Our Specialties
We provide a safe, non-judgmental place for people to heal and restore back to their best selves. Here are the areas we can help you with.

Addictions


Quitting usually takes more than good intentions or a strong will.

Only 10% of Americans dealing with addiction receive professional help. You don’t need to try to deal with this on your own. If addiction has gotten the best of you, there is hope. We ask that you not delay. We are here to assess your situation, help you learn how to successfully manage the cravings, and to find more healthy ways of coping.  “As human beings our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world…as in being able to remake ourselves. ” Mahatma Ganhdhi

Some of the addition concerns leading people to Arbor Family Counseling:

  • Alcohol
  • Gambling
  • Strained relationship
  • Other drugs
  • DUI
  • Work negatively impacted

Arbor Family Counseling’s therapists provide the necessary education, support and encouragement to help you in your effort to establish a sobriety-centered lifestyle for yourself. We will help you align once again with your values, your vision of yourself and your life goals.

Ready to begin your journey into recovery?

ADHD


ADHD is a disorder that can cause stress for individuals of all ages. Children, adolescents, and teens especially need support and encouragement as well as coping skills to manage the symptoms of ADHD.

Those with ADHD often have struggles with focusing as well as issues with hyperactivity. Some individuals diagnosed with ADHD do not experience hyperactivity, which can make ADHD difficult to identify. Students can struggle with classrooms and school work which can affect their mood as well as their success in school. If ADHD is present yet undetected, it can cause problems in all areas of the individual’s life.

Different reasons people come in for ADHD related counseling are:

  • Focus on schoolwork
  • Organizational skills
  • Planning vs procrastination
  • Communication skills
  • Coping Skills

Adolescents


“The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.” – Peggy O’Mara

Adolescence is an exciting yet challenging time in a young person’s life! 

Adolescents can experience stress and pressure with family, peers, school, and new responsibilities. Because this stage of life is a time of many new experiences and changes, adolescents can benefit from learning more about their own strengths and coping skills. This allows them to better-manage the tough times they face in their lives. 

Different reasons Adolescents come in for counseling are:

  • School friends/peer relationships
  • Struggling with grades
  • Communication with caregivers
  • Family changes and transitions
  • Struggling with focus
  • Self-exploration
  • Anxiety, Stress, and Anger management
Students at school

Aging


Aging begins at birth — no one is exempt from it. From day one, we experience changes as we grow; changes that are affected by our physical, social, and behavioral development, as well as by environmental and biological factors. No single factor can explain the totality of aging, making it an extremely complex topic to grapple with.  

 

As we navigate these life changes, each transition offers opportunities for growth.  Resilience can be borne out of staying active — intellectually, physically, socially, and spiritually. It invites us to live a healthy and balanced life, even in the midst of aging.  

 

Different reasons people reach out for aging and transitioning counseling include:

 

  • Understanding the concept of “adulting”
  • Starting a family
  • Parenting for the first time
  • Becoming “empty-nesters”
  • Physical limitations
  • Accepting bodily changes
  • Finding a purpose in life after leaving the workforce
  • Being a caregiver



At Arbor, our therapists are trained to guide you through the aging process. They can help you develop strategies and coping skills so that you can continue to live a healthy and fulfilling life. You deserve to experience positive life experiences supported by a companion who can “walk” with you on your journey!

Anger


Anger is one of the strongest human emotions. It is defined by a feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility, and is seen as a natural, instinctive response to threats.

While anger may be a normal and healthy response to certain situations, it can also be misused — especially in situations when another response might be more appropriate. Anger may be directed outwardly toward others, or inwardly toward one’s self. Ultimately, however, anger can be destructive, leaving one feeling depressed, anxious, and filled with regret. When these feelings are sustained and consistent, they can also leave those around them feeling upset, confused, and frightened. Unmanaged anger may become a larger problem and interfere with your work and personal relationships.

Learn to control anger before it controls you.

