Adult Therapy services
Parent Coaching
As parents, MindWell clinicians can empathize with their clients’ joys of parenting and the challenges of the difficult days, often intertwined in one. We provide a safe environment for parents to explore their difficulties and be able to ask questions about the challenges of parenting. We work with parents to develop an understanding of the issues and work to develop a plan of action. We will help you manage your child’s behavior more effectively by teaching you strategies to increase positive interactions and avoiding ineffective use of time outs, regretful words spoken in anger, and overuse of restrictions. At times, parent consultations may result in a recommendation for family therapy, couples therapy, adult individual therapy or for the child to enter treatment.
Case Example:
Mr. James and Ms. Caroline contacted MindWell after an argument about how to discipline their child. This couple has been divorced for one year and their seven-year-old daughter, Emily, is still trying to adjust to the new situation. When she “melts down and has two-hour tantrums,” her mother and father cannot agree on how to handle her.
- After a careful assessment, the MindWell clinician developed a plan for the family that involved individual therapy for Emily to address her behavioral issues.
- Therapy also included co-parenting for the parents to help them better negotiate their shared custody arrangement and develop a parenting alliance, even though they are divorced.
- In individual therapy, the MindWell clinician used a Cognitive Behavioral approach to teach Emily how to soothe herself by using breathing techniques and positive statements to help her cope with her fears about her parents divorce and how she has blamed herself for causing their separation.
- Her parents also participated in the therapy by practicing homework assignments each week which focus on direct communication with Emily that validates her fears but does not allow her to split their parenting alliance.
Couple’s Therapy
A MindWell clinician will meet with a couple to discuss the challenges they are facing and develop a plan to help the couple recognize their ineffective patterns and develop communication and commitment to one another. There are a number of couple’s therapy techniques, but all are focused on helping the couple learn how to understand their partner’s position and more clearly express their own feelings. Through the development of these skills, couples will learn how to recognize and break old patterns of conflict.
Case Example:
Jason and Stephanie contacted MindWell after a difficult year managing their relationship. They reported that although they were both committed to remaining married, they had ceased communication and were practically living separate lives.
- The MindWell clinician began working with the couple to help them recall why they initially found each other attractive and what inspired them to marry.
- They investigated their families of origin and discovered how differently they approached the marriage due to their own parents’ models of interacting.
- They learned to communicate in an open manner without fearing the other’s anger and learned to avoid trying to read one another’s minds.
- They use role play and reversal of role to help their communication and get to a more direct way of getting their needs met.