PTSD Awareness Day

/in /by

June 27 is PTSD Awareness Day! Understanding the aspects of PTSD can help us to feel more in control in navigating its challenges. A key concept within the understanding of PTSD is the “Window of Tolerance”. This idea contextualizes some experiences within PTSD and gives us a helpful visual to work with in treatment. The short of it is this – how much can we tolerate within this window before our symptoms are activated, we’re emotionally flooded, and we feel disregulated. Learn More...

What to Expect When You Start Counseling for Trauma

/in , , , , /by

Reaching out for help following a traumatic experience is tough. There seems to be so much to consider when finding a therapist. Here are some things to focus on as you begin that search:

  1. All of the therapists at our practice are licensed and credentialed in our state to provide mental health counseling. The state licensure boards determine if someone has completed all the necessary steps (masters degree from an accredited program, earned supervision hours, passed a background check, and have experience working with clients as student interns). If you seek counseling, the first step would be to ensure that the person you are seeing is a licensed therapist in the state in which you are receiving services.
  2. You then need to find someone who fits your proximity, schedule, availability, and your budget for counseling services.
  3. Lastly, you’ll want to ensure that for treating trauma, the therapist has an additional certification or training in an evidence-based trauma treatment. Trauma fits its own category of mental health treatment and you’ll want to be sure the person you are seeing has obtained additional training in a program that treats trauma, in addition to their graduate degree.

Creative Family Counseling offers several evidence-based trauma treatments at our practice. Being an “evidence based” approach means that the theory, protocol, or method of the counseling model used has been proven through research studies to reduce the symptoms associated with the trauma. Learn More...

What’s the Difference Between Divorce Counseling Co-Parenting Counseling

/in , , /by

Creative Family Counseling is excited to announce two new specialties for clients: Divorce Counseling and Co-Parenting Counseling. Oftentimes there can be an overlap for these two services as couples navigate divorce and co-parenting dynamics at the same time but there is a clearly defined difference between these two services.

What is Divorce Counseling?

There are fewer family decisions that have such a monumental impact than deciding to divorce. This is especially so when children are included in the picture. For couples who are navigating a revision to their relationship, there are many factors involved. This can be overwhelming and difficult to discuss in a neutral and positive way with the partner in which you are un-coupling.  Learn More...

How to Talk to Your Teen about Suicide

/in , , /by

I recently published some articles about Depression in the Spring and How Play Therapy Helps With Depression in Children Clients.  In those articles, I shared warning signs or symptoms of Depression. Urges to self harm or use self injurious behaviors and suicidal thoughts are both symptoms of severe depression.

When you notice a difference in your teen’s mood and behaviors, it can be a warning sign that emotionally they are struggling. By familiarizing yourself with the symptoms and signs of depression in teens can give parents guidance on how to support their child. Learn More...

How does Play Therapy Help Young Clients Experiencing Depression?

/in , , /by

When parents ask for support in how to tell their child they will be visiting a therapist, my easy explanation typically works: “A Play Therapist helps kids when their feelings get too big. Sometimes kid’s mad gets too big and it causes problems for the kid and the people around them.  Sometimes a kid’s sad gets too big and it feels too hard for the kid to move around with all that sadness. And sometimes a kid’s scared gets too big and the kid needs help feeling safe. Therapists help kids shrink big feelings so they can get back to being a kid.” Learn More...

Looking for Spring in the Darkness of Winter

/in /by

Coming out of a cool and dark February, March seems to be a transitionary month between winter and spring. Still gloomy outside, it can be hard to notice the perennials are starting to emerge from the soil and will soon bloom into a colorful spring bouquet. The dogwoods and redbuds will soon bloom too. During gloomy seasons, looking ahead to the lighter and more bright periods can be difficult to muster. Learn More...

Welcoming Our Newest Therapy Dog – Kiki!

/in , /by

Hi there! I’m Kiki, a 3-year-old Great Dane mix. Over the past several weeks, I’ve been training for Animal Assisted Therapy with my human, Lisa Cardwell, LMFT. I will begin my work with clients in the Prospect office in mid-March and can’t wait to get started!

I love people of all ages, playing soccer and fetch outside, and tilting my head as far as I can from side to side when listening for words I understand. Lisa sometimes calls me Kikiroo because I love to do kangaroo jumps and bounce around on my hind legs. Learn More...

How to Use Out-of-Network Benefits at Creative Family Counseling

/in /by

We oftentimes get asked how clients can use their out of network benefits at our practice.

There are three ways clients can use benefits with us:

    1. Use their plan’s Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) Card to pay for sessions.
    2. Use their plan’s Health Savings Account (HSA) Card to pay for sessions.
    3. File for Out-of-Network Reimbursement.

    Filing for Out-of-Network Reimbursement isn’t as scary as one might think it is. You can actually follow 6 easy steps to get reimbursed for services that you’ve paid for out of pocket:

    1. Call the number on the back of your card.
    2. Ask about your plan’s out-of-network benefits.
    3. Ask for the out-of-network reimbursement form, if your plan requires it.
    4. See your Creative Family Counseling Therapist
    5. Ask your Therapist for a Superbill after your session.
    6. Submit the Superbill and any required forms to your insurance company to receive a check from them to reimburse you for the out of pocket services.

    For clients whose insurance does not offer any of the above benefits, and who find the full fees cost prohibitive, we have several Counseling Student Interns who provide services for reduced fees of between $25-$50 per session. Learn More...

What is a Gap Year and Why Should I be Aware of it?

/in , , /by

A term you may not have heard of is “gap year.” If you have teenagers, you may want to consider putting this term on your radar for your child to consider. Taking a gap year means a high school graduate takes a year off of academic training before pursuing additional training or education. If a graduate in May of 2024 takes a gap year, they wouldn’t pursue additional education until the summer or fall of 2025. Learn More...

Does My Child Need Therapy?

/in , , , /by

Does My Child Need Therapy?

Parents seek out our services for several reasons. Sometimes parents know that a big family change or stressor is in the child’s future and they want to proactively provide their child with a resource (a trusted therapist) which will help them through that transition. For these parents, helping and encouraging their children to manage the emotions related to that transition/change in healthy ways is their priority.  Other times, parents are concerned or worried about an event that has already happened. A traumatic event or social stressor has impacted their child and they want to provide their child with a healthy outlet to cope. Most often, parents have observed a change in their child’s behavior or the way their child is interacting with others and are seeking to understand how to help them and resolve that problem. Learn More...