Adult


Adult Counselling

Our adult counselling covers a huge range of mental health, behavioural and mood disorders.  Whatever is troubling you or the one you care about, we have the expertise to help. Men and women often come to us with a deep sense of disquiet about what is happening in their lives, a sense of hopelessness, perhaps scepticism about counselling too.  Taking the first step to speak to a therapist is often the hardest but once people start to share their thoughts and feelings they find the process helpful and often, enlightening.

At Phoenix Rises all our therapists are qualified to provide counselling and use a wide range of psychotherapy techniques, which is important if problems involve deeply-rooted mental health issues and work needs to be done at a deeper level.  Diane Monteith, Sandra Forsyth and Lyn McDonald are clinical mental health specialists, with many years experience in dealing with what are often difficult and complex personal issues. They also have the breadth of expertise to understand that one individual’s problems may impact their functioning at work, their interpersonal relationships and their family.

Our process is to listen and tailor-make our therapy program to each individual’s needs.  We draw on a variety of recognized clinical techniques together with highly effective methods developed by the team at Phoenix Rises. Our goal is to first identify then Resolve the issues at the root of the problem. Then healing will Release those negative thoughts and feelings thus allowing a person to Reignite their passion for life, living, work, and relationships.  To achieve this we adopt a holistic approach as, for example, depression may spill over onto performance at work, the relationship with a partner and other members of the family. Transformation is indeed possible and we help people renew their passion for life from the inside out.

We Cover an Extensive Range of Adult Counselling Issues 

The range of Adult Counselling issues is too broad to list.  Everything from excessive anxiety and midlife crises; to behavioural disorders such as anger or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; to depression, addiction, self-esteem, sexual issues, and trauma whether stemming from accidental or emotional consequences of abuse.  Call us to find out more.


Here is Just a Selection of Our Services …

business-19148_1920ANXIETY

Anxiety is an umbrella term for several disorders that cause nervousness, apprehension, fear and worry. These disorders can affect how we feel and behave, and they can manifest in real physical symptoms – typically with compulsive behaviour or even panic attacks.

  • What do we do?

The key is to understand and then manage anxiety.  Our trained mental health professionals help people by talking through strategies for understanding and dealing with their specific disorder. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can be helpful: the person learns to recognize and change thought patterns and behaviours that lead to these anxiety feelings.  We also look at the broader wellness picture to consider lifestyle changes and relaxation therapy, which can have a positive impact.

DEPRESSION

man-669838_1280There is evidence that depression is a mental illness caused by an imbalance in chemistry. Depression is not the normal mood fluctuation that often goes with everyday living, it is a persistent low mood and aversion to activity, commonly characterized by sadness, loss of energy and interest, sleeping issues, thoughts of suicide, feelings of worthlessness.

  • How can we help?

Our therapists will identify the symptoms, the medical history, substance use and abuse, medications, mood changes, behaviour changes, and thought processes that go with an individual’s depression. Attention can be given to change the negative thoughts through the use of cognitive behavioural therapy as well as other approaches such as EMDR Trauma therapy. The psychodynamic aspect involves helping to resolve past traumas and unresolved events that can be at the root of depression. In addition, interpersonal therapy focuses on the relationships of the client, as it is highly likely that they have suffered too. Supporting life changes that lift the depression is critical to a successful outcome, and the use of medication in conjunction with psychotherapy is often the best combination for success.

TRAUMA

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) involves a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress or anxiety occurring as a result of a terrifying ordeal. It may involve physical harm or the threat of physical harm, severe psychological shock, exposure to trauma involving death or the threat of death, or sexual violence, either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms frequently involve disturbance of sleep and constant vivid recall of the experience, with dulled responses to others and to the outside world. They may appear within a month or take years before they occur.

  • What do we do?

Typically treatment involves a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is the preferred option so that an appropriate assessment can happen and a therapeutic approach most suited to an individual’s situation can be provided. If there are also further complications such as addictions, then the treatment approach will be tailored to the complexities of your situation. To deal with the traumatic situation itself however, EMDR is an effective approach. Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing is a trauma-based therapy suited for such situations. It is both efficient and effective and all our therapists are EMDR Certified.

ADDICTIONS 

man-69287_1920Addiction is the persistent practice, or use of a substance, despite problems related to that practice or use, caused by a habitual psychological or physiological need which is beyond voluntary control. Addictions present in many forms: alcohol, drugs, gambling, food, relationships, sex, internet porn and chat rooms, gaming … and the list goes on.

  • How can we help?

Therapeutic interventions will depend upon in what phase of the recovery process the client is in: from assisting the client in knowing what support program to access, to providing aftercare and, in particular, to providing psychotherapy to heal the inner deep roots of the problem, right through to healing their relationship. (Refer to the Couples Therapy page). Often the key to a successful recovery is to heal the trauma wounds that are at the root of addiction.

ADULT ADHD

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). ADHD is a problem with attention and symptoms can include angering easily, difficulty completing tasks, frequent mood swings, disorganization, behaving in socially inappropriate ways, impulsiveness, poor listening skills and low self-esteem

  • What do we do?

As therapists, we complete an assessment process followed by teaching behavioural/cognitive strategies that diminish the challenges for the adult living with ADHD. With proper treatment people can learn to work with their challenges successfully.  We help people to understand what’s going on underneath in addition to the behavioural and cognitive strategies that enable them to function effectively at their work, to create better relationships within the family unit and live better lives.