Counseling / Psychology
Counseling / Psychology
We are mental health therapists/counselors who treat many different issues including depression, anxiety, PTSD, personality disorders, behavior issues, couples counseling, sexual and substance abuse, OCD, anger, family-based decision making, and victim/trauma counseling. Your mental health is what we strive to improve.
Successful treatment is the prevention of further sexual offenses. This involves a model of intervention that is intensive kindly confrontation in order to break through any denial so that total insight can be had. By interfering with offenders who would otherwise commit further sexual assaults, we hope to offer those who have been victimized a sense of justice and restitution. Preventing further offenses is accomplished through evaluation, investigation, and confrontation of the offender in an individual and/or group setting. Through this process an offender learns the pattern of his/her sexually assaultive behavior and is taught to take steps to interfere with this pattern. Relapse Prevention is provided constantly throughout the program as offenders learn their preferences, warning signs, and behavior patterns.
The purpose of treatment for a victim/survivor is to eliminate maladaptive or pathological symptoms that cause either insufficient coping or distress. Treatment will usually consist of weekly sessions of verbal therapy.
Our survivor-centered Batterers Intervention Program (BIP) begins in January 2018 with the mission to promote community safety through our treatment of trauma survivors and violent & sexual perpetrators. On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the U.S.. Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime. In 2016 in PA, domestic violence resulted in 102 deaths; yet to date Carbon, Monroe, and Pike counties offer only anger management treatment for batterers. We know that anger management does not address the power and control issues that batterers often use to justify their abuse (Beams, B. & Beams, J. November 2017 Creating a Process of Change for Men Who Batter: Comprehensive Training. domestic abuse intervention programs, Indianapolis, IN). Successful treatment is the prevention of further physical assaults. Just as with sex offender therapy, this involves a model of intervention that is intensive and intrusive. By interfering with offenders who would otherwise commit further physical assaults, we hope to offer those who have been victimized a sense of justice and restitution. The element of Relapse Prevention is provided constantly throughout the program as offenders learn their warning signs and behavior patterns. In our Domestic Violence Groups we use the Duluth model which is an evidenced based psycho-educational curriculum that is the industry’s standard. The model includes: coordinated community response, victim centered, agencies acting as collaborating partners, & abusers held accountable. Groups have ongoing and open/rolling enrollment and will run for 24 weeks. The curriculum focuses on: exploring respect, emotional abuse as a tactic of control, and becoming respectful. Batterers will use the Power & Control and Equality wheels to identify their abusive behavior and develop corresponding healthy behaviors. Group membership is open to individuals who have battered in romantic and non-romantic relationships.
Overcoming an addiction to alcohol or drugs is rarely an easy process. Even in cases where individuals have a strong desire to end their chemical dependency, the disease of addiction, combined with the stresses of life, can create what feels like and overwhelming obstacle. Karen Holcomb is just one of the therapists who has many years of experience in d&a counseling. She works to help clients replace feelings of fear and helplessness with a systematic recovery plan for overcoming the addiction. The relapse plan is based on the client's unique strengths and needs.
We use the Family Based Group Decision Making Model in order to create and carry out a plan to safeguard children and other family members. Family-centered practice is a way of working with families and child welfare professionals, both formally and informally, across service systems to enhance their capacity to care for and protect their children. We aim to decrease the recurrence of child abuse and neglect and to keep children connected to their roots and culture, which provides stability and helps them reach their full potential. Working on Family Trees to find homes for children is important instead of having them placed into foster homes or group homes. Our Model focuses on children's safety and needs within the context of their families and communities and builds on families' strengths to achieve optimal outcomes. Our approach is a Strengths-based, Evidenced-based model, which includes family members, distant relatives, community members, and neighboring associates all assisting in building up a weak individual. Individuals in need lack healthy coping tools and resources. The end result will turn a depleted, unhealthy individual into a happy and content person who is able to function in a strong manner, leading to a more productive life. We aid in strengthening clients’ abilities so that they are able to complete high school and enter college, creating a valuable citizen. This would reduce the number of incarcerations and high school drop outs, and decrease existing unemployment/crime rates. The Family Based Group Decision Making Model is an effective tool for a healthy family.
We do thorough evaluations for sexual offenders and violent offenders. We complete Psychosexual and Mental Health evaluations along with Drug & Alcohol and Non-Offending Parent evaluations.
At times multidisciplinary team meetings may be required for the purpose of assessment and planning. These scheduled meetings that occur outside our offices typically include a variety of professionals, clients, and/or family members as needed.
The Home Study process concludes with a written report that a therapist creates about your family. It includes basic information drawn from interviews with your family and information provided by third parties. Generally, a home study report includes:
-Family background
-Financial stability
-Education and employment
-Relationships and social life
-Daily life routines
-Parenting experiences
-Details about your home and neighborhood
-Readiness and reasons about your wanting a child to reside with you
-References and background checks
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