The Denver Counseling Group Services

Denver Counseling Group is a child, adolescent, and adult oriented behavioral health center that integrates many healing modalities. We are grounded in the science of psychological health and committed to the art of caring. Our therapists present a refreshing alternative to the typical medical visit. Whether you are looking for counseling, psychotherapy, dream work, experiential/arts therapies, or parental education, we can customize the care that is right for you and your needs.

The Benefits of integrative medicine are:

• Increasing self awareness, self esteem and personal autonomy
• Experiencing links between thought, feeling, and action
• Increasing and rehearsing adaptive coping behaviors
• Expanding one’s own movement vocabulary
• Maximizing resources of communication
• Expressing and managing overwhelming thoughts and feelings
• Contacting inner resources through contained, creative movement and play
• Testing inner with outer reality
• Initiating physical, emotional, and cognitive shifts
• Developing trusting relationships
• Manage feelings that interrupt daily living
• Enhance social interaction skills
• Develop ability to recognize and name feelings
• Promote social, physical, mental and emotional integration

Common Behavior Disorders Defined

ADHD Definition and symptoms

For children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), certain daily tasks can be extremely challenging. Predominately seen in home and school environments, children with ADHD have trouble with developmentally appropriate hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsive Behavior. ADHD is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts the frontal lobes and right hemisphere of the brain. To be diagnosed with ADHD, symptoms must be present for at least six months and cause impairment in at least two settings. There are different classifications of ADHD, which are:

1. Predominately Inattentive Type
2. Predominately Hyperactive-Impulsive Type
3. Combined Type

A child with ADHD typically struggles with registering internal, body based data that aids in regulating emotions, and decreased right brain/frontal lobe activity. Through body based psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, the focus is to enhance the body-mind connection, increase tolerance for heightened emotions, and provide holistic tools and strategies to increase right brain connectivity and mindfulness. This ultimately addresses common struggles that are present with ADHD. Lastly, I work closely with your child’s pediatrician or psychiatrist to provide personalized, comprehensive, and collaborative care that may or may not involve a combination of therapy and medication.

Childhood Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety in children and teens is increasing at an alarming rate. The child and adolescent brain is extraordinarily sensitive to stress, and can easily become overwhelmed with navigating social, familial, and internal happenings. Not only are these years the times in which a lot of ‘firsts’ happen (social inclusion/exclusion, rejection, developing relationships, fitting in, finding one’s individuality and voice, etc), it is also a time where there are a lot of changes happening in the brain. Knowing how to navigate these times for both parents and the child, as well as distinguishing the difference between appropriate sad/anxious feelings and when it may be a pervasive problem, can all be addressed in therapy.

Anxiety is the most common mental health problem in children and adolescents, and different kinds of anxiety impact children at different stages of development. Nearly 1 and 3 children will meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder before the age of 18. Phobias and separation anxiety impact younger children while social anxiety and generalized anxiety may appear in adolescents and teens.

Social, political, environmental, and technological causes are likely implicated in an increase in the number of children experiencing anxiety and/or depression. Preparing children and families with appropriate knowledge, awareness, and tools to address experiences of anxiety or depression is vital in the therapeutic process. In combination with this, it is also important to destigmatize the need for mental health support, and instead highlight emotional intelligence, growth, inner contemplation and the abilities to intelligently reflect on oneself and one’s environment.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognititve Behavioral Therapy aims at helping people recognize their unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. CBT treatment helps people to reframe their thinking patterns in a way that allows for increased positive behaviors and emotions. CBT has been proven in numerous research studies to be effective in treating anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and more.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical behavior therapy is a combination of cognitive and behavioral therapies and adds the components of mindfulness and distress tolerance. DBT skills help people find balance, be mindful in the moment, manage distress, regulate emotions, and have better relationships.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an 8 phase, integrative trauma treatment therapy that helps children and adults heal from trauma, as well as, life disturbing experiences. EMDR therapy is evidenced based and is considered a recommended treatment of choice by several international mental health organizations for healing PTSD and other symptoms from traumatic events.

EMDR can be integrated with other therapies at Denver Counseling Group. Research has shown effective outcomes with EMDR in treating anxiety disorders, phobias, depression, somatic symptoms and chronic pain—all of which we specialize in treating. EMDR combined with other psychotherapeutic methods can provide a well-rounded, holistic approach in addressing current challenges.

EMDR therapy is designed to help a person identify events that feel stuck and cause distress in their current life. These events are thought of as unprocessed memories that get stored in the brain with disturbing images, thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations that without treatment may lead to distressing symptoms and behaviors.

