FACE TO FACE COUNSELING
Face to face counseling aims to help you deal with and overcome issues that are causing emotional pain or making you feel uncomfortable.
It can provide a safe and regular space for you to talk and explore difficult feelings. I'm there to support you and respect your views. I won't usually give advice, but will help you find your own insights into and understanding of your problems. I will be also using cognitive-behaviour therapy and psycho-education to help you resolve your issues.
Counseling can help with following problems:
Overcoming depression
Learning to manage and minimize panic attacks
Learning to manage anger
Overcoming phobia and learning to manage fears and anxiety
Dealing with the loss of a loved one (through either death or the end of a relationship)
Recovery from sexual, physical and emotional abuse or past stressors and trauma's
Overcoming crisis and learning how to adjust
Overcoming sexual and gender identity problems
Psychosomatic disorders
Eating & sleep disorders
ADD and ADD
Adjusting to a foreign culture
Developing assertiveness
Overcoming shyness
Developing social skills
Improving self-esteem
Setting goals
Getting and keeping motivated
Choosing and changing career
Improving work relationships
Learning self presentation skills at work
Improving relationships at work
Working through the conflicts and managing the complexities of being a step-family
Becoming a more effective parent, learning skills of successful parenting etc.
Please aware, if you are using your insurance, that not all problems mentioned above are covered by your insurance. For more information please see the page Costs and refunds or contact me.
Problems where I as a counselor can not help you are:
Serious adictions
Psychosis
Serious ersonality disorders.
ONLINE COUNSELING
Online counseling can help you deal with the same issues face to face conseling can as well.
In my experience Online counseling also provides some positive advantages over face to face counseling:
You can learn Online so you don't have to travel and lose hours in traffic to reach your therapist. What you only need is Skype program (you can download it for free), and headset or telephone.
If you live in area where it is difficult to find English or Serbian-Bosnian-Croatian speaking counselor this way may be the only way for you.
There is no waiting in reception areas or risking meeting with an acquaintance.
Some of us communicate best through the written word so chat or emails might be ways you can express yourself better. Writing may help you to think through your problems and to feel your emotions - it can bring focus, clarity, insight, and emotional relief.
You can read and re-read your emails, and chat transcripts.
Additionally, online counseling provides affordable prices and flexible hours which suit you. You can e-mail your therapist any time of the day.
Online counseling is not appropriate if :
you have a serious psychiatries illnesses
you have addictions
you are in a crisis situation
your personal safety is an issue (this could include a domestic violence situation or suicidal feelings)
you need specialist medical treatment for a physical condition.
When and if the need required more in-depth therapy, I would refer you to the appropriate resources, making this in itself a valuable service in itself.
Limitation of online counseling:
It is helpful if you are aware of the limitations of Online communications. Remember that I have no clear visual prompts, so I cannot read your facial expressions or body language. I won't be able to tell if you are physically hurt, and may have difficulty reading your emotions. There can also be misunderstandings when using text.
You should tell me if:
you have mental health issues or addictions
you have been drinking or taking drugs before the session
you are in a domestic violence situation, or if you and your partner have heated arguments which become physical
you are in a crisis situation or fear for your safety
you don't understand something I'm saying, or need clarification
you have concerns about online counseling
emotions come up for you during the session, such as sadness or anger.
GESTALT THERAPY
Gestalt therapy seeks to understand the individual self as a 'whole', acknowledging mind, body and spirit. The way you as a person relate to another, in the present, is key to understanding how you relate to others and are influenced by previous experiences and their environment.
I as the therapist use the present moment to develop your awareness of how you relate, use language and non-verbal expression and to experiment with new ways of relating. By doing this, I help you to become more authentic (or genuine) in how you relate to others and how you see yourself, others and relating problems.
Where your previous experiences have formed a poor sense of self, we seek to provide a positive experience in the present, as a vehicle for change and personal growth.
Why would you choose for gestalt therapy?
Gestalt therapy seeks behaviour and attitude changes through increased awareness of one's sensations, feelings and perceptions when experiencing another person, in the present moment.
This therapy is less directive or prescriptive than some other therapies, such as CBT, ACT and MBCT.
Gestalt therapy is used to explore a range of issues, including depression, substance abuse, anxiety disorders, panic disorders, PTSD, eating disorders, body-image issues, low self-esteem, general feelings of unease and meaninglessness of life, choosing a right partner, making peace and strengthening bonds with your family members, maintaining a loving, supportive relationship with a significant other, improving relationships at work, choosing and changing career etc.
Strengths of the approach:
Gestalt therapy can be used as a short- or long-term treatment, individual , relationship or group's approach.
GESTALT THERAPY WITH CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
(Currently not available)
In working with children, age 0 to 14, I'm using gestalt play therapy, a technique which combines the principles of gestalt theory with play techniques, so that children are able to use play to address their needs and problems. Research has shown that this approach can be applied successfully with children with different types of emotional problems in order to improve their self-support and self-esteem. With adolescents, therapy looks more like adult psychotherapy.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is a powerful new psychotherapy technique which has been very successful in helping people who suffer from trauma, anxiety, panic, disturbing memories, post traumatic stress and many other emotional problems. EMDR is considered a breakthrough therapy because ofits simplicity and the fact that it can bring quick and lasting relief for most types of emotional distress.
EMDR is the most effective and rapid method for healing PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) as shown by extensive scientificresearch studies.
The EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation, right/left eyemovement, or tactile stimulation, which repeatly activates the opposite sides of the brain, releasing emotional experiencesthat are "trapped" in the nervous system. This assists the neurophysiological system, the basis of the mind/body connection,to free itself of blockages and reconnect itself.
As troubling images and feelings are processed by the brain via the eye-movement patterns of EMDR, resolution of the issues and a more peaceful state are achieved.
What problems are helped by EMDR?
The studies to date show a high degree of effectiveness with the following conditions:
loss of a loved one | depression |
The EMDR technique is most effective when used in conjunction with other traditional methods of therapy in treating these and many other emotional disorders.
EMDR therapy can help clients replace their anxiety and fear with positive images, emotions and thoughts.
How do I know if EMDR is right for me?
There are a number factors to consider when evaluating the appropriateness of EMDR therapy for a client's particular situationand history. During your initial consultation, all the relevant factors will be discussed in full to help as both come to a decision to move forward with EMDR.