Tag: proliance center

How to Find the Best Family Therapist for Your Family

The decision to seek family counseling for you and your family is one that requires a great deal of consideration.  You want the experience to be positive and successful and therefore, want a family therapist that will best address your family’s needs and help you improve the communication and cohesion within your family.  At Proliance Center in Boca Raton, we believe that you should choose a family therapist once you have developed a thorough understanding of that therapist’s education, experience, reputation, and approach family therapy.  You must also feel as if you have a personal connection with this professional after an initial consultation, either by phone or in person.

Education and experience are the foundation of a family therapist’s expertise.  Do your homework when it comes to choosing a family therapist.  Many therapists today make this type of information available on their practice websites, online therapy directories or print advertising.  Your therapist should have a minimum of a Masters degree in the field of mental health and significant experience working with families.  Don’t be afraid to ask a clinician about their education and experience by phone or email before scheduling your first appointment.

Reputation is also an important factor in choosing a family therapist.  Look for recommendations from trusted friends and family members.  Ask local professionals such as physicians, religious institutions, school counselors and other trusted sources.  The internet can also be an excellent resource to gather information from the family therapist’s website and online review and recommendation sites.

A family therapist’s approach to family therapy is unique to each professional.  You can often read about their treatment approaches and preferred models of therapy on their websites but you can also call and ask.  A trusted and experienced family therapist will be able to share with you their personal views about family therapy and their preferred models of treatment and educate about these approaches.  Listen to the information they provide and ask questions as needed.

Finally, your relationship with your family therapist is as important as all of the factors listed above combined.  Make sure you feel comfortable with them and are able to communicate your feelings and concerns freely.  Do your best to assess this relationship in an initial phone consultation or face-to-face meeting.  At Proliance Center, the best and most successful families we treat are those that are open with their family therapists and are comfortable with the process.  Adjustments can always be made to make your experience the best possible.

Social Anxiety Treatment in South Florida

Many people experience a sense of nervousness or self-consciousness in social situations.  Some examples might include giving a speech, interviewing for a new job, or going on a first date.  While some anxiety in these types of situations is normal, social anxiety, or social phobia is much more than shyness or nerves.  Individuals experiencing social anxiety often find themselves avoiding social situations in order to protect themselves from a fear of embarrassment or social failure.  This avoidance represents a significant disruption in the individual’s normal routine and causes tremendous stress.  Not only is this a recognized issue in the field of mental health, but it is far more common than you might think.

The good news about social anxiety, or social phobia, is that social anxiety treatment in South Florida can be highly successful and can allow individuals who have been suffering in silence to find new strength and confidence in their abilities to participate in social situations and overcome their fears.  During social anxiety treatment in South Florida at Proliance Center, we see many patients, of all ages and backgrounds, who are seeking help to overcome social anxiety.   With social anxiety treatment in South Florida we can help you to determine the symptoms, uncover the underlying causes of your fears, and equip you with the tools necessary to overcome and move forward.

When beginning social anxiety treatment in South Florida at Proliance Center, your therapist will first work with you to establish a positive, open, and supportive working relationship.  As social anxiety treatment in South Florida progresses you will learn about your individual triggers for social anxiety, such as meeting new people, public speaking, taking an exam, or being the center of attention.  During social anxiety treatment in South Florida you will also learn how these triggers affect you and how to recognize your personal “red flags.”  In social anxiety treatment in South Florida your Proliance therapist will help you to recognize the emotional, physical, and behavioral symptoms of social anxiety as well as the unhelpful thinking styles you have relied on thus far to manage your symptoms.

During social anxiety treatment in South Florida, in addition to the established relationship with your therapist, a combination of therapies is common.  These include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques, relaxation skills and self-confidence building as the most effective way to treat social anxiety, or social phobia.  Patients at Proliance Center undergoing social anxiety treatment in South Florida also have the option of combining therapy with medication management to help alleviate their anxiety as they learn to gain control over their symptoms.

If you have been experiencing social anxiety and have questions about how social anxiety treatment in South Florida can help, feel free contact Proliance Center to talk to one of our experienced therapists!

How Couples Therapy Can Save Your Relationship

Do you feel like you and your partner have drifted apart?  Are you frustrated by having the same arguments again and again?  Do you feel misunderstood or unappreciated by your partner?  Have you or your partner had a physical or emotional affair?  Have you suffered through a crisis together that has placed a divide between you?  There are a multitude of reasons for our relationships to become strained.  The good news is couples therapy can save your relationship!  By taking advantage of couples counseling at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, you can identify the problems in your relationship, work through them, and move forward to a more happy and satisfying relationship with your partner.

Couples therapy can save your relationship because it is a type of psychotherapy that helps couples of all types recognize and resolve their existing conflicts to improve their relationships. Couples therapy can save your relationship by helping the couple make thoughtful decisions in order to rebuild and strengthen their relationship.  We often seek the help of a couple’s counselor when our existing methods of managing problems have failed us.  Couples therapy can save your relationship through a therapist that will help you to develop new skills and behaviors to solidify your relationship.  Often, these skills include open and effective communication skills, problem solving techniques, and collaborative decision-making. Couples therapy can save your relationship by providing needed focus to increase the bond between you through better understanding of one another’s needs and desires.  Couples therapy can save your relationship by teaching you how your words or behaviors affect each other and identify what is working well and what is not.  Additionally, couples therapy can save your relationship by teaching you how to put your relationship first and devote the time and energy into making your relationship a positive priority in your life.

Many of us feel that we already know what we should be doing to improve our relationship, but feel unable to follow through with the necessary actions.  This is the point at which couples usually begin to drift apart and couples therapy can save your relationship.  Though making the decision to go to couples counseling can be tough, couples therapy can save your relationship and is more effective than ignoring the problem or hoping it gets better on its own.  It is important to remember that in many cases couples therapy can save your relationship and things will only get worse if it goes unaddressed.