Anger can be triggered by a variety of external sources, and may be a response to emotions such as:

  • Fear
  • Sadness
  • Anxiety
  • Shame
  • Guilt
  • Disappointment
  • Embarrassment
  • Jealousy
  • Hurt

If you find yourself becoming increasingly irritable or easily triggered, it may be time to seek help. Therapists at Arbor Family Counseling can work with you to evaluate the source and severity of your anger and help you find solutions. Learning to identify your triggers and develop new coping skills is a great start, and may be easier than you think!

Anxiety


40 million adult Americans suffer from anxiety, which is 18.1% of the population every year. Typically, anxiety is a natural response to stress. Feelings of fear or apprehension about an upcoming event or encounter (like the first day on a new job or at a new school, giving a speech, driving in heavy traffic) can cause people to feel nervous or worry. Once the situation has passed, however, if these feelings persist time and again, or you notice it is interfering with daily life, it may be considered an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are more than just a feeling. They are often accompanied by the well-known fight or flight response, involving physical symptoms.

Anxiety can affect anyone at any time, sometimes out of the blue with no warning. The good news is that anxiety disorders are highly treatable.

Anxiety comes in different forms and varies from person to person. Some types of anxiety include panic disorder, phobia-related disorders, and generalized anxiety disorder. Common symptoms of anxiety, in addition to feelings of fear and worry may include:

  • Increased heart rate
  • Rapid breathing
  • Trembling
  • Dizziness
  • Restlessness
  • Difficulty focusing or concentrating
  • Sleep difficulties
  • Feeling irritable
  • Muscle tension
  • Fear of certain objects or situations

At-Risk Children/Teens


Arbor counselors have many years of experience with at-risk youth. Our reality and strengths-based approach offers you and your child the opportunity to communicate and work together in a safe, non-judgemental environment that will evoke a healthier way of working out conflict. Many times, at-risk youth are off-track due to life experiences they have not found a way to heal from, or even a way to tell people how badly they are hurting — even themselves. Arbor counselors work to help children and teens know themselves, their feelings, and needs and a more positive way to express those needs to others. Children and teens suffering from anxiety or depression may be seeking a way to “escape” from this suffering, the whole time questioning what is wrong with them. Arbor is honored to help you and your child/teen head in a healthier and more productive direction with your communication and conflict resolution.

Different reasons people come in for children/teens at-risk are:

  • Communication breakdown
  • Escalating fights
  • Inability to problem-solve
  • Declining academic
  • performance
  • Increasing absences from school
  • School suspension
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Trouble with friendships
  • Alcohol/drug use

At Arbor, our therapists will help you to learn to communicate without escalating, and help build the communication in your relationship in a way that improves your ability to problem-solve and manage conflict. We will help your child/teen to manage their emotions and problems at a higher level, using newly-developed skills.

Attachment


Attachment is the bond developed between you and your child. This attachment has a profound impact on your child’s development, affecting how they express their feelings and cultivate meaningful relationships throughout their life. Issues with attachment range from mild problems after a traumatic life event or long separation between parent and child, all the way to a more serious form, known as Reactive Attachment Disorder. Reactive Attachment Disorder is your child’s inability to establish a healthy attachment with you. This can create a disturbing amount of trouble around managing their own emotions and connecting to others. Arbor counselors will work with you and your child to build a language around feelings and skills. This will help to manage those same feelings, and build trust and connection in your relationship. It is possible to repair an attachment issue. You can build your bond and help them develop healthy, meaningful, and loving relationships.

Different reasons people come in for Attachment Issues:
  • Aversion to touch/hugs from parents
  • Control issues
  • Anger problems
  • Withdrawn child
  • High levels of aggression
  • High stress levels

At Arbor, our therapists will help you learn to parent your child with attachment issues in a manner that helps them to trust you and eventually build a bond. You will learn specialized parenting skills that reinforce trust and self-confidence in your relationship. The most important thing is that your child’s relationships and confidence can be strengthened!

