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Couples Counselor and relationship Coach |
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I work with children of all ages and college students. I enjoy working with families in forming solid attachments, abuse and trauma post-care, teaching parenting skills, working with learning and physical disabled, and helping foster children transition. I also work with families on a whole to discuss problems and issues and try to find healthy solutions for grieving families, blending families, and foster/adoptive families.
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over 9 years experience working with children, adolescents, young adults and adults, mainly in the area of grief and loss. Through my work at Brooke's Place for Grieving Young People, www.brookesplace.org, I have been taught by countless numbers of individuals, ranging in ages 3 - adults, about grieving the death of someone significant. Death is the ultimate loss. However, each loss in life is significant. My practice provides a safe place for you to work through any loss or relationship issue. Other areas I work with include depression, anxiety and self esteem. Grieving is natural and is your unique way of experiencing any loss. Choosing to grieve any loss is a courageous step. I will walk with you in your grief journey, at
your speed and duration. How you choose to express your story is up to you. I will offer you acceptance while sharing your story. Are you experiencing loss through death, relationship, experiences from childhood, career choices, children transitioning, or other losses? Do you yearn for greater intimacy in relationships? Where there is death or loss, there is life, love, faith, hope and joy. Doing the work of grief is not easy; it IS REAL! And, you are worth it.
If you call to schedule a couples therapy session, here is what you should expect. An initial appointment will be scheduled and it is important that both members of the couple attend. The initial session or two will involve taking a history. I will ask about the current problem and any precipitating factors. A complete history of the couple relationship will be taken. I will also take a history of each individual partner and their family of origin. This information will be used in a subsequent analysis. I use an Imago style approach to couples therapy. This means that one of the primary areas of focus will be an evaluation of unmet needs in childhood from one's early caretakers. The theory suggests that we unconsciously choose mates who we hope can fill our unmet childhood needs while at the same time provide some familiarity (both positive and negative) with the way we were raised. How we react to those in our most intimate relationships are therefore highly influenced by how we were raised. Naming, understanding and bringing these expectations to the forefront help understand partners' behaviors towards each other and hopefully allow the couple enough empathy to change the way they react to each other. As in other types of therapy, progress goals will be set and the length of therapy depends on the effort and progress made by the couple.
Laurie has experience in the areas listed below. She is accepting new clients and always welcomes referrals. Play Therapy with Children ages 3-17Experience with children of divorce, and children who have experienced neglect or sexual abuse.Children with behavioral and social adjustment issues.Teen clients including teens suffering from anxiety and depression.Couples TherapyPremarital evaluationRelational issuesLife cycle event adjustment ie) getting used to being empty nestersDivorce planning-what's best for the kidsJoint parenting adviceIndividual TherapyGrief/lossAnxietyDepressionJob change/ crisisSelf ImprovementFamily of origin issues including how to differentiate from parentsIndividual life cycle adjustmentsSessions are available in one hour increments. Session times may be adjusted according to client's needs. In addition, Laurie is willing to speak to groups on a variety of topics.
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