At Proliance Center, we believe that most problems within a relationship can be repaired with a combination of an effective approach and the commitment you and your partner have so that couples therapy can save your relationship.  We will work with you and your partner in a comfortable and private environment and act as a mediator to help you work through the presenting issues so that couples therapy can save your relationship.  If you have questions about the process of couples counseling or are wondering if couples counseling is right for you, a Proliance therapist is here to help!

Finding an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Doctor in South Florida

Finding an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Doctor in South Florida

The search for an obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida can be a daunting process for some people with OCD, but it doesn’t have to be.  In this blog we assume that what you mean by an obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida is one that treats obsessive compulsive disorder, not a super-detailed and methodical doctor that lives in South Florida.  On that note, we would hope there are many doctors out there who care about their patients that much. However, to get back to the topic at hand:  sure you can spend hours on the Internet scouring websites and articles about how to find an obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida.  You can go to your local doctors to get recommendations in your search for an obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida.  

You can even ask your friends or co-workers for their recommendations on an obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida.  However in the end what you are looking for in your search for an obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida is for someone who has the knowledge, experience and sensitivity to treat those who suffer with obsessive compulsive disorder.
When determining the knowledge of an obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida you will want to take into consideration the doctor’s level of training.

 Is the obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida a medically trained Psychiatrist, used to working with disorders that affect a persons mind and body?  A Psychiatrist who has gone through medical school and training not only in mental health, but in neurology, medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, surgery and radiology will be extremely familiar with this, particularly if medications need to be used.  An obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida who is trained in Psychology, could also know a tremendous amount about OCD, despite not having gone to medical school.  For instance, they could know about the best cognitive behavioral techniques to use to systematically eliminate it as a problem.  While they wouldn’t be able to prescribe medicine for OCD, they could prove to be instrumental in its treatment and if the need arose they could work with an obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida that could prescribe medicine.  

Here at Proliance Center we have a team of clinicians in several fields that pool their various areas of expertise to provide one of the most comprehensive treatments available for OCD. Experience is also very important in the search for an obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida.  You want to find an individual that preferably has been in practice for a while and seen a number of OCD patients in the past.  The obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida doesn’t necessarily need to be a specialist on OCD, but if the obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida has been in practice for many years chances are they have seen a lot.  If in doubt, ask.  

Lastly, but also important in the search for an obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida is their sensitivity.  OCD can lead to embarrassing thoughts, behaviors and actions for some people and it is important that you feel comfortable with the person that you choose.  Do you feel that this obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida is someone you can easily talk to?  Is this obsessive compulsive disorder doctor in South Florida someone who understands what you are going through?  Would you refer other family members and friends to this person?  If the doctor you choose has all of the characteristics discussed above you may have found the right person to guide you towards a more peaceful life.

What to Expect from Therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL

Most people, at some point in their lives, need some help and may seek therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL.  For many, undergoing therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL. helps them to make improvements in their lives and gain better insight and understanding in their struggles.  Sometimes, overwhelming stress or crisis in life brings an individual to therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL.  Others may seek therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL. to achieve personal growth or improve relationships.  Whatever the reason may be, the therapists at Proliance Center in Boca Raton are trained and equipped to provide you with the support you need to move forward.

Everyone has different needs they bring to therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL., but what you can universally expect from your experience at Proliance Center, is to build a relationship with your therapist built on support, acceptance, non-judgment, expertise, and professionalism.  When seeking therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL your therapist is here to help you make the changes you wish to make.  Some patients know exactly what changes are needed when they enter therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL while others don’t know what to change or how.  A skilled therapist is here to help you determine your needs and your goals.  We will also help you to determine the specific issues that have lead you to our office.

The differences in individual experiences in therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL are not only based on the issues present at your first session, but also the theoretical orientation of your therapist. When seeking therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL, you can expect your therapist to have extensive training in their areas of expertise and also draw from a variety of therapeutic approaches to best meet your needs.  While we typically draw from the techniques of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Positive Psychology, Psychodynamic Therapy, Insight-Oriented Therapy, Psychoanalytic Therapy, Art Therapy, and Play Therapy, we also combine these with Humanistic and Person-Centered theories to provide you with a comprehensive treatment approach. When seeking therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL, we feel it is important to focus on and develop your existing strengths to help you overcome and move forward.

The process of therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL, begins with a consultation session in which your therapist will help you to find out whether psychotherapy is right for you and determine if you will be able to have a successful working relationship.  You will likely discuss the issues that have brought you to therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL, and the values and views that are most important to you.  When you leave your initial session, you should feel that you can trust and respect your therapist and that he/she understands your situation.

Following your initial session, you will spend the following sessions assessing the concerns or problems that have brought you to therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL, in order to determine clear and specific goals to address throughout your treatment.  These goals can be modified or replaced by other goals as your therapeutic experience progresses.  Throughout your experience, you can expect to work in therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL, in order to gain insight and solve your current problems.  You may also experience a shift in your emotions, thoughts and/or behaviors you want to change.  Oftentimes, your therapist will encourage you to implement the skills you learn in session outside of therapy through the use of homework or other types of practice.  This will help you solidify your new insights and knowledge in order to best sustain the changes you have made in therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL.

The length of therapy at Proliance Center in Boca Raton, FL, varies depending on the individual and their treatment goals.  Some experience may last 3-4 sessions, while others can extend for longer periods.  Typically, sessions are approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour and take place once per week.  Each individual is able to determine the treatment schedule that works best for them with their therapist.  Here at Proliance Center, we encourage you to contact us with any questions you may have about the therapeutic process!

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