Eating Disorders are real and serious illnesses that can sometimes be life-threatening. It is important to seek professional help if your child shows any of these warning signs:
You can find more information on our Eating and Weight Management Counseling page.
Clinical Care Consultants has a great weight management and eating disorder specialist to serve you: Tracy Tucker
Play Therapy is a structured, theoretically based approach to therapy that builds on the normal communicative and learning processes of children. Therapists strategically utilize play therapy to help children express what is troubling them and change the way they think about, feel toward, and resolve their concerns. Toys become the child’s words and play is the child’s language.
Through Play Therapy, children learn to communicate with others, express and tolerate feelings, modify behavior, develop problem-solving skills, and learn a variety of ways of relating to others. Play proves a safe psychological distance from their problems and allows expression of thoughts and feelings appropriate to their development.
Mindfulness has been demonstrated through research to be an effective and evidence-based intervention to reduce stress and the physical and psychological problems that result. Using Mindfulness based strategies and interventions decreases anxiety and worry, improves social skills and relationships, enhances coping skills to manage life and school stressors, improves impulse control, decreases emotional reactivity and increases focus and goal-oriented behavior.
Children who use Mindfulness learn how to intentionally focus on emotions, reactions and behaviors and make thoughtful and wise judgments and decisions, in turn developing improved self-esteem and the ability to tolerate distress.
For some, mindfulness is an effective anxiety therapy or even a significant aid to trauma recovery.
Depression is an illness that affects our moods, thoughts and behaviors. Any changes in a child’s mood, their behavior, energy levels, habits or personality; you should consider depression as a possible reason for these changes.
Here are the warning signs that your child might be suffering from Depression:
If you think your child has five (5) or more of these symptoms, understand that it can get better, but you need to take action. Get an evaluation from your child’s pediatrician or mental health professional as soon as possible.
Clinical Care Consultants offers many different approaches to depression therapy. Your child’s counseling services will be customized according to their needs.
Anxiety in children appears in physical, emotional and behavioral changes. When stress, children regress. Anxiety is a sense of fear and worry whereas stress is a natural and normal response to a challenge. Stress can make us feel anxious and feeling stress over long periods of time can create anxiety if coping strategies are not learned to manage the stress the child is experiencing.
Here are ways a child’s anxiety shows up and how to recognize if the changes you’re observing are more than just situational stress:
Anger - Children experiencing high levels of anxiety display increased anger and difficulty managing it. The perception of “danger” and stress is enough to trigger the fight or flight response leaving your child angry and without a way to communicate why.
Difficulty Sleeping - is a hallmark characteristic of children with anxiety, having more difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep.
Defiance - children have difficulty communicating feeling out of control so they attempt to control a situation where they feel anxious and helpless.
Lack of Focus – children with anxiety are often so caught up in their own thoughts that they do not pay attention to what is going on around them, distracted by constant fears and worries.
Avoidance – children typically try to avoid a particular person, place or task that increases their stress, worry or fear.
Chandeliering – this is when a calm child suddenly flies off the handle for no reason. They have pushed hurt and anxiety so deep for so long that a seemingly innocent comment or event suddenly sends them straight ‘through the chandelier’.
Negativity – children with anxiety tend to experience negative thoughts at a much greater intensity than positive ones and view the world, their relationships and their value in negative terms. If you feel anxiety has stopped your child from enjoying his/her life then it will be beneficial to get an evaluation from a qualified mental health professional to diagnose the extent of their anxiety and assist you and your child in finding healthier ways to cope and manage their emotions.
Anxiety counseling can include a number of approaches to provide your child with healthy coping tools and skills.
Most of the time no. Self-harm is usually a negative coping skill used to deal with anxiety, depression or other overwhelming feelings or life events.
Teen therapy issues such as stress, school anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, depression symptoms, suicidal thoughts, medication, coping skills, relationships, self-harm urges, self-care, sexuality and gender identity are some of the topics that are processed during group.
First the parents will want to make an appointment to come for an individual session and then the teen will come for one or two individual sessions prior to beginning the group. This is an important screening process necessary to determine good fit for this ongoing process group.
The two are very different in how they distribute love, respect, and caring (LRC) in a relationship. Codependents give all the LRC and want it to be reciprocated, and when it isn’t, they still stay in the relationship. Narcissists don’t try or expect to have to be reciprocal. The codependent narcissist dynamic involves two different people, a codependent and a narcissist.
If you need help recovering from narcissistic abuse, contact Clinical Care Consultants to schedule an appointment with one of our highly qualified, caring professionals.
A sex addict is addicted to a sexual behavior, while a love addict is addicted the intense pleasure and euphoria that comes with the creation of a new romantic relationship. Although the love addict may have and enjoy sex, it is not the primary goal.
DBT stands for dialectical behavior therapy. It is a psychotherapy method that helps with dealing with conflict while maintaining mutual and self-respect, reducing emotional sensitivity, tolerating distress, and relaxing and being kind to yourself through mindfulness. The goal is to learn lifelong, unique and also specific skills that will increase joy and lessen misery.
No. Art therapy is about using the materials to relax, focus and center. It is a medium to allow you to explore, regulate emotions and problem solve.
Your therapist will work with you to identify your personal goals for counseling and then tailor counseling to you and your goals. CCC therapists listen closely to understand your experience and then find ways to assist you in moving toward your goals.
Therapy is a personalized experience, so how it helps differs from person to person. Therapy services often involve things such as getting a different perspective on your experiences, exploring and discovering things about yourself, making changes in unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaving, processing difficult experiences, and learning healthy coping tools.
