4036 NE Sandy Blvd. Suites 2 & 3 (upstairs)

Mental Health Counseling

Pneuma offers state-of-the-art approaches to correcting psychological impairments including EMDR, Lifespan Integration and trauma-informed therapies that result in changes not seen with "talk-therapy" alone.

Trauma Recovery

The aftermath of experiencing, witnessing or learning about a traumatic event can be exceptionally difficult to navigate. Certain events can be overwhelmingly taxing on our mental health and often the stressors do not go away for months and/or years to come. People are unique, so it makes sense that the way each of us handles trauma is unique. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is very treatable. Unpacking any traumatic events from our lives with a compassionate, empathetic professional is a responsible choice, as many after-effects are not understood intuitively.

Additionally, both Neurofeedback and Lifespan Integration therapies have been shown to significantly reduce symptoms associated with PTSD and other trauma repercussions.

Pneuma Counseling also offers a a therapeutic intervention called Lifespan Integration Therapy. Lifespan Integration is a gentle, body-based therapeutic method, which heals without re-traumatizing. In 2003, Peggy Pace published the first edition of her book, Lifespan Integration: Connecting Ego States through Time. In her book Pace describes the new therapeutic method, which she developed through her work with her clients. Pace originally designed Lifespan Integration therapy for adult survivors of childhood abuse or neglect. She soon found that LI therapy facilitates rapid healing in people of all ages, and is effective with a wide range of therapeutic issues. Since 2004, Pace has been training therapists throughout the US and Western Europe. At the present time (2015), more than 2000 therapists worldwide have been trained in Lifespan Integration.

Lifespan Integration relies on the innate ability of the body-mind to heal itself. LI is body-based, and combines active imagination, the juxtaposition of ego states in time, and a visual time line of memories to facilitate neural integration and rapid healing. During the integrating phase of the protocol, the client ‘views’ a memory image for each year of his or her life.

The success of this ‘re-wiring’ depends on the internal coherence of the administering therapist in the same way that the attachment outcome of an infant depends on the mother’s ability to attune to her child and to self-regulate. After LI therapy, people find themselves spontaneously reacting to current stressors in more age appropriate ways. Clients who begin LI therapy with memory gaps are eventually able to connect the pieces of their lives into a coherent whole. Clients who have completed Lifespan Integration therapy report that they feel better about life, are more self-accepting, and are better able to enjoy their intimate relationships. Learn more by visiting https://lifespanintegration.com .

The Lifespan Integration technique causes memories to surface spontaneously, and because of how memories are held neurologically, each memory which surfaces is related to the emotional theme or issue being targeted. The resulting panoramic view of the client’s life gives the client new insights about lifelong patterns resultant from the past trauma. Lifespan Integration is also very effective in the healing of various attachment disorders. This is accomplished through imaginably ‘re-writing’ and ‘re-living’ the early conditions, and integrating the new (positive) feeling states which are generated in the client-therapist dyad.

What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy approach designed for working with distressing or traumatic memories. The theory behind EMDR is that many psychological difficulties are the result of distressing life experiences which have not been stored in memory properly and are said to be unprocessed or blocked. These traumatic memories may need some help to become processed, and EMDR is one way to do this.

Our most powerful belief systems are formed throughout our lives as we interact with others and the world around us. Specifically in childhood, our most profound experiences shape the way we think about ourselves, others and the world around us. Here is a list of commonly held, universal beliefs we typically hold about ourselves. The left column is a list of beliefs people typically hold as a result of traumatic, abusive, or profoundly negative experiences (though these may also be formed out of neglect or a minor infraction in childhood). On the right is a list of positive, true beliefs that replace the negative beliefs after the profound experiences are reprocessed with EMDR. Clients are able to reconstruct their beliefs with truth and experience tremendous relief as a result.

