FORT LAUDERDALE COUNSELING AND THERAPY BLOG
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - Therapy Timetable?
Lots of people ask: How long will I be in therapy? The short answer is, well, it depends.
There are many factors that determine length of treatment, including the severity of presenting problems, how well someone responds to treatment and various other factors. As a general guideline however, I would say that the average person is in therapy for 3 - 6 months. That’s usually enough time to resolve most immediate concerns and getting you to “feel like you” again. At the beginning of our work together, I will provide you with my best professional estimate of how long to expect to be in treatment. And of course, the treatment plan will be developed in collaboration with you.
Therapy works. There is plenty of clinical evidence to back that up. If you are feeling that therapy might help, then you should probably make that call or send that email to get help. As the Dalai Lama said, “The purpose of life is Happiness.” I agree!
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - Emotional Support Animals
Maesk Group Counseling provides Emotional Support Animal (ESA) evaluations. It is well documented through research that pets provide benefit to people suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD, insomnia and many other conditions. Having an ESA prescription letter allows you to have your pet in no-pets housing, and allows you to travel with your pet in the cabin on airlines at no additional cost.
There are other details/benefits. Feel free to contact the office to schedule your consultation.
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - Emotional Support Animals (ESA)
Maesk Group Counseling provides Emotional Support Animal (ESA) evaluations. It is well documented through research that pets provide benefit to people suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD, insomnia and many other conditions. Having an ESA prescription letter allows you to have your pet in no-pets housing, and allows you to travel with your pet in the cabin of airlines at no additional cost.
There are other details/benefits. Feel free to contact the office to schedule your consultation.
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - Following Your Plan of Care
Many times, patients quit their treatment prematurely because the immediate crisis is over. This is equivalent to quitting a two week antibiotic prescription after the second day’s dose; the SYMPTOMS are eased, but what about the root cause? It will surely return later because it hasn’t been thoroughly addressed. Momentum toward recovery will be lost as well.
Depression, anxiety, relationship issues, panic attacks, teen and children’s behavior issues, anger management, divorce recovery—these all take time to change, to heal. You didn’t GET this way in a month or two, and it will take longer than that to heal completely. Often, we’ve carried problems of poor self- esteem, drug or alcohol addiction, and other counseling issues for most of our lives.
Periodic check ins, where we go over your progress and look again at your goals in the Plan of Care, help us understand where we have been together in therapy, what we have accomplished, and what still needs to be addressed. This is also a great time for you to “dream” and set new goals for a better life! When these goals have been met and all issues addressed, you are ready to go on to “maintenance care,” where you come in to see me every few months or so for checkups. These checkup visits can go a long way toward maintaining the growth and rational thinking you worked so hard to achieve in our sessions.
When I give you a Plan of Care, I’ve carefully considered your issues, your hopes and dreams, and your goals, using all of my education and experience to help you toward as happy a life as possible. It can be painful to go deeper at first, but the rewards you can experience can be very gratifying and life changing!
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - Do I Need Counseling?
Every day many people in Fort Lauderdale and Broward county search online for help with their problems, wondering if it’s finally time to reach out for direction and support to handle sadness, depression, anxiety, stress, fights with their partner or spouse, and family issues, among others. Here are some of the questions and mistaken beliefs we encounter as therapists every day.
Can’t I just talk to my friends about my problems?
Talking to a friend about mental health or personal issues may bring you temporary relief, but will make the problem more deep seated in the long run because you become more identified with the issue the longer you complain without intervention. Remember, you get what you pay for, and zero-cost advice is pretty much worth zero!
Nobody can change my situation, so why pay to see a professional about it?
There is a saying that “your world changes when YOU change.” A professional, licensed therapist is trained in ways to help you respond to your world differently. We have at least two college degrees and extensive supervised training thereafter. There are thinking patterns, usually formed in childhood, of which you are completely unaware. I can show you how you are holding yourself back and perhaps help you find insight and freedom. It’s often a cage of your own making!
I’ve felt this way so long…
If you had a persistent fever, would you just say “oh well” and live with it? Or would you go to a health care specialist who could evaluate, diagnose, and treat it? The average person doesn’t realize how common mood and relationship problems are to the human condition, and that they can be (and are) identified and studied. Whole systems of therapy are developed for common issues, much as drugs are developed for physical ailments.
What will people think?