Are you ready to help your child strengthen their bond with you? Ready to lift up their confidence in managing themselves?

Bullying


Bullying is a harmful practice that affects many children, teens, and adolescents around the world. 

Bullying in schools is hurtful and dangerous. Those who bully often are emotionally, verbally, and sometimes physically abusive to others. Bullies often struggle with their own emotional pain, which is why they take things out on those around them. Children and teenagers often experience some form of bullying in their lifetimes, making coping skills, support, and communication about bullying practices extremely important.

Different reasons people come in for counseling related to Bullying are:

For Victims:

  • Learning that being bullied is not the victim’s fault
  • Fear of speaking up to protect self and potentially others as well
  • Support and encouragement
  • Coping skills to manage emotional and verbal abuse

For Bullies:

  • Working through personal emotional pain to stop bullying others
  • Coping skills to manage stress and anger
  • Support and encouragement 

At Arbor, our therapists are committed to helping children, adolescents, and teens, whether they are victims of bullies or bullies themselves. By allowing a supportive counseling environment, our therapists can help work through problems and pain that individuals face due to bullying, and offer coping solutions to manage the negative emotions that bullying creates.

Caregiving

Caregiving is an act of love for a fellow human being in need of your care. While it can be overwhelming and stressful, it is also an opportunity for personal growth. Research backs this up, noting the necessity of caregiver self-care, a practice that enables them to best-serve the needs of the one receiving care.

 

Self-care drives the caregiver to seek and benefit from counseling. Reasons to seek counseling include:

 

  • Caregiving for the first time
  • Being a “sandwich generation” caregiver (parenting children as well as caring for parents)
  • Seeking local resources
  • One’s personal health deteriorating 
  • Need for emotional support
  • Feelings of guilt when away from the care receiver
  • Someone to talk to about the caregiving experience

 

At Arbor, our therapists will provide you with a safe place to voice your struggles and feelings as you serve as a caregiver. We will also help you develop a plan to implement self-care practices and strategies, allowing you to be an effective caregiver. 

Couples Counseling

Couples learn over time together that their relationship is made strong through expressions of love in the form of respect. Respect includes listening to understand, communicating needs clearly and with empathy, creating safe space between them and allowing their partner to be less than perfect.

Couples Counseling is geared for the variety of relationships that exist, married or not. Goals are to create open lines of communication that allow a couple to be more expressive and handle conflict in an open and safe manner, without blame or undue escalation. If you are in a relationship with recurring issues you are unable to resolve, give us a call.

Issues couples receive help for include:

  • Affairs
  • Difficulty with Intimacy
  • Communication problems
  • Inability to successfully resolve conflict
Ready to strengthen your relationship?

COVID-19

“It’s under intense pressure that diamonds are formed.” -Anisha Singh 

 The pressures of 2020 and the Coronavirus pandemic have been nothing if not intense! 

People all over the world have been experiencing symptoms like depression, anxiety, loneliness, isolation, guilt, decision fatigue, and grief in the face of the pandemic. While many have experienced grief from the loss of a loved one due to COVID, there are many other types of grief that can impact your life. Job loss and financial strain, loss of connection or relationships, loss of rituals and milestones (like weddings, graduations, or family reunions), or loss of coping skills and joyful experiences can all impact us in devastating ways. Many people who normally feel happy and function positively  in their lives are feeling overwhelmed by emotional challenges  for the first time. For others, previous struggles with loss, depression, or anxiety may be exacerbated by the relentless stresses of the past year.  

 No matter your experience during the COVID pandemic, counseling can be an excellent way to care for yourself and build positive coping skills during this difficult time. Our counselors can assist you in acknowledging and processing grief, identifying and treating depression, anxiety, and other disorders, and managing the increased stress and decision fatigue that comes with a global pandemic. 

 If you’re ready to take steps to put 2020 behind you and feel better in 2021, click the button below to connect with one of our therapists.