NEGATIVE COGNITIONS or FALSE BELIEFS

I don't deserve love
I am a bad person
I am terrible
I am worthless
I am unimportant
I am inadequate
I am shameful
I am not lovable
I am not good enough
I deserve only bad things
I am permanently damaged
I am ugly (my body is hateful)
I do not deserve ….
I am stupid
I am not smart
I am insignificant
I am a disappointment
I deserve to die
I deserve to be miserable
I am different
I don't belong

POSITIVE COGNITIONS or TRUTH

I deserve love; I can have love
I am a good (loving) person
I am fine as I am
I am worthwhile
I am important
I am good enough
I am honorable
I am lovable
I am good enough
I deserve good things
I can heal; be healthy
I am fine the way I am
I do deserve ….
I am able to learn
I am smart enough
I am significant
I am okay just the way I am
I deserve to live
I deserve to be happy
I am okay just the way I am
I do belong

Responsibilities

I should have done something
I did something wrong
I should have known better
I cannot stand it

I did the best I could
I learned (can learn) from it
I do the best I can (I can learn)
I can handle it

SAFETY/VULNERABILITY

I cannot be trusted
I cannot trust myself
I cannot trust my judgment
I cannot trust anyone
I cannot protect myself
I am not safe
I am in danger
It's not okay to feel or show my emotions
I cannot stand up for myself
I cannot let it out

I can be trusted
I can (learn to) trust myself
I can trust my judgment\
I can choose whom to trust
I can (learn to) take care of myself
I am safe now
It's over; I am safe now
I can safely feel and show my emotions
I can make my needs known
I can choose to let it out

CONTROL/CHOICES

I have to be perfect
I have to please everyone
I am not in control
I am powerless
I am weak
I cannot get what I want
I am a failure (will fail)
I cannot succeed
I have to be perfect (please everyone)
I cannot trust anyone

I can make mistakes
I can be myself
I have power over my life
I now have choices
I am strong
I can get what I want
I can succeed
I can succeed
I can be myself (make mistakes)
I can choose who I trust

When an experience is disturbing enough to get us to believe a lie about ourselves such as the cognitions from the left column above, these beliefs can inform our behaviors going forward, and ultimately lead to emotional distress and insecurities throughout life.

For example, if you were bullied at school, perhaps in those humiliating moments a lie was planted in your belief structure such as "I am not good enough." Once you believed the lie "I am not good enough" it likely became incorporated into your insecurities and you may still feel a generalized sense of not being good enough in many situations throughout life.

With EMDR, we will go back to those profound experiences where the false beliefs were planted, and we reprocess the information in order to replace the false or negative beliefs with truth and positive beliefs. By stimulating the left and right lobes of the brain rapidly, we replicate the body's own God-given design for processing and desensitizing the structure of the memory, much like brain's processing activity during REM sleep. As a result, in the end clients report feeling more confident, safe, free, happy, at peace and worthy.

EMDR is an 8 step process . Once we have listed the most profound experiences in your life that you feel have negatively shaped your belief system, we will begin to reprocess according to the 8-step protocol.

When we begin to target a memory, I will ask you "On a scale from 0 - 10, how disturbing is that memory?" Let's say the memory is a 10. We will then reprocess the memory until you report that the emotional/physical disturbance is at a zero when you bring the memory to mind. Many clients call the process the "magic eraser" because they are astounded that these once extremely disturbing memories no longer cause such emotional distress.

It is impossible to list all of the benefits of reconstructing your belief system. Believing truth and positive cognitions as opposed to lies and negative cognitions can produce changes that clients never thought possible. It is important to note that the process of EMDR can be very destabilizing while going through it, and is not without difficulty. A strong support system is necessary as a client is going through the process. However, if a client is willing to make therapy a #1 priority and is really ready to confront the events in their life that shaped them in a negative way, EMDR can be one of the most rapid healing processes available.

How it works?

Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal. EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes. The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR therapy training sessions, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes.

Some of the studies show that 84%-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have post-traumatic stress disorder after only three 90-minute sessions. Another study, funded by the HMO Kaiser Permanente, found that 100% of the single-trauma victims and 77% of multiple trauma victims no longer were diagnosed with PTSD after only six 50-minute sessions. In another study, 77% of combat veterans were free of PTSD in 12 sessions. There has been so much research on EMDR therapy that it is now recognized as an effective form of treatment for trauma and other disturbing experiences by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization and the Department of Defense. Given the worldwide recognition as an effective treatment of trauma, you can easily see how EMDR therapy would be effective in treating the “everyday” memories that are the reason people have low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, and all the myriad problems that bring them in for therapy. Over 100,000 clinicians throughout the world use the therapy. Millions of people have been treated successfully over the past 25 years.

EMDR therapy is an eight-phase treatment.