EMDR therapy helps facilitate the activation of the brain’s inherent system to process and integrate the information that got stored or stuck. EMDR will not erase the memory; rather a person will be able to remember the story without all the emotional charge that was distressing before the treatment. The effect of EMDR therapy is not desensitization in and of itself but includes the multifaceted impact of reprocessing all aspects of negative, or maladaptive information into an adaptive, healthy, and useful resolution.

Disturbing events and symptoms can get locked in the nervous system with original pictures, thoughts, feelings, ad body sensations from past experiences. Since the experience is locked there, it continues to be triggered whenever a reminder comes up. It can be the basis for a lot of discomfort and feelings of being out of control. These uncomfortable feelings are connected to the old experiences that are being triggered in the present. The eye movements, or other methods of dual attention stimulation (BLS) we use in EMDR therapy seem to unlock the nervous system and allow the mind and body to process the experience. The BLS process, similar to what naturally occurs during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep cycles, may help process the unconscious material. It is important to remember that it is your own brain that will be doing the healing and that you are the one in control.

You may want to do further research about EMDR therapy. Here are some reputable resources in reading up more about this method:

1. Greenwald, R. (1999). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in child and adolescent psychotherapy. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, Inc.
2. EMDRIA (EMDR International Association): www.emdria.org
3. Shapiro, F., (2001). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. 2nd Ed. New York: Guilford Press.

TALK THERAPY / FAMILY THERAPY

Talk Therapy

Talk therapy can be an extremely beneficial mode of counseling, especially when an individual is most comfortable in this type of mental and emotional exploration. Our counselors utilize psychodynamic approaches to mental healing by combining many theories and practices that include dream analysis, attachment exploration, Jungian psychology, somatic experiencing, and object relations techniques. Talk therapy is best for those who may be entering self explorative practices for the first time, those who are experiencing relational difficulties, and individuals looking for traditional cognitive interventions.

Family Therapy

Family Therapy can combine aspects of all theoretical models, the primary difference is that the family is now viewed as the client instead of the individual. Family therapy is a useful methodology to resolve communication and behavioral issues within the family system. Families create a network of support when they learn to function successfully. Family therapy views change as a shift of interactions within a system to become healthier and more functional. When an individual is struggling, this individual does not exist in a vacuum they are the result of their genetics AND their environment, including and most importantly their family. The family is where we learn our values, habits, conflict resolution, problem solving, communication style, the list is endless. This is where we go back to the source and make changes. Our Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist incorporates aspects of parent coaching as well to assist with discipline and boundaries, avoiding power struggles, increasing effective communication and loving relationships, and creating consistency and respect within the family.

MOVEMENT / PLAY THERAPY

Movement Psychotherapy is a holistic, non-verbal medium of the arts therapies that focuses on the individual's preferred movement patterns apparent in their daily lives. With the belief that movement reflects an individual's pattern of thinking and feeling, using movement, music, props and play may bring awareness and understanding to deeply embedded problems in one's life that may have stemmed from infancy. This medium of psychotherapy is best for those who find verbalizing their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors difficult. Movement Psychotherapy is defined by the ADTA (2010) as:

"The psychotherapeutic use of movement to further the social, mental, emotional, and physical integration of an individual"

Movement Psychotherapy is also considered a somatic therapy as it works primarily with the body. Taking into consideration dreams, imagination, neuroscience, and other social sciences, this medium of therapy is a creative way to resolve past trauma, promotes integration and self regulation, and allows the individual to learn coping strategies and stress management in a holistic and natural fashion.

ART THERAPY

Denver Counseling Group's art therapy program integrates the fields of human development, visual arts (drawing, painting, and other art forms) and the creative process with psychodynamic foundations for optimal mental and emotional growth. This medium of therapy is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight.

Art therapy is used for people of all ages to treat difficulties such as anxiety, depression, anger, stress, PTSD, trauma, loss, and other emotional/behavioral difficulties. No prior art experience is necessary to benefit from art therapy. All supplies combined with a confidential space and a Master's level educated therapist is provided.

Research shows the affects trauma and difficult life experiences has on the brain. These experiences change the brain's ability to access higher functioning, including verbal recall and expression of past events. Thus, verbal therapy may not be for everyone. Accessing different parts of the brain to work through emotional/behavioral difficulties is accomplished through right brain capabilities, and this is where art making and other creative capacities come from.

This is especially true for young children who lack the verbal capacities of adults to relay experiences. A child's inherent language is through play and creativity, and using their medium of communication has proven beneficial therapeutically. As adults, it is not easy to talk about one's feelings. Art therapy can be a way to work through and share experiences without saying them out loud.

Denver Counseling Group recognizes everyone is different and has unique needs. This is why we offer a variety of therapies, and we will work diligently to find what works best for you.