WELCOME!
Hello from Black Pearl Counseling! Thank you for taking the time to visit. This practice offers counseling with specialized care for grief, loss, and trauma related concerns. Sometimes these areas can feel really difficult to talk about or to know where to start to find healing. My goal in providing services in this practice is that all clients are welcome to heal and work through their feelings in the ways that feel most comfortable to them so they can find balance. Some clients prefer to receive counseling in person in the office, and some prefer to have counseling by telehealth video sessions. You are welcome to use either of these options. Feel free to look around-- if you have any questions about services, please feel free to contact me!
WHAT CAN TRAUMA AND GRIEF LOOK LIKE?
Sometimes we don't recognize situations of grief and trauma, however often they are emotional and physical responses to situations and events at the source of mental health stressors. These responses are simultaneously very common, but also very unique in how they present for each person. Each person can decide how they want to describe and name their life experiences.
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Frequently, experiences can include (but are not limited to):
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job or relationship loss
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bullying or cyber bullying
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death or loss of a family member, friend, or pet
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pregnancy and infant loss
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anticipatory grief of a loved one experiencing chronic or terminal illness
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medical trauma from treatment or procedure
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adjusting to a new medical or mental health diagnosis for one's self or other loved ones
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adoption concerns, attachment injury, or special needs parenting
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history of experiencing abuse as a child
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experiencing or witnessing relationship violence or sexual abuse
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experiencing criminal violence
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car accidents, work accidents, house fires, and other environmental trauma.
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secondary trauma, moral injury, burnout, and grief related to workplace responsibilities (i.e. healthcare providers, law enforcement, and first responders)
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partners and family members of those experiencing trauma and grief symptoms
WHO DO YOU SEE FOR COUNSELING?
The practice works with a large diversity of clients across the lifespan -- including children, adolescents, and adults.
Often when the body goes through difficult events, it engages different fight, flight, or freeze responses to try to find balance and safety. Frequently clients seek counseling services when these symptoms are creating difficulties in their life. This may look like:
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Conflict or tension in their relationships or friendships
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Difficulty focusing or poor performance in their school or workplace
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Difficulty sleeping enough or sleeping too much
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Loss of appetite or eating more than usual
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Headaches, chronic pain, or other health concerns
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Developmental regression of previously accomplished milestones (especially for children)
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Nightmares or flashbacks
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Anxiety and fear of incidents occurring again
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Loss of interest in activities or of motivation
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Avoidance of people, places, or things that provide reminders of experience
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Feeling numb, isolated, or disconnected from others
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Feelings of shame, guilt, or self-blame
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Increased irritability or aggression with others
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Feeling "stuck" and unable to move forward
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New or re-occurring difficult coping behaviors to numb or avoid feelings or thoughts
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Children and adolescents often benefit from a play therapy approach, and therapeutic play activities can help with processing emotional stressors and problem solving new coping strategies.
"At root, a pearl is a 'disturbance'-- a beauty caused by something that isn't supposed to be there, about which something needs to be done. It is the interruption of equilibrium that creates beauty. Beauty is a response to the provocation, to intrusions.... The pearl's beauty is made as a result to insult"
Julia Cameron
WHAT IS RESILIENCE?
Resilience is the ability to adapt and survive challenging, scary, and uncertain situations. Many times when clients are coming in for presenting issues, the symptoms and feelings and thought processes are their body's way of trying to recover and survive distressing situations. Therapy services can help identify the strengths the body has already been using, and work to build additional tools for healing.
WHAT IS EMDR?
Black Pearl Counseling offers many different types of modalities including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing). EMDR is a type of therapy that uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, sound, or lights) to improve adaptive information processing in the nervous system. Thoughts, incidents, and memories that are distressing are usually less disturbing after reprocessing, often only after a few sessions. Additionally, memories and experiences that have been positive are developed as additional support for the nervous system. I am happy to be trained in EMDR as a resource for clients, and you are welcome to contact me with any questions you have about exploring this type of therapy. Please feel free to also visit EMDRIA for more information.
Clients often seek EMDR for a variety of presenting symptoms resulting from emotional stressors or trauma. This may include:
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recent single traumatic event
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history of multiple complex traumatic events
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grief
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nightmares
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migraines/headaches
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chronic pain or illness
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fears/phobias
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anxiety
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anticipatory and performance anxiety
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addressing and improving feelings of self-confidence, competence, and worthiness
CONTACT US
Want to hear more about counseling services? Please contact me today to schedule a free consultation!
If this is an emergency, please contact 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.