Eye movements (or other bilateral stimulation) are used during one part of the session. After the clinician has determined which memory to target first, she asks the client to hold different aspects of that event or thought in mind and then stimulates the right and left brain lobes rapidly. This stimulation can be administered by vibrating tappers in the palms of each hand, headphones with left and right sound pulses, a light bar with a left/right moving light, a therapists' hands moving back and fourth while the client follows with his eyes, or a combination of these.

As this happens, for reasons believed by a Harvard researcher to be connected with the biological mechanisms involved in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, internal associations arise and the clients begin to process the memory and disturbing feelings. In successful EMDR therapy, the meaning of painful events is transformed on an emotional level. For instance, a rape victim shifts from feeling horror and self-disgust to holding the firm belief that, “I survived it and I am strong.” Unlike talk therapy, the insights clients gain in EMDR therapy result not so much from clinician interpretation, but from the client’s own accelerated intellectual and emotional processes. The net effect is that clients conclude EMDR therapy feeling empowered by the very experiences that once debased them. Their wounds have not just closed, they have transformed. As a natural outcome of the EMDR therapeutic process, the clients’ thoughts, feelings and behavior are all robust indicators of emotional health and resolution—all without speaking in detail or doing homework used in other therapies.

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Treatment Description

EMDR therapy combines different elements to maximize treatment effects. EMDR therapy involves attention to three time periods: the past, present, and future. Focus is given to past disturbing memories and related events. Also, it is given to current situations that cause distress, and to developing the skills and attitudes needed for positive future actions. With EMDR therapy, these items are addressed using an eight-phase treatment approach.

Phase 1

The first phase is a history-taking session(s). The therapist assesses the client’s readiness and develops a treatment plan. Client and therapist identify possible targets for EMDR processing. These include distressing memories and current situations that cause emotional distress. Other targets may include related incidents in the past. Emphasis is placed on the development of specific skills and behaviors that will be needed by the client in future situations.

Initial EMDR processing may be directed to childhood events rather than to adult onset stressors or the identified critical incident if the client had a problematic childhood. Clients generally gain insight on their situations, the emotional distress resolves and they start to change their behaviors. The length of treatment depends upon the number of traumas and the age of PTSD onset. Generally, those with single event adult onset trauma can be successfully treated in under 5 hours. Multiple trauma victims may require a longer treatment time.

Phase 2

During the second phase of treatment, the therapist ensures that the client has several different ways of handling emotional distress. The therapist may teach the client a variety of imagery and stress reduction techniques the client can use during and between sessions. A goal of EMDR therapy is to produce rapid and effective change while the client maintains equilibrium during and between sessions.

Phase 3-6

In phases three to six, a target is identified and processed using EMDR therapy procedures. These involve the client identifying three things:

1. The vivid visual image related to the memory
2. A negative belief about self
3. Related emotions and body sensations.

In addition, the client identifies a positive belief. The therapist helps the client rate the positive belief as well as the intensity of the negative emotions. After this, the client is instructed to focus on the image, negative thought, and body sensations while simultaneously engaging in EMDR processing using sets of bilateral stimulation. These sets may include eye movements, taps, or tones. The type and length of these sets is different for each client. At this point, the EMDR client is instructed to just notice whatever spontaneously happens.

After each set of stimulation, the clinician instructs the client to let his/her mind go blank and to notice whatever thought, feeling, image, memory, or sensation comes to mind. Depending upon the client’s report, the clinician will choose the next focus of attention. These repeated sets with directed focused attention occur numerous times throughout the session. If the client becomes distressed or has difficulty in progressing, the therapist follows established procedures to help the client get back on track.

When the client reports no distress related to the targeted memory, (s)he is asked to think of the preferred positive belief that was identified at the beginning of the session. At this time, the client may adjust the positive belief if necessary, and then focus on it during the next set of distressing events.

Phase 7

In phase seven, closure, the therapist asks the client to keep a log during the week. The log should document any related material that may arise. It serves to remind the client of the self-calming activities that were mastered in phase two.

Phase 8

The next session begins with phase eight. Phase eight consists of examining the progress made thus far. The EMDR treatment processes all related historical events, current incidents that elicit distress, and future events that will require different responses

What is special about trauma memories?

Normal memories are stored by a part of the brain called the hippocampus. You can think of the hippocampus as a sort of librarian which catalogues (processes) events and stores them in the right place. However, some traumatic events (such as accidents, abuse, disasters, or violence) are so overwhelming that the hippocampus doesn’t do its job properly. When this happens memories are stored in their raw, unprocessed, form. These trauma memories are easily triggered, leading them to replay and cause distress over and again.