Depression

It is perfectly normal to feel sad or “blue” at times, depending on the situations we experience. If these feelings persist, however, and negatively affect your daily functioning, it is time to seek professional help. Meeting with a therapist who can evaluate your type and level of depression is a good start to seeking solutions and finding hope again. 

Depression can affect adults, teens, and children. The duration can be short or long with a wide range of severity. Hope is the key to finding a way out.

Changes in mood and emotional or physical well-being are often the reasons people seek counseling for their depression.  

Symptoms of depression may include:

  • Lack of energy
  • Crying and feeling persistently tearful
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Loss of interest in once-pleasurable activities
  • Feeling helpless or hopeless
  • Feeling angry or irritable
  • Feeling worthless
  • Physical aches and pains
  • Sleep difficulties
  • Changes in appetite

At Arbor Family Counseling, our therapists will give you hope and encouragement as they work with you to identify solutions and develop coping strategies. They will help you create a plan designed to reduce symptoms of depression and lead you to a more joyful and satisfying life.

Give us a call or click here today for more information!

Gender/Identity

“Every individual has the right to live in the gender that feels most authentic to them, free from aspersion, policing, or punishment, no matter their age.” -Diane Ehrensaft, Ph.D. 

 It’s no secret that over the last several years, our culture’s understanding of gender has become vastly more complex and nuanced. If you or your child are exploring or struggling with gender identity, we have therapists who can help you navigate the modern gender web. Treating symptoms of gender dysphoria, depression, and anxiety, our counselors can assist you in reaching new levels of acceptance, understanding, authenticity, and joy in your gender. 

 

Our counselors also assist caretakers in understanding and coping with a transgender or gender non-conforming child. In fact, our therapists who specialize in gender non-conforming youth and adults have experience working with individuals, couples, and families in all stages of the discovery and transition process. This includes social transition, Hormone Replacement Therapy, and other gender-affirming medical procedures.  

Ready to move from grief and anxiety to acceptance and understanding? Ready to evolve from gender dysphoria to gender euphoria? 

Grief/Loss

Grief is the process an individual goes through after losing a significant person or element from their life. About 2.5 million people die in the United States yearly, each leaving an average of 5 grieving people behind. If you or a loved one has lost someone or something you care about deeply, you may be experiencing a wide range of feelings and emotions. Grief is a normal response to loss, and brings with it emotional, physical, and behavioral responses.

Pain from loss is inevitable, but you can learn new ways to decrease your suffering.

Common causes of grief include:

  • Death of a loved one 
  • Onset of a chronic or terminal illness
  • Suicide loss 
  • Disability from illness or accident
  • Divorce 
  • Loss of independence
  • Ending of a relationship 
  • Loss of job

The therapists at Arbor are here to support and guide you through your grieving. We will help you work through any denial, while validating and supporting you as you gain the ability to express your feelings. We will take this walk beside you while you learn to live with the loss, and ultimately find renewed purpose and meaning.

Let us help make something tolerable out of the intolerable. 

 

LGBTQIA+

Love is never wrong. 

 At Arbor Family Counseling, our specialist clinicians are experienced in working with the LGBTQIA+ community, and we PRIDE ourselves in providing LGBTQIA-affirmative, queer-competent treatment. Whether you are in the process of discovering your sexual identity, coming out to family and friends, developing or maintaining a relationship, or exploring the depths of your sexual identity at any stage of life, our counselors are here to facilitate your growth, understanding, and acceptance.  

 People in the LGBTQIA+ community also experience mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and addiction at higher rates than their heterosexual counterparts. Rest assured that no matter the concern that brings you to counseling, you will find an accepting, affirming, and growth-oriented environment at Arbor Family Counseling. 

Ready to take the next steps towards acceptance, growth, and health? 

