OUR SERVICES

Individual

The stresses of life can tax our reserves and interfere with our functioning, productivity, and overall sense of wellness. When left unmanaged, these stressors and their related impact on our lives can lead us to feel like we are struggling to find the ground beneath us. With increased stress, we can become disconnected, not only from ourselves, but also from our relationships and from the world around us.

Individual therapy involves the creation of a dedicated and confidential space where, through the support of a trained professional, a person can explore and process distressing memories and uncomfortable emotions which interfere with their ability to lead a healthy and fulfilling life.

Our clinicians specialize in systemic approaches to therapy which are trauma-informed, providing interventions and education that help their clients address emotional dysregulation related to self-esteem, stress, grief and loss, life transitions, anxiety, depression, trauma, and other concerns experienced as part of the human condition.

Couples

In childhood, our primary attachment is to our parents. As adults, our primary attachment becomes our partner. Children are born and families are created through the connection of a couple.

We enter our romantic partnerships with the best of intentions and a desire for long-lasting romantic connection. However, we soon learn that despite our love for one another, we often do not possess the skills necessary to effectively communicate, resolve conflict, and navigate life stressors, while still finding the time to nurture our relationship and cherish our partner.

As a result, we experience disharmony in our relationships, which can take the form of emotional disconnection and withdrawal, critical and defensive patterns of communication, perpetual conflict, lack of intimacy, and for some couples, infidelity.

At Coastal Wellness and Counseling, LLC, we are passionate about our work with couples. Our clinicians have received training in the Gottman Method, developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, Terry Real's Relational Life Therapy (RLT), Sue Johnson’s Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and incorporate the models and theories of the field of Couple & Family Therapy (CFT) into their work with couples as they strive to:

  • Teach couples the relational skills necessary for developing and maintaining lasting, emotionally fulfilling, and intimate romantic partnerships,

  • Facilitate healing of emotional wounds and barriers to intimacy created by years of ineffective and often dysfunctional communication and entrenched conflict,

  • Support and guide couples through the process of healing from infidelity

  • Provide structure and direction for couples considering or already navigating through the complexities of separation, divorce, or remarriage.

Youth / Adolescents

Coastal Wellness & Counseling offers individualized counseling for youth ages 5 - 12. This stage of child development often involves both exciting and stressful dynamics related to academics, social and emotional development, and behavioral concerns. Frequent topics explored and addressed in counseling with youths include; development of self-concept/esteem, social and peer relationships, bullying, social skill development, emotion regulation, family system changes, and adjustment to diagnoses related to neurodivergence (ADHD, Autism Spectrum, Learning Disabilities).

Our Clinicians use a variety of therapeutic modalities when working with youth which, in addition to traditional talk therapy, may include play therapy and/or art therapy. Typically, youth therapy will address self-esteem and resilience through education on emotional awareness, mindfulness, self-awareness, healthy boundaries and relationships, and communication.

Adolescence typically describes the years between ages 13 and 19 and includes important developmental tasks that lead to a successful early adulthood. This time in a child’s life is focused on developing a sense of self, identity formation, and discovering what values and morals are important to them as individuals rather than just as a family and community member.

Many teens face tough choices regarding peer relationships and social dynamics, academic success, sexuality, alcohol and drugs, family transitions and stressors, and self-doubt. In addition they are having to learn important life skills and take on new responsibilities. This can be an overwhelming period in a child’s life, and confusing because it is also exciting and leads to new found independence.

At Coastal Wellness and Counseling, LLC, we meet teens where they are emotionally and developmentally while giving them a safe, non-judgmental space to explore their feelings, beliefs and behaviors. We support them in creating a positive support network for themselves and also help them identify better coping skills to manage their life with greater confidence and joy. Within the relationship with their counselor, teens will be typically be provided with education about their physiology as it corresponds to mental health, as well as skills for improving coping and emotional regulation, relational and interpersonal experiences, critical thinking, and healthy boundaries.

Families

Family encompasses more than just your family of origin- it also means the family you create as well as the family you choose. We believe it is the connections and experiences you have with family members that impact your life in the most meaningful ways.

Whether your goal is to heal emotional wounds suffered long ago in your family of origin, to navigate the journey of raising your own family, or to heal and flourish in spite of separation/divorce, our clinicians are here to support you and yours through these processes.

For families with children 5 years and older

We utilize traditional talk therapy and will often integrate play/art therapy while focusing on both the family system as well as the many sub-systems within a family. Sub-systems may include the parental dyad, individual parent/child relationships, and sibling relationships, as well as intergenerational relationships such as those between grandparents and grandchildren.

Our clinicians often work to restructure the family hierarchy and re-establish parental authority while simultaneously providing support and a place for youth, adolescents, & emerging adults to use their voice and accomplish their developmental tasks within the family system.

Instead of remaining entrenched in conflict, communication challenges, or hurt feelings, family members learn how to articulate their needs and emotions, set and respect healthy boundaries, reach agreements, build emotional intimacy, and implement behaviors that promote family cohesiveness.

Our Sessions Are

  • Evidenced-Based & Integrative

    Our clinicians have specialized in and received extensive training and certifications in Brainspotting, Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), The Gottman Method, Relational Life Therapy (RLT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Chemical Dependency Counseling (CDC), Neurodivergence, Grief & Loss, Complex Trauma, & Schema Therapy.

  • Inclusive & Affirming

    We work with individuals ages 5 and older, couples, & families. We embrace the LGBTQIA2S+ community and are sex positive!

  • Personalized & Trauma-Informed

    “Trauma is the invisible force that shapes our lives. It shapes the way we live, the way we love and the way we make sense of the world. It is the root of our deepest wounds.” - Gabor Maté

    Trauma-Informed counseling is a therapeutic approach and mindset which focuses on “what happened to you”, rather than “what is wrong with you”. What happens inside of you during a traumatic event (especially those which occur in childhood) can shape your experiences and have a long lasting effect on your life and relationships. Through trauma-informed counseling our clinicians collaborate with you in a meaningful and compassionate way to reconnect you with your authentic self.