Normally memories are led away by the hippocampus overwhelming the memories are not stored properly

What will I be asked to do in an EMDR session?

There are a number of steps to EMDR treatment, but some of the key stages are to:

Preperation Phase:

Think of a troubling memory, then identify an image of the worst moment of that memory
Identify a negative belief about that worst moment (The therapist may ask "what is the worst thing that moment says about you?")
Identify emotions and bodily feelings linked to that moment

Processing Phase:

Think about the image & belief while at the same time making let-to-right eye movements (or while paying attention to tapping sensations or sounds that are alternately given from left-to-right)
To allow your mind to 'go with' whatever comes up and just notice what happens
This process will be repeated until the memory causes less distress (this may happen in one session, or may take more than one session)

Why do I need to make eye movements?

In EMDR you are asked to pay attention from one side to another while thinking about your memory. One way to pay attention from left to right line of vision. Alternative versions of EMDR ask you to pay attention to sounds or tapping sensations which occur in sequence from left to right.

This side-to-side motion is called bilateral stimulation. It has been found to enhance memory processing and there are a number of theories explaining how it might do this. The important thing is to be able to find a form of bilateral stimulation that you are comfortable with.

What is EMDR used to treat?

This is very good evidence that EMDR is an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for PTSD. The evidence for using EMDR to treat other disorders is less clear. EMDR may be an effective treatment for other conditions, particularly if they involve trauma memories or other distressing memories, but more research is needed.

How long does treatment take?

EMDR sessions are sometimes slightly longer than typical therapy sessions (up to 90 minutes). The number of sessions needed will depend on the type and severity of trauma which you experienced. NICE estimate that 8-12 sessions may be necessary to treat simpler traumas, with more sessions necessary for multiple traumas.

Depression, Grief & Anxiety Recovery

Depression, Grief or Anxiety can be a very subtle and gradual illnesses that progresses over time. Sometimes we have no idea why we are suddenly sleeping more or less, eating more or less, spending less time with friends and family, crying more frequently or falling behind on basic tasks and responsibilities. These may be triggered by many different experiences, and are common issues with which many Portlanders are struggling at this moment. You are not alone, and speaking with a professional can be the first step toward feeling better. Neurofeedback is a powerful tool that profoundly impacts these issues.

Addiction Recovery

We offer individual addiction-recovery therapy incorporating a 20-week Biblically-based curriculum called The Genesis Process to help clients recover from any kind of addiction including substances, workaholism, sexual addiction, people pleasing, codependency and more. Humans tend to use things other than God to fill the voids that pain leaves in our lives. Anything we habitually use to satisfy ourselves instead of God, is an addiction. Everything from drugs, alcohol, food, people, sex, spending and even working too much. Everyone can benefit tremendously from walking through this curriculum.

Sexual Abuse Recovery

Statistics report that 1 in 5 girls, and 1 in 20 boys have expereinced sexual abuse. It can be a tremendously difficult topic to think about, much less discuss in therapy. A person's instinctive response is to burry the act as far down as possible. Many people do not recall the event until later in life, and some learn to dissociate in various ways when reminders of the abuse are experienced. Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely rid ourselves of the issues without woking through them in a safe, loving environment.

The pain from sexual abuse can be so unbearable that the human brain/body do everything possible to avoid it, but when clients find themselves in a safe place, where they are ready to uproot the issues that have caused them grief, anger, and pain and bravely address all kinds of interpersonal and relational issues that have resulted from being a victim of sexual abuse, amazing transformations take place and clients are freed of the chains that have bound them tightly for (sometimes) years. It is not your fault in any way. No child, adolescent or adult should ever be violated sexually for any reason whatsoever. There is tremendous hope. Walking clients through a curriculum called "Surviving the Secret" helps begin to unpack the complexities effecting his or her life. It is a tangible and liberating way to begin the journey to freedom!

ADHD, Add, Autism (ASD), Learning Difficulties

Brain regulation is the ability of your brain to operate appropriately given the circumstances in front of you – it’s how we control our work, school or social lives. It’s a very important function that most people take for granted. However, sometimes the brain can become dis-regulated, as with many ADHD, ADD, Autism Spectrum, and other brain-based learning disregulation symptoms*, and can cause us to sufferer tremendous difficulties in life.