Life Transitions

Are you experiencing difficulty adjusting to a major life change? Or are you emotionally overwhelmed or depressed about a major upcoming transition in your life? Arbor counselors are happy to help you to deal with the stress and change that a major life event can bring. We will help you develop the coping skills you need to make it through this change. Sessions include talking through all of your reactions until you strengthen your perspective and confidence as you learn about yourself and your ability to end one chapter and begin another.

Different life transitions people initiate counseling for include:
  • Moving to a new community
  • Beginning a new job
  • Changing role in family or work
  • Losing a family member
  • Having a baby
  • Caring for elderly parents
  • Loss of a job
  • Divorce or separation

“The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings” – Okakura Kakuzo

At Arbor, our goal is to help you through these emotionally overwhelming times by reinforcing your ability to make changes and strengthen healthy coping skills. Acceptance helps us all move forward and gratitude brings a better future in focus.

Ready to meet this life transition with increased acceptance, ease, and strength?

Low Self-Esteem

Everyone can find themselves feeling low at times, losing confidence in themselves or their abilities. When your self-esteem is very low, it’s common to feel unlovable, awkward, incompetent, and rejected. While you may be internalizing messages you have received from others, are you also telling yourself harsh, negative things that pull you inward and further drag you down? If so, you’re not alone. Many people are their own worst critics. 

The good news is that you don’t have to live a life of misery! Gaining self-confidence and improving self-esteem is built on self-respect. You can learn new strategies to change your thoughts and behaviors, and find ways to feel better about yourself. 

At Arbor Family Counseling, our therapists will work with you to change unhealthy thought and behavioral patterns into healthier ones that are focused on self-respect, self-compassion, and practicing kindness toward yourself!  

Give us a call today for more information or to schedule an appointment. Doing something kind for yourself is a great start to a new beginning!

Marriage Counseling

Create and maintain greater love and health in your marriage

Couples currently enter marriage with a 50% chance of failure. Faced with the difficult challenges of marriage, many seek a scientifically-sound approach. If you are currently less than satisfied in your marriage, and have considered separation or divorce, talk to us first. We will support and help you repair a troubled marriage, and strengthen happy ones as well. We will give you the tools necessary for rebuilding your friendship, repairing negative interactions, and for making the next conversation better than the last.

Reasons people seek marriage counseling include

  • Communication issues 
  • Emotional Distancing 
  • Affair/trauma 
  • Conflict Management 
  • Loss of Friendship 
  • Lacking fun together 
  • Loss of intimacy 
  • Misalignment of life goals 

Arbor Family Counseling therapists will help you rebuild the foundation of your marriage, and energize the friendship. We will identify the strengths in your marriage and build on them, while identifying the weaknesses and helping you reduce them. We will help each of you gain in your ability to attune to one another.

Dont wait until the eleventh hour. The earlier you intervene, the better.

OCD

Those who experience OCD on a clinical level experience challenges functioning in their everyday lives. 

Obsessive Compulsive disorder can affect individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects individuals as they get stuck in cycles of intrusive and obsessive thoughts, feelings and patterns. Those who experience OCD may have an obsession with numbers. Some have different phobias about germs, bacteria, and cleanliness. They may have obsessions with checking and rechecking behaviors, such as open garage doors or appliances being left on. Those who experience OCD on a clinical level experience challenges in their everyday lives that are related to their obsessions and compulsions. These interruptions in their days cause a tremendous amount of stress, and can interfere with life activities and goals.

Different reasons people come in for OCD related counseling:

  • Identification of intrusive thoughts
  • Management of intrusive thoughts and feelings
  • Coping skills to manage stressors that might trigger OCD
  • Changing old behavior patterns to more healthy ones
  • Coping with feelings of fear and worry

At Arbor, our therapists will help you to communicate your thoughts, feelings, and fears in a safe environment. Our therapists will provide support and encouragement as you work together to help manage the symptoms of OCD and find solutions to achieve better and more manageable days.

