Online/Virtual Sessions
You can complete online/Virtual sessions through our HIPAA-compliant practice management software.
Please let the staff member scheduling your first appointment know your preference.
Often, a counselor will ask to meet in person and then use the Telehealth platform. If you live two hours or more from Lexington, we encourage virtual appointments.
Counseling sessions can be completed in person at our office at 1081 Dove Run Rd., Suite 201, Lexington, KY 40502. Suite 201, Lexington, KY 40502
Child therapy and/or play therapy is not ideal through online/virtual sessions.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) integrates elements of psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, experiential, and body-centered therapies. Integrating these psychotherapies provides a structured protocol to maximize treatment effects. EMDR is based on the theory of adaptive information processing and follows an eight-phase approach.
What happens during an EMDR session? During an EMDR session, the client focuses on images, thoughts, feelings, and/or body sensations related to a bothersome past and present experience (target memory). Bilateral stimulation can be done through visual, tactile, or auditory movements while the person focuses on various aspects of the memory. Often new memories (experiences) arise, and they become the focus of the next set of dual attention. This sequence of dual attention and personal association is repeated many times in the session.
Who can benefit from EMDR? Anyone struggling with PTSD, phobias, panic disorders, excessive grief, obsessive-compulsive or impulse control problems, victims of disasters, accident victims, dissociative disorders, marital and sexual dysfunction, and enhanced performance in business, performing arts, or sports.
Working through emotional, mental, peer, parent, family, or even social media concerns is part of this complex stage of identity development, and a competent, unbiased counselor can support productive growth.
In an article published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, CDC researchers found that, as of 2011-2012, more than 1 in 20, or 2.6 million, U.S. children aged 6-17 years had current anxiety or depression that had previously been diagnosed by a healthcare provider. These parent-reported data showed slightly more boys than girls had a diagnosis of anxiety or depression. About 1 in 5 children with current anxiety and depression did not receive mental health treatment in the past year.
The counselors at Integrative Counseling Center (ICC) can help. Monica, Chris, and Janet have many years of experience with children, tweens, and teens using play therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, expressive arts, sand tray, EMDR, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), and clinical hypnosis to help you and your child/teen achieve wellness.
*Not all clinicians are trained in all modalities; at least one is trained in the modalities listed. Ask for specific modalities when you call/email to schedule an appointment, or visit the "Our Clinicians" page for more details.
The number of situations associated with parenting and families is endless, but common conflicts can include in-law issues, differences in opinion when it comes to raising children, and even trauma, such as domestic violence or alcohol and drug abuse. It can be challenging to watch family members struggle, and in most cases, you may not know how to resolve the problem. Seeking support from a mental health professional can help parents and families develop acceptance and skills to repair relationships that may seem unsalvageable.
Other parenting and family issues may include:
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Being a single parent
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Divorce
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Infidelity
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Problems caused by divorced parents entering new relationships
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Fewer opportunities for parents and children to spend time together
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Deployment
Parenting and family issues are often intertwined. Treatment methods vary and will depend on an individual or family situation. The healing process may focus on improving communication between family members and finding healthy ways to resolve conflict. Setting clear boundaries and communicating effectively as a parental unit can set a good example for your children and/or your spouse. If a child is suffering from a genetic disorder or a mental health condition, these are topics that can be addressed with family or individual counseling. Couples counseling can effectively support parents in child-rearing.
Play therapy is a broad range of techniques used by qualified mental health professionals to accomplish therapeutic goals. Play therapy techniques can be used with clients of all ages, but are most often used with children and adolescents. Play is often referred to as “the language of children,” and therefore is extremely useful in helping a child to resolve the issues that bring them in for treatment. Whether your child is experiencing anxiety, acting out, coping with divorce, or bullying, play therapy works!
Janet Vessels and Christopher Westerman are registered play therapist supervisors! What does this mean? It means they have received specialized education, training, and clinical supervision in play therapy. They can supervise new play therapists as they learn play therapy. We offer play therapy to children and families using play activities like games, art, sand tray, and other helpful activities to support parent-child interactions. An informative video about the power of play therapy is available through this link and is sponsored by the Association for Play Therapy.
Over the years, we all experience loss at some point in our lives. In fact, statistics show that 1 in 5 children will experience the death of someone close to them before 18 years of age. Feelings of grief and loss are not always associated with death, however, but commonly surface after a loss of some kind – whether it is the loss of a loved one, a severed relationship, a pregnancy, a pet, or a job.
When a person loses something or someone valuable to them, feelings of grief can be overwhelming. Grief can leave a person feeling sad, hopeless, isolated, irritable, and numb by affecting them mentally, emotionally, and physically. It’s important to understand that healing from grief is a process, and everyone copes with this emotion differently.
Many people don’t know what to say or do when someone is grieving, but be patient with the individual (and yourself) throughout the process.
EMDR discussed above is a research-based treatment method for trauma.
An alternative treatment method includes psychotherapy. Through psychotherapy, a patient may:
· Improve coping skills
· Reduce feelings of blame and guilt
· Explore and process emotions
Everyday life factors can put significant strain on a relationship. Severe stressors may include resentment, infidelity, intimacy issues, lack of trust, and miscommunication. When problems go unresolved, or a partner is suffering from mental illness or health complications, one can feel helpless or have feelings of guilt or shame. Communicating effectively on both sides can alleviate emotional anxiety from subjects of all kinds.
Couples often seek couples or marriage counseling when the relationship is at a standstill or when they are unsure whether the relationship is worth salvaging. This type of therapy can benefit families with children who have been affected by relationship issues such as divorce, and help them confront the source of the conflict.
Treatment techniques may include the following depending on the therapist:
• Gottman Method
• Narrative Therapy
• Emotionally Focused Therapy
• Positive Psychology
• Imago Relationship Therapy
• Analyzing Your Communication
• Getting to the root of the problem
• Enhancing Intimacy
• Individual Counseling
• Couple Retreat
When a relationship is showing signs of addiction, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and/or severe depression, seek guidance from a counselor immediately for your safety and your partner's.