Responders

First Responder Counseling

First responder counseling refers to the psychological support and counseling services provided to individuals who work as first responders, such as police officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency 911 dispatchers, emergency room personal and other emergency responders. These professionals often face high levels of stress, trauma, and critical incidents in their line of work, which can have a significant impact on their mental health and well-being.

First responder counseling plays a vital role in supporting the mental health and overall well-being of those who serve in high-stress and demanding professions. By addressing the psychological impact of their work, it aims to promote resilience, reduce the risk of burnout, and enhance their ability to effectively perform their duties.

First responder counseling aims to address the unique challenges faced by these individuals and provide them with the necessary support to cope with the emotional and psychological toll of their work. It typically involves a range of therapeutic interventions and support services tailored to the specific needs of first responders.

Dr. Woller and her Associates have the personal insight and clinical training to assist first responders with processing the many experiences that they see on a daily basis. We provide trauma-focused therapy, critical incident stress debriefing/management, psychoeducation and resilience building.

It is critical in first responder counseling to ensure that individuals feel safe and comfortable sharing their experiences while seeking help, without fear of judgment or repercussions. First responder counseling is strictly confidential.

Counseling Services