*Note that we use the term ‘symptoms’ not ADHD. This is important to explain because at Pneuma Counseling we offer help with symptoms, we do not need a diagnosis to be able to help.

For these and other symptoms, we provide Neurofeedback. It’s an evidence-based, safe and effective approach to reducing the symptoms of ADHD in children, youngsters and adults. We work with the related ADHD, ADD, Autism, and other brain-based symptoms, which we consider as signs of deregulation in the brain:

Inattentiveness – parts of the brain associated with concentration might be under aroused
Hyperactivity– parts associated with physical activity might be over aroused
Impulsiveness – the parts associated with self-control might be under aroused

Neurofeedback works so well because it is able to focus on each of these areas to restore brain regulation. Neurofeedback gives us the possibility to focus on each of these areas to restore the brain regulation again. For example, training the left front side of the brain helps improve planning and organization, which supports the ability to hold a plan in mind and finish tasks. And by training the right side we can support physical and/or emotional calming.

Neurofeedback has shown to be a powerful, evidence-based and highly effective tool to improve brain regulation and reduce the symptoms of ADHD in children, youngsters and adults. It provides a safe alternative to medication, meaning you can avoid the wide-ranging and potentially serious side effects attributed to psycho-stimulating medication like Methylphenidate (otherwise known as Ritalin).

Foster & Adoptive Therapies

Currently, there are nearly 10,000 children in the Foster Care system in Oregon. Separation from biological parents is one of the most significant traumas a human can experience. All humans are biologically predisposed to bond with their biological parents through sensory inputs such as smell, sound, feel, hearing and even taste. When children are separated from biological parents, there are a myriad of complex scenarios for behavioral issues, attachment disorder and pathological distresses in the family unit. Pneuma Counseling helps families creatively design therapeutic homes for such children. Trauma-informed therapeutic homes create healing environments for children from difficult places.

Pneuma was a part of a grant from the Department of Human Services to acquire a a Post-Graduate Certificate from Portland State University in Adoption & Foster Therapy. This Post-Graduate Certificate in Fostering and Adoption therapies includes the completion of these Courses:

Building Resiliency & Stability for Adoptive, Foster and Kinship Families
Adopted and foster children enter the family with a unique history. This class explores the core clinical issues and examines effective responses to families in crisis, including de-escalating child behavior problems. Learn about the common dynamics in troubled placements, including the stages of disruption, and how to intervene on multiple levels to assist children in developing an integrated, positive sense of self. Learn about the factors that are most likely to cause challenges for children and their families and interventions that promote family functioning and enhancing attachments in adoptive and foster families.

Impact of Trauma, Abuse & Neglect on Child Neurodevelopment
Exciting new brain research indicates that positive relationships can rewire and repair the damage from trauma, abuse, and alcohol/drug-related neurological disorders. Compare normal childhood development and its tasks with development clouded by abuse, neglect, and trauma. Learn about intervention strategies such as affect regulation, Circle of Security, sensory integration, early identification of neurodevelopmental profile risk, parent education on expected behavioral/developmental patterns, and, most importantly, the healing power of relationships. Identify specialized parenting skills to promote positive neurological progress.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) & Other Drug Effects: Understanding & Application of a Brain-Based Approach for Adoptive & Foster Families
Professionals and parents must first understand the link between brain development and behavior before they can develop skills to support children who have neurological challenges. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and other alcohol-and-drug-related neurological disorders can shape a child’s behavior and relationships. This class identifies the common phenomenon of children accumulating numerous DSM diagnoses, which suggests the greater likelihood of underlying brain involvement. Explore the importance of identifying FASD to assist families in reframing behaviors and understanding primary and secondary behavioral symptoms. Learn skills for coaching families to develop accommodations for their neurologically impaired child.

Family-Based Therapeutic Strategies for Adoptive & Foster Families
Often adopted and foster children exhibit behavioral challenges, learning challenges, and other special needs that defy traditional parenting techniques, tax educational and social services, and exact a toll on the child and family. This session provides a detailed framework for understanding significant behavioral problems and relationship difficulties in special-needs adoptions. Emphasis is placed on practical ways for mental health providers to consult with adoptive and foster parents on dealing with classic problems such as food issues, eating disorders, lying, stealing, sexually reactive behaviors, bedwetting, encopresis, sleep problems, anger outbursts, fire setting, and parentified behavior. Session focuses on understanding behavior problems in the context of the child’s history of past exposure to maltreatment and to dysfunctional family roles. Numerous case examples and illustrative interventions.

