Tag Archive for: therapy

Non-Suicidal Self Injury (or self-harm) vs. Suicidality

/in , /by

The difference between Suicidality and Self Injury is INTENT. 

Individuals engage in self-harm to feel “something” other than numb or empty. Sometimes self-harm can be a way to signal to others that they need help or the harming behavior has become a maladaptive coping skill. Individuals who express suicidality are experiencing hopelessness, despair, and thinking that the end of their life could be the solution to their problems. Although both conditions can stem from similar situations or contexts, self-harm does not always indicate that the individual wants to end their life.  Learn More...

Is This Normal? When Should I Seek Help for My Child?

/in , , , /by

By Erica R. Myers, LPCC-S, RPT-S Clinical Director Creative Family Counseling

Mental illness can begin at any age and affects everyone – regardless of socioeconomic status, background, or upbringing. It is essential to recognize that the onset of mental illness is typically during childhood and the teenage years, meaning parents must be educated on the potential signs and risks. While mental illness can be scary, it is highly treatable. Those who seek early treatment for their child can find fantastic outcomes in therapy. Learn More...

What’s the Difference Between Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Health?

/in , , , /by

Depending on the professional with whom you speak, mental health can sometimes be referred to as emotional health or behavioral health. To me, they’re all the same. It’s hard to differentiate our cognitions (mental) from our emotions and our reactions (behaviors) because they are all interconnected and influence one another. What is happening in our environment impacts the way we think about ourselves and our surroundings, influences how we feel both physically and emotionally, and therefore causes us to react in our behavior.  While emotions can oftentimes be recognized through non-verbal communication, we cannot read one another’s minds, and yet, the behaviors of children are oftentimes what gets the grownup’s attention.  Challenging behaviors are usually why parents call us for support. Learn More...

What’s the difference Between a Psychotherapist, Psychiatrist, and Psychologist?

/in /by

At Creative Family Counseling, we receive a lot of inquiries for support across a wide spectrum.  Since our specialty is working with children, teens, and families, many parents call us to seek out counseling and other services for their young child or teenager. At both the initial phone call and during appointments with our clinical team members, many clients pose questions about the services we offer and don’t offer, largely because there is confusion about the different kind of mental health providers: psychotherapist, psychologist, and psychiatrists.  And we get it! All those different (yet similar sounding) providers of mental health care can be hard to keep straight. Let me provide some clarity for you! Learn More...

Telling Your Children You’re Divorcing: 5 Things to Consider

/in , , /by

When couples decide to end a relationship and it leads to the breakup of a family with children, the amount of information to process can be somewhat overwhelming. While the separation may be what’s best for everyone involved, how the information is shared with children will be a memory they hold forever.  How this family change is shared can impact the trajectory of the entire transition for each child. This process should be handled with tender care and with an emphasis on how you, the parents, will provide physical, mental, and emotional safety for each child.  Here’s a simple list to guide you through a very challenging decision making process which can help you share this news with your children in the most honest and gentle way possible. Learn More...

The Secret to Co-Parenting Success: Shifting from a Personal Relationship to a Parental Relationship

/in , , /by

As a Therapist who has spent over a decade working with families and children, I’ve had the great privilege of sharing the various journeys of many, many clients. Some journeys (especially at the end of my work with clients) take a positive turn; I cherish the moments when I see clients thriving and no longer needing therapy for the time being.  Most people, however, begin their work with me at the start of a challenging journey, such as a journey of separation and divorce. Since I specialize in working with children, teens, and parents, the caregivers typically reach out to me after they’ve made decisions to end their relationship. They are oftentimes seeking out support for the purposes of best caring for their children through the transition. Sometimes they need support in developing c0-parenting skills, and sometimes they need support in how to tell their children about the divorce (and most times, both).  If you need help in planning how to tell your children you are separating, this article may be helpful, here. Learn More...

Introducing ‘Grow’ – A Group for Teens

/in /by

“Am I the only one that feels like this?”

“Do other people talk to you about this kind of stuff?”

“This is super embarrassing, but…”

“I know this isn’t normal.”

“Literally no one gets it.” 

I’ve heard the above statements and questions over, and over, and over in the therapy room, especially when I am working with teenagers. In their world, they’re the only one with this experience, this struggle, this thought, this worry, this insecurity. This perception leads to feelings of isolation, loneliness, low self-esteem, and hopelessness.   Learn More...

Coping with Grief During the Holidays

/in /by

Grief is a complex mixture of emotions.  Grief can come from many types of losses or transitions including death of a loved one or pet, divorce, job loss, loss of a friendship, moving, etc.  Grief emotions are often cyclical in nature and are felt at various levels throughout the year depending on the intensity of emotional triggers.  Sometimes seasonal changes bring back memories of other emotional experiences at that same time of year. Learn More...

New Group Offering: Artfully Inspired Therapy Group

/in /by

Happy almost 2023! This time of transition is often characterized by reflection, resolutions, and future planning. Although we do not have to wait for a New Year to begin making changes, oftentimes this hopeful energy fuels us to bettering our overall health. One way to accomplish this is by seeking therapeutic support, such as Group Therapy. Group Therapy is a valuable resource to incorporate into one’s mental health regime. Learn More...

Louisville Based Practice Expands Animal Assisted Therapies to Include Equine Assisted Psychotherapy

/in /by

Creative Family Counseling, a child and family counseling practice with locations in Lyndon and Prospect, has long been known to offer Animal-Assisted Therapies.  Founder and CEO Lacey Ryan, LMFT and her dog Lola have offered this service as a certified pet therapy team since the practice opened its doors in 2016.  Lola’s gentle and powerful work has inspired other clinicians on the Creative Family Counseling team to train and certify their own pets for this work. The practice now has four therapy dogs between the two locations, offering the beautiful and healing service that only animals can offer.   Learn More...