Category: Blog

It’s not hard to spot couples who are in intimate relationships. They’re holding hands, smiling towards one another, or whispering something to each other that generates a laugh.

Many couples want to have that type of intimate relationship. Yet, it’s not always clear to them how to get there.

Does this sound like you and your partner?

There are ways to build and nurture intimacy, no matter what stage you are in with a relationship. And it’s not that hard to do at all. Though, it does take time.

Here’s how you and your partner can create the intimate relationship that you truly want.

Encouraging Physical Intimacy

Whenever someone talks about physical intimacy, it seems that the first thing that comes to mind is the bedroom. Although sex is important for a relationship, it’s not the only way to encourage physical intimacy. In fact, many other moments provide intimacy. That’s because they show that you care about and love your partner.

Here are some examples:

• Holding hands
• Walking arm-in-arm, which is closer in proximity than hand-holding
• Giving each other a morning hug or kiss before starting the day
• Dancing!
• Lying together in bed vs. staying on your own sides

Reflect for a moment about how easily you can provide more physical intimacy to your partner and show your love by doing some of these things.

Getting Real with Emotional Intimacy

Perhaps you envision talking about each other’s feelings when you hear someone mention emotional intimacy. And yes, it’s important to share and discuss what each of you is feeling. However, that doesn’t fully encapsulate what it means to be emotionally intimate.

Other areas of emotional intimacy include:

• Talking about your desires and wants
• Discussing your hopes and dreams
• Express any worries or concerns that each of you has

What’s also important is that these conversations occur in a climate free of judgment. Listen to each other and hear what your partner has to say. And refrain from jumping in or wanting to take over the discussion.

When one of you talks and the other listens, you both build understanding. It’s that understanding that will carry both of you through the ups and downs of your relationship.

Having Meaningful Experiences Together

You can blend physical and emotional intimacy by having meaningful experiences as a couple. These experiences are the glue that binds the two of you together.

For one, when you both do something fun, engaging, and even a little challenging, that creates excitement. However, that doesn’t mean you have to go skydiving together to get these benefits!

Instead, think about what you both like to do as individuals, and as a couple. Even better, try a new activity that neither of you has done before. For example, taking a private cooking class where you learn to prepare a meal you’ve never tried before. That can be more exciting than skydiving and more meaningful when done together.

When You Need Extra Help

While all these things sound like great ideas for building intimacy (and they are!), you and your partner might find yourselves needing a little extra support with this process. That’s where a therapist who understands relationship counseling comes in.

A skilled couples counselor will be able to help both of you with more ideas about building intimacy. Maybe you struggle with expressing your emotions in ways that accurately convey what you are feeling. Or perhaps your partner has lingering past experiences that make it difficult for forging physical intimacy. Therapy will help both of you to improve in these areas so that you can have the relationship you really want.

—

Building a relationship together is an ever-constant process. However, it doesn’t take much time to give your partner a hug or have a chat over coffee in the morning. Yet, if you do find yourselves struggling with building intimacy or strengthening your relationship, please contact us, 256-686-9195.

When you think about the word loneliness, perhaps an image that comes to mind involves isolation.

For example, you see yourself looking through a window at the world. There is a barrier (in this case the window and wall) physically keeping you from other people.

It’s a powerful metaphor for a feeling that is also profound and impactful. Even if you are surrounded by people in your everyday life (friends, family, etc.), you might still feel isolated and disconnected from them.

So, what is the best way to overcome loneliness? It’s by forging real, lasting connections with other people that give you a sense of belonging.

Here’s how.

Be a Joiner

Did you ever know that student in high school who was a member of every club, had the lead role in the school play, and also was a 3-season athlete? That’s an example (although extreme) of someone who is a joiner. They are parts of lots of groups.

When you are part of a group, you feel accepted. You know that you belong. Remember, belonging is essential for overcoming loneliness. Although, you don’t have to go to extremes like the student in the imaginary scenario.

Some examples of groups that you could join include:

• Recreational sports leagues
• Groups that host trivia nights
• Book clubs
• Outdoor enthusiasts
• Service organizations
• Religious or spiritual groups
• Gyms that host group classes
• Other special interest groups: classic car rebuilding, birdwatchers, etc.

With the power of the internet, all you have to do is a quick search for groups in your area that align with your interests. You may be surprised about what all is available in your local.

Go for Deep Connections

One thing to keep in mind when joining a group or being part of an organization is going for deeper connections.

In the example above, the student may be involved in many different groups, but does that automatically mean they have deep and meaningful connections with others in those groups? Maybe. But it’s more likely they don’t have the kinds of relationships to help overcome social isolation.

That’s why, