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Attachment Issues Counseling
Often times, following adoption or other transition in custody, a child shows difficulty in forming an appropriate and trusting relationship with his primary caretaker(s). For the adult, it can be confusing to know how to show love to the child when she seems to avoid or resist healthy relationships. Adults in these situations can feel scared, frustrated, hopeless, and even guilty. The children may have emotional and behavioral issues such as lying passive aggressive behavior, stealing, and temper outbursts. Therapists at Agape are trained in helping children with attachment issues learn how to relate to others. They work closely with their caretakers to develop positive interventions to help heal the damage…
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Addiction & Substance Abuse Counseling
Substance abuse /addiction are typically an indicator of something deeper. Our counselors are trained to work with you to determine what the underlying causes are and will work toward a holistic treatment plan with you. Substance abuse / addiction may include over-use of the following substances: alcohol, amphetamines, caffeine, cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants, nicotine, opioids, phencyclidine, sedatives, hypnotics, anxiolytics, or poly-substances. Use the questions below as a self-reflective guide. Do you… find yourself using something more often and in greater quantities than you intend to? need more and more of a substance to get the desired effect? have the desire to cut down but can’t seem to control the urges…
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Anxiety Counseling
Anxiety can be triggered by major life stressors or by subtle experiences. It can be unpleasant, scary, and impairing to live with anxiety. Often, before we cognitively understand our anxiety, our body feels it with aches and pains. Anxiety disorders may include (but not limited to) Social Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Phobias, and Panic Disorders. Use the questions below as a self-reflective guide. Do you… have persistent anxiety or worry? have difficulty controlling your worry? feel restless, keyed-up, or on-edge? feel easily fatigued? have trouble concentrating? feel irritable for much of the day? have muscle tension? have trouble sleeping, staying asleep,…
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Helicopter Mode: Who’s It For… Really?
When we love and are committed to our family members, we want to ensure their success and happiness. It’s natural at times, however, that we may feel responsible, or be made to feel responsible, for the failures or unhappiness of those we love. This can include both our children and our spouse. Feelings of responsibility for another person’s emotions and behaviors can drive us into guilt, which may challenge our own personal boundaries. Before you know it, we might be climbing into the rescue helicopter and dialing the automatic pilot to the “No Boundaries Mode” so that we are always emotionally available to the other person. Now don’t get me wrong. Being emotionally available is a…