Parenting

Being a parent is one of the most precious, amazing, and difficult journeys you embark upon, often totally unprepared for what lies ahead. Having children teaches you to love in a way you never knew, as you experience unparalleled joy and challenges you don’t see coming. Parenting is different with each child and at each child’s stage of life. Children begin so dependent, adoring you at early ages, and transition into the crisis of teen years where they instinctively know they will need to become their own independent adult self. Most children are afraid of this, and try out their independence through conflict, challenge, and practicing their own voice.

Parenting can cause a lot of stress. Reaching out for help does not mean failure, but courage and wisdom. Many people have had wonderful, loving parents, but just as many have grown up with abusive ones. If you are trying to parent more effectively than what you experienced, or if you are just trying to meet the challenges of parenting with the best skills you can, then we are excited to help you!

Different reasons people come in for Parenting Help:
  • Behavior problems
  • Divorce or separation
  • Blended family
  • Family grief or loss issues
  • Aggressive or angry behaviors
  • Concerns over conflict with teenager
  • Difficulty communicating with teenager
  • Anxiety or depression with parenting
  • ADHD issues with child

Ready to meet the challenges of parenting with courage and consultation by bringing us onto your support team? Give us a call, we are honored to help!

Peak Performance

Develop your ability to see it, hear it, and feel it. 

It is said in sports that 90% of the performance is mental, but that philosophy certainly doesn’t stop with athletics. The same goes for the performing arts, business, education, and high-risk professions. Certainly, we must put in the work to master the required skills. After that, however, it’s imperative to be able to align our performance with the vision in our heart. At Arbor Family Counseling, we believe that great satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment is derived from learning to visualize in order to actualize. 

Reasons people come to Arbor Family Counseling for peak performance: 

  • Performance anxiety 
  • Fear of failure 
  • Intense pressure situations 
  • Fear of success/career sabotage 
  • Public speaking anxiety 
  • Psychological recovery from physical injury 
  • Lack of self-confidence 
  • Writer’s block 

At Arbor, we will help you overcome the behaviors and emotions that create obstacles in achieving your potential, whether it be in sports, on stage, in school, business, or high-risk situations. 

There are many school-related issues and concerns that students face on a daily basis. 

Peer and school-related issues are significant factors in the success of students today. Some students have difficulties with school work. Others have difficulties with teachers and administration. Many even have difficulties with other students and bullying at school. Peer and school-related problems are harmful because they detract from students’ successes in school. They can cause problems emotionally for the students involved as they struggle to view school as a positive and safe place to be. Issues can also be common among students who have specialized education plans and struggle with difficult coursework and classroom material. 

Different reasons people come in for peer/school Related Issues:

  • Bullying
  • Peer pressure
  • Getting along with teachers, administrators, and staff
  • Issues struggling with learning and/or learning disabilities
  • Organizational and planning skills
  • Getting along with other students
  • Communication about grades and online grading systems with parents
  • Parent/student communication about challenges of school

At Arbor, our therapists will work to increase the communication between you and your student. Our therapist will provide a positive and safe environment for your students to be able to talk about their concerns in a supportive setting. Together, we will devise a plan to help your student experience a supportive learning environment that helps grow their successes in school.

Play Therapy

“Play is the language of children, and through play children are able to express, process, and overcome challenges in their world.” Stephanie Huckins, Arbor Family Counseling

Play therapy meets children in their normal world and reinforces the ability to express, learn, and deal with the emotions they are struggling with. Children have not yet found their voice or developed language around their emotions and psychological needs. Children have not yet developed the ability to express their emotions or articulate problems to parents or other adults. Arbor counselors who work with play therapy specialize in working with young children and their families to help them overcome adversity and strengthen attachment within the family.

