Susan J. Gillespy, LMFT
Counseling for Individuals, couples and families
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Services Offered
 
Counseling services vary according to the need.  
 
Individual Counseling
Sometimes people ae wanting to look at issues regarding life transitions such as career decisions or how to best care for aging parents.  Feelings of depression, anxiety (stress) and feelings of panic are also appropriate issues for focus in individual counseling. It can be hard to ask for help but it can also be very nice to have some support when needed during critical points in life.
 
 
 
 
 
Couples/Marriage Counseling
Couples therapy may be appropriate for people in committed relationships who are needing help with their relationship.  Often matters concerning infidelity, anger, divorce and communication are brought into the consulting room.  Couples therapy for the most part is conducted with both partners in the room but sometimes there are occasions when one or both partners are seen separately.
 
Couples therapy may be done when people are just beginning to committ themselves to one another and are perhaps contemplating marriage.  At this stage of the relationship it can be an ideal opportunity to take off the blinders that come with the early stages of love and look at potential rough areas more objectively.
 
Couples therapy can also be useful when couples are into their married lives and trying to sort out differences in communication, life transitions (such as how best to deal with in-laws or aging parents) and other blips that come up on their radar. 
 
 
Unfortunately many couples wait until their relationship is very strained to try counseling.  Even then, when problems such as arguing, emotional distance in the marriage and infidelity have taken hold, counseling can be a useful tool in resolving problems and getting on with life. 
 
 

 

 

 

  

 

Family Counseling

Issues such as parenting differences, declining school grades, poor communication within the home or trouble with children all fall under the realm of family counseling.  Family counseling may be done with two or more people.  At times individual sessions may be conducted within a family counseling format in order to address special needs. 

 

 

 

 

 Habit Control/Performance Enhancement

Individuals sometimes look for ways to optimize their skills and abilities in order to acheive greater personal or professional fulfillment.  Brief therapeutic techniques can be helpful in finding new ways to accomplish things.  Musicians, atheletes and other professionals who are striving for excellence often turn to brief periods of coaching when they need to break out of slumps or want to make changes in special areas.  Anxious about tests and grades?  Brief counseling can help with that, too!

 

Performance enhancement can take two different routes.  It can come in the form of traditional therapy where issues from the past that block current progress are examined and traditional therapeutic methods are utilized.  This method can be useful in many situations and is especially useful for people who have multiple needs and problems occurring at the same time.  Perhaps problems at home or recent losses are affecting performance.  Feelings of sadness or depression are getting in the way. Traditional therapy can help resolve these issues and can allow energy to be freed up for forward movement in desired areas. 

 

The other route to take to enhance performance and to get "unstuck" is through brief therapy.  The focus is more on the present and future and less time is spent on the past. Brief therapy often takes the form of hypnosis and other tecniques that help unlock the doors to new possibilities and options.