Most people engage in counseling when their usual way of handling problems is not working. It may be that talking with friends or family has not been as helpful as it has been in the past, or that the problem is about friends or family. Others go to counseling to speak with someone objective who is not involved in their life.
Most people who participate in counseling are experiencing some uncomfortable or unpleasant feelings, such as sadness, anxiety, anger, uncertainty, or just a general sense of being overwhelmed. Often people who go to counseling report not feeling like themselves, or others have told them they seem different lately.
Sometimes people have been struggling with problems for some time but they only go to counseling once the problems get in the way of their ability to get things done day to day.
Counseling is a collaborative process which involves the development of a unique, confidential, therapeutic, helping relationship. In this relationship, the therapist acts as a facilitator in helping the client to understand more accurately him/herself and the world around him/her; to better understand their feelings and behaviors; and to assist clients in their interpersonal relationships.
Discussion of whatever is important and impacting someone's life can enable an individual to grow toward greater freedom in making mature choices and taking responsible action.
Counseling services can include strictly one-on-one counseling, Cognitive Behavioral Theapty (CBT), EMDR, and more or it may include others such as in family counseling, relationship counseling, group therapy, or marriage counseling.
There are also many types of therapy focuses such as grief counseling, trauma treatment, EMDR therapy, anxiety counseling, therapy for substance abuse and compulsions, DBT, and more.
Counseling will be a different experience for different people, as we strive to meet your individual needs based on your unique set of circumstances. What happens during the course of your counseling experience may differ over time, based on your situation, progress, or changes in your life.
Your therapist may at times suggest exploring potential solutions such as relaxation training, journaling, role-playing, talking with relevant individuals, reading assignments, or even “homework.” How the therapeutic process will progress depends on your needs and goals.
Couples counseling or relationship counseling is an opportunity to work with your partner on issues that may be impacting your relationship. You may focus on communication skills, conflict resolution, or making decisions about your future together. Your therapist will serve as a mediator and guide during these discussions, and will help you work together to focus on and achieve specific goals for your relationship.
You do not have to be married to enjoy the benefits of couples counseling. Clinical Care Consultants also offers marriage counseling which is often very similar, but may involve addressing different challenges and situations. The needs addressed by counseling services is determined by the clients and their therapist.
The Clinical Care Consultants staff follow the professional, legal and ethical guidelines of the American Counseling Association and the state of Illinois. This means that information about your counseling sessions is not shared with anyone without your expressed written permission.
There are some exceptions to confidentiality, however. If there is the possibility of harm to the client or another person, or in cases of child or elder abuse, Clinical Care Consultants staff are mandated to report certain information to the appropriate authorities. Please ask your therapist for more information about confidentiality.
The frequency of therapy is mutually agreed upon by you and your therapist and is largely based on your presenting issues and the goals of treatment.
We make it easier to continue care consistently by offering online therapy, which is called e-therapy. Studies show that it is equally as effective as in-person counseling services.
It is very important that you arrive early or on-time for your scheduled appointments whether at our therapist office or via e-therapy. Regular, timely attendance of your counseling sessions will help you to achieve your therapeutic goals. If for some reason you are unable to make it to your scheduled session, please call Clinical Care Consultants in advance, preferably 24-hours ahead.
Many problems can be dealt with in a brief period of time, but this is not always the case. There is no magic number or formula to determine how long it may take. During your initial intake assessment, you and your therapist will have a conversation around making a determination if your needs are best met by the Clinical Care Consultants staff or are beyond the scope of the short-term services offered. If your counseling needs exceed our session limits, your therapist may make a referral to community resources for continued care.
You and your therapist will speak regularly about your progress. Eventually you and your therapist may determine that you have met your therapy goals. At this point, you may discuss your need for continued therapy. You may also bring up this topic at any time during your sessions.
There is no set timetable for how long it will take until you feel better. Relief may come from a variety of sources, including making changes in your thoughts, behaviors, relationships, and choices, a variety of counseling services, and may take time to achieve.
However, many clients report that counseling can be helpful even after the first session. This may be because of the relief that comes from deciding to seek help, or an opportunity to speak about problems for the first time with someone who is impartial and nonjudgmental.
Please remember: it is important that you share with your therapist if you are not experiencing any improvement after working in therapy for some time, so the two of you may determine what changes may need to be made.
Perinatal pertains to the period immediately before and after birth. It starts at the 20th to 28th week of gestation and ends 1 to 4 weeks after birth. The postpartum period follows and it usually refers to the first year of the baby's life.
By Clinical Care Consultants
These symptoms safely represent each stage: anxiety depression, excessive worries, sadness, feeling overwhelmed, guilt and shame, fearfulness, difficulty sleeping, anger, loneliness, irritability, stress.
Research shows that there's at least 1 in 5 chance that a woman will have a miscarriage.
The baby blues last for about two weeks post-delivery and about 80% of new moms experience them. Common symptoms are mild ups and downs, feeling unhappy, weepiness, stress.
PPD (perinatal and post-partum depression) on the other hand, is the most common PMDA and it affects about 1 in 7 new mothers. It's typically caused by a significant shift in the reproductive hormones. Common symptoms are feeling sad, hopeless, overwhelmed, sleep deprivation, inadequate nutrition, isolation, poor partner support, health issues for mom or baby, trouble bonding with the baby, thoughts about self harm/harming the baby, or other major stressors.