This is a question I’ve been asked many times over the past several months. My answer is often a resounding “Yes!” due to the many applications for this intervention. If you’ve heard the buzz around EMDR and wonder if it’s right for you, here is some information you might consider for yourself and then discuss it with a therapist trained or certified in EMDR.
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a therapeutic intervention that allows people to heal from traumatic or disturbing life events. We all have neural pathways in our brains that help us make sense of the world around us. However, these pathways can become blocked after a traumatic experience. Using eye movements or other bilateral stimulation, EMDR helps reprocess the memories related to those events, thus removing the blocks in the neural pathways. Once the block is removed, the brain begins to heal from the traumatic event. Learn More...
Welcoming Our Newest Therapy Dog – Kiki!
/in Animal Assisted Therapy, Creative Family Counseling/by Lacey Ryan, LMFT, RPT-SHi 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 Creative Family Counseling/by Lacey Ryan, LMFT, RPT-SWe 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:
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:
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 Creative Family Counseling, Family Life, Therapy for Teens/by Lacey Ryan, LMFT, RPT-SA 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 Creative Family Counseling, Family Life, Therapy for Kids, Therapy for Teens/by Lacey Ryan, LMFT, RPT-SDoes 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...
Setting Boundaries During the Holiday Season
/in Creative Family Counseling, Family Life/by Lacey Ryan, LMFT, RPT-SIs this the “most” time of year for you too? While there are breaks from school (and maybe work too), many of us find our schedules BUSIER than ever with extra holiday celebrations and fun events. A friend shared with me last holiday season that their family had SEVEN family holiday gatherings to attend within a week’s time. She, her partner, and their children were all exhausted and at each other’s throats by the end of it all. It was too much. Here’s an invitation to set some proactive boundaries in your lives now, before the “most” time of year gets the best of you and your family too! Learn More...
7 Ways to Help Your Child Cope with Boredom During the Holiday Break
/in Creative Family Counseling, Family Life/by Lacey Ryan, LMFT, RPT-SHoliday breaks usually include some much needed downtime for many families. With a scheduled break from schoolwork and tests, large projects at work, & extracurriculars like sports and clubs, most families welcome the chance to rest and recover from such busy day-to-day lives. A drastic change from going from “go-go-go” to such a relaxed schedule can reveal some needs your family may have. Here are some things you can do to help with that adjustment: Learn More...
International Transgender Day of Remembrance
/in Creative Family Counseling/by Lacey Ryan, LMFT, RPT-SFacing Religious Trauma and Spiritual Harm Together
/in Creative Family Counseling, Family Life, Individual Therapy, Spiritually Integrative Counseling/by Bennett AlldredgeIn today’s diverse and dynamic world, individuals navigate a multitude of beliefs and ideologies. For some, faith is a source of strength, solace, and community. However, for others, religious experiences can leave deep emotional scars that can often feel overwhelming. Creative Family Counseling understands the importance of addressing the challenges faced by those who have experienced religious trauma and spiritual harm. If you have experienced wounds related to negative experiences of faith or spiritual beliefs, therapy can help you sort through your emotions and help process the traumatic experiences of your life toward spiritual healing. But what exactly is religious trauma? How can therapy help? This article will explore some of the ways that religious trauma can affect you, where it comes from, and how therapy can help you sort through your beliefs and feelings. Learn More...
Is EMDR Right For Me?
/in Creative Family Counseling, Individual Therapy/by Lisa Howard CardwellThis is a question I’ve been asked many times over the past several months. My answer is often a resounding “Yes!” due to the many applications for this intervention. If you’ve heard the buzz around EMDR and wonder if it’s right for you, here is some information you might consider for yourself and then discuss it with a therapist trained or certified in EMDR.
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a therapeutic intervention that allows people to heal from traumatic or disturbing life events. We all have neural pathways in our brains that help us make sense of the world around us. However, these pathways can become blocked after a traumatic experience. Using eye movements or other bilateral stimulation, EMDR helps reprocess the memories related to those events, thus removing the blocks in the neural pathways. Once the block is removed, the brain begins to heal from the traumatic event. Learn More...
Non-Suicidal Self Injury (or self-harm) vs. Suicidality
/in Creative Family Counseling, Therapy for Teens/by Erica Myers, LPCC-S, RPT-SThe difference between Suicidality and Self Injury is INTENT.
Individuals engage in self-harm to feel “something” other than numb or empty. Sometimes self-harm can be a way to signal to others that they need help or the harming behavior has become a maladaptive coping skill. Individuals who express suicidality are experiencing hopelessness, despair, and thinking that the end of their life could be the solution to their problems. Although both conditions can stem from similar situations or contexts, self-harm does not always indicate that the individual wants to end their life. Learn More...