Different reasons people come in for Play Therapy:
  • Developmental delay or learning issues
  • Problem behaviors in school
  • Aggressive or angry behaviors
  • Family issues, such as divorce, separation, or death of a close family member
  • Traumatic events
  • Domestic violence, abuse, or neglect
  • Anxiety, depression, or grief
  • Eating or toileting disorders
  • ADHD

PTSD – Trauma

Life can present unexpected and devastating experiences. For anyone who has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event (such as a natural disaster, war/combat, terrorist act, a serious accident, or been threatened with death, violence, or injury), the unfortunate fact is that it can traumatize our minds and bodies. Many people recover using healthy coping strategies, while others may find themselves having intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings, long after the traumatic event has ended. This can result in posttraumatic stress disorder, commonly known as PTSD.

There is no need to suffer alone! 

Trauma-informed care is available at Arbor Family Counseling, where therapists use a strengths-based approach that emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety for everyone. Our therapists are trained to work with you, using a variety of techniques and treatment modalities designed to help you develop coping strategies and reduce your symptoms. 


Common symptoms of PTSD may include:

  • Flashbacks
  • Difficulty sleeping/nightmares
  • Anxiety or depression
  • Loss of interest in favorite activities
  • Avoidance
  • Dissociation
  • Mood swings
  • Hypervigilance
  • Hyperarousal
  • Easily startled
  • Guilt and shame

If you have experienced or witnessed trauma, or believe you may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, please click here, or give us a call to schedule an appointment with one of the therapists at Arbor Family Counseling.

Racial Trauma

It is well known that racism, discrimination, inequality, and oppression impacts mental, physical, and spiritual health. Racial Trauma is a term used to describe the harmful effects of race-related stress, racial harassment, racial violence (including witnessing such violence), racism, and discrimination on mental health functioning.

The effects of racial trauma are similar to other trauma, like child abuse, fighting in a war, or sexual assault. Like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a person experiencing racial trauma may feel:

  • Anger
  • Sadness
  • Grief
  • Shock
  • Fear or hypervigilance
  • Guilt
  • Helplessness and/or powerlessness
  • Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
  • Numbness
  • Recurring thoughts or images of the event
  • Body aches
  • Fatigue
  • Exhaustion

While the effects of racial trauma is likened to PTSD, it is important to know it is not a mental health condition. It is a result of the stressors people of color experience due to race such as,

  • Intergenerational stressors such as institutional racism in history or stories passed down from generations, the result of slavery, etc.
  • Vicarious stressors such as witnessing direct and indirect racism in everyday life, including microaggressions, etc.
  • Direct stressors such as an individual attack of racial injustice, a culmination of microaggressions

When looking for help for racial trauma, it is important to seek therapy from a multicultural or racial trauma-informed therapist. Together we will create a safe, open, empowered, culturally-affirming space for you.

Relationship Counseling

The best things to spend on your relationship are time, conversation, understanding, and honesty.

Life is in balance when our relationships are “working.” None of us expect perfection in our relationships, but we’ve found that couples find great joy in figuring out how to address concerns without blame and escalation. Much can change when you learn how to ask for what you need without fighting, and when you feel that your partner is trying. Through lessons like these, couples can learn to reconnect their intimacy.

Connect With a Therapist Now

Couples turn to relationship counseling for a variety of reasons, including: 

  • Communication breakdown
  • Escalating fights
  • Inability to problem-solve
  • Affair
  • Intimacy that has grown distant over time
  • The relationship falls in priority as children become the focus
  • Problem-solving or partnership breakdown

At Arbor, our therapists will help the two of you learn to communicate without escalating, and help build the strengths back up in your relationship. We’ll do this in a way that improves your intimacy, and cultivates a greater overall relationship of satisfaction and joy! We reinforce the skills that will keep your relationship at an elevated level.

Ready to Increase Your Trust, Intimacy, and Resolve?

Contact Us

Relapse Prevention

How often have you heard this myth? 

“People who relapse don’t really want recovery badly enough.”

 It’s important to remember that it is simply that: a myth. Less than 20% of people receiving treatment for alcohol remain alcohol-free for one year. If you are one of the many people who have relapsed in spite of treatment and/or recovery efforts, you probably have plenty of pain in your life. 