Treating the Continuum of Attachment Difficulties for Adoptive & Foster Families
Attachment challenges are endemic to children who have experienced losses in attachment, dysregulation due to complex trauma, and early neglect. This course reviews attachment theory and research in child welfare, and then moves on to provide practical protocols for helping families to move into secure attachments. The class includes case examples and research from both domestic and international adoption. Participants will learn to assess attachment, will explore styles/patterns of attachment, will review practical interventions with families forming secure attachments, will learn methods of preserving attachment when children are moved between families, and will learn the essentials of treatment for attachment difficulties. The course will use techniques suited for children with executive dysfunction and/or FASD, including having parents and caregivers as part of the therapeutic intervention when working on attachment. This course will emphasize the interplay between parent and child attachment patterns, and ways to move families into secure attachments. We will describe the impact of emotional dysregulation on parents, and ways to encourage families to maintain sensitive, attuned interactions.

Essential Clinical Interventions for Adoptive & Foster Families
Learn clinical interventions for working with families raising children with complicated histories. Specific focus on engaging families, applying assessment information into treatment plans supporting kin, guardianship and adoptive parents, and therapeutic protocols for trauma, loss, and attachment. Learn approaches for family-centered therapy. Apply concepts of stress regulation, theory of mind, attachment, and pacing into treatment plans. Learn necessary accommodation for children with FASD or learning issues common after severe neglect. Incorporate ethnic identify and cultural identity issues into the understanding of best treatment. Review evidence-based projects that work with Attachment, Trauma and Loss. Learn behavioral management techniques that help families maintain sensitivity with structure. Apply information on trauma, loss, attachment, and identity through classic cases.

Life Story Work: A Model for Recovery for Youth
Therapeutic Life Story Work enables children and young people who have experienced the trauma of child abuse and neglect and who are struggling with the pain of their past to reflect, develop compassion for themselves and move on. It is a defined approach, designed to introduce the past as markers for the present. Once these are understood, the child is supported in considering how to move on and make significant changes, as a result of a far deeper understanding and awareness of how their history has been negatively impacting their present. In essence, Therapeutic Life Story Work is not just about the who, what, where, when, and why, but how a painful past, if not reflected on and worked through, can go on to blight the present and future. Instead, if we can help children to think about their history of trauma and loss, to understand its origins and effects, we can identify and understand the ‘ghosts of the past’ so children are no longer haunted by them.

Missionary Care & Ministry Leaders

Returning from the field can feel like a rollercoaster of emotions and often takes a toll on a person's mental health. Often, the things that happened in the mission field are never fully processed, and/or we discover things about ourselves that we did not know were there.

Our services include debriefs, international field visits, Stateside mental health counseling as well as youth and family care. Walking with a professional through the unique transitions of overseas and domestic missions is essential to meeting God's full potential for your ministry.

Family Therapy

Home is intended to be the safest place on earth. Our families should be amoung our greates sources for love, acceptance and encouragement. Unfortunately, families are often the most significant causes of pain, frustration and conflict.

Families can gain valuable tools to reshape and redefine their relational home environments. When families begin to build each other up and learn alternatives to destructive communication patterns, all members are free to flourish! Every family could use more tools for communicating and building a harmonious, thriving culture of love and respect.

Couples

Using Emotionally Focused Therapy, Strategic Family Therapy and an eclectic gumbo of other approaches, couples are assisted in achieving their optimum relational harmony. Understanding each other's deepest relational, intimacy needs is key to marriages that thrive. God alone can meet our deepest needs, but spouses play an important role in the level of security we feel in our individual lives.

Teens

Let's face it, the teen years can be challenging for everyone. A professional and objective perspective can be priceless when navigating through these wonder years! You are the expert on your teen, so helping you to understand how to respond to the nuances of teenage behavior can make all the difference in your relationship with your teen, as well as his or her success later in life. Parenting is an emotional experience and it is difficult to parent out of a tested, educated approach rather than of an emotional or intuitive approach. Having a counselor to mediate the patterns and create new pathways for relating is a valuable and enriching experience.

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Neurofeedback