The people intelligent and mature enough to seek therapy realize that it doesn’t matter what people think! It matters how you live every day of your limited, precious life, and whether you can enjoy that to a higher degree and love more fully. Besides, you would be surprised how many of those “imaginary people” you think are judging you are actually patients themselves.
Is it time for YOU to feel better? It’s time! Get started NOW.
From Maesk Group Counseling - Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Evaluations
Maesk Group Counseling provides Emotional Support Animal (ESA) evaluations. It is well documented through research that pets provide benefit to people suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD, insomnia and many other conditions. Having an ESA prescription letter allows you to have your pet in no-pets housing, and allows you to travel with your pet in the cabin on airlines at no additional cost.
There are other details/benefits. Feel free to contact the office to schedule your consultation, and receive your ESA prescription letter today.
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - Anxious Depression
From Psychcentral:
Experiencing Anxious Depression
Depression is a part of bipolar disorder. It is, in fact, one of the poles. The question of experiencing depression is not “if” but “when.” Depression on its own is a horrible experience, but sometimes other problems pile on. More than half of people with bipolar disorder also have some form of anxiety disorder. These can include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and social anxiety. When anxiety occurs during a depressive episode of bipolar disorder it is called depression “with anxious distress.” Distress is exactly the term to describe how it feels.
When I experience anxiety, I communicate how I am feeling by comparing my mood to a pot of water. When I am feeling fine, the water is ambient temperature. The more anxiety I feel, the hotter the water becomes. Lately I’ve been sitting at a simmer with occasional panic attacks that put me into a rolling boil. This is in addition to the depressive symptoms I feel like depressed mood, loss of interest, weight gain, fatigue and feelings of hopelessness. It’s a debilitating combination.
In order to be qualified as an episode with anxious distress, you have to experience at least two of the following:
Feeling keyed up or tense.
Feeling unusually restless.
Difficulty concentrating because of worry.
Fear that something awful may happen.
Feeling that you might lose control yourself.
If you experience two of these symptoms, the anxious distress is considered mild. Three symptoms is moderate and four or more is moderate to severe. If physical restlessness is involved, it’s considered severe.
Having bipolar disorder with anxiety can lead to extra complications with the disorder. People who have episodes with anxious distress typically have longer episodes, don’t respond to treatment as well and have a higher suicide risk.
Experiencing severe anxiety mingled with depression is incredibly distressing. On the one hand my brain is telling me that all I can do is to go to bed and not do anything. On the other hand my anxiety is telling me how horrible I am for ignoring other responsibilities. The two sensations fight each other and leave me frozen, not knowing what part of my brain I should listen to. The anxiety is usually louder than the depression, but that doesn’t mean I succeed at getting out of bed. It just means I end up having a panic attack while I’m there.
I’m continuing to talk to my therapist and psychiatrist about my situation. My therapist gave me a list of ways to combat distress and my psychiatrist gave me additional medication to manage the anxiety acutely. In the meantime, I hope this is a short phase and that I will reach a level of normality soon.
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - Finding Motivation
A great article on finding the motivation when you think you just don't have any!
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - Signs of Progress in Therapy
Assessing Your Healing
Do you know that you can focus on various areas in your life to see if you are feeling better in specific ways? This is a fun, informal quiz to use for this purpose. Rate your improvement from 1 to 4, with 4 being the most improved. Leave it blank if it doesn’t apply to you. Take the results to your therapist for discussion.
LIFE ISSUES*:
__Self Esteem
__Ability to reach Life Goals
__Personal Safety
__Your work or career
__Level of happiness
__Intelligence
__Use of your talents
__Sense of Humor
__Ability to care for others
__Personal self-care/Attractiveness
__Ability to make friends
__Relationships (friends)
__Relationships (family)
__Getting along with coworkers
__Taking time for you
__Treating yourself well
__Putting your needs first
__Taking care of your body
__Not getting overly tired
__Taking care of yourself when ill
__Eating well
__Sleeping enough
__Exercising regularly
__Appropriate alcohol use (or none at all)
Track your progress on a regular basis. Therapy is all about improving your life and making it the best it can be!
(Adapted from It’s My Life Now by M. Dugan)
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - Emotional Support Animals (ESA)
Emotional Support Animal Evaluations - A simple, fast process that allows you to have your pet in "no-pets" housing as well as being able to travel with you in the cabin on airlines at no additional cost. Located in East Fort Lauderdale, we offer day and evening appointments for your convenience. Contact us today for an appointment!