For people sober for 2 years, 60% will remain alcohol free. There is hope, and help is available. 

With relapse prevention therapy, you can identify your warning signs that lead to relapse, and learn to manage these signs while you are still in recovery. 

Different issues people come in for Relapse Prevention therapy include: 

  • Alcohol 
  • Overspending 
  • Other Drugs 
  • Pornography 
  • Gambling 
  • Other obsessive-compulsive behaviors 

Arbor Family Counseling has therapists trained specifically in relapse prevention, designed to help you improve your ability to effectively-manage the thoughts, feelings, urges, behaviors, and relationships contributing to relapse. This further reduces the chance of relapse going forward. 

Spirituality

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin   Within each of us is a powerful sense that there is a higher meaning and purpose to our lives. As such, we find ourselves yearning to know what it means to be spiritual and to live out our created purpose in today’s world. People seek spiritual counseling services for many reasons, including:
  • Discerning a new way of living
  • Feeling lost during a critical life transition (death of a loved one, changing relationships, empty nest, retirement, new job/career)
  • Improving one’s relationship with a higher power
  • Returning to a faith community
At Arbor, our therapists will help you discover and connect with your true spiritual nature. We walk with you as you navigate the challenges and affirmations that serve as invitations to keep you vibrant and alive, discovering possibilities for growth throughout your lifelong spiritual journey.  

Suicide

“Suicide does not end the chances of life getting worse. Suicide eliminates the possibility of it ever getting better.”  -Vic Fuentes 

 If you or a loved one are experiencing suicidal thoughts, or are engaging in self-harm like cutting, burning, or hitting yourself, you may feel like you’re at a crisis point, or simply that the world has worn you down and you don’t know what else to do. 

These feelings and acts can be disturbing, frightening, or even comforting (remember, you’re not alone in this!), because suicidal thoughts and self-injury are ways for our mind to cope with incredible pain and despair. However, these thoughts also serve as an alarm to let you know that things are off-balance, and that you need resources to help you get back on track. 

The therapists at Arbor Family Counseling provide a safe space and competent, non-judgmental environment to help you explore your concerns, build healthy coping skills, and ultimately feel better. We know how isolating suicidal thoughts and self-harm can be, not only for individuals but for family members and caretakers as well. We are here to cut through the isolation with connection and understanding. 

Women’s Issues

Women today face many different challenges and issues. Equality, respect, and acceptance in society are key factors in women’s issues. Additionally, concerns related to personal, emotional, and physical well-being are also common stressors. Relationship issues, parenting challenges, and family communication breakdowns are also challenges that women face. 

Different reasons people come in for counseling related to women’s issues:

  • Parenting conflicts
  • Raising children on their own
  • Spouse/Partner relationship communication and concerns
  • Issues with equality in the workplace
  • Building self-confidence
  • Self Care practices

At Arbor, our therapists will help you explore the issues related to you and your unique situation. Our therapist will help provide coping skills and problem-solving tools to manage the stressors that are affecting you regarding the issues that affect you the deepest.

Arbor has been helping employees with workplace issues through its Employee Assistance Program since opening in 1993. We spend a lot of time at work, and an unresolved issue can create high levels of stress and interfere with an individual’s health over time. Arbor is a safe place to speak out your frustrations and decide what can be done to help yourself. Sometimes the answer is your own coping, sometimes it is necessary to speak with a coworker, your supervisor, or HR. You are welcome to come and decide while speaking with one of our professionals. We know that dealing with workplace problems is difficult, and addressing them can be unnerving. We recognize your courage in reaching out, and are committed to helping you seek resolve.

Reasons people come in for Workplace Issues include:
  • Mental health being compromised
  • Offensive speech
  • Intimidation by coworker or supervisor
  • Conflict with coworker
  • Bullies in workplace
  • Difficulty performing job
  • Personal problems interfering with job performance
  • Career confusion

You deserve to seek resolve. Give us a call today!

Schedule an Appointment!
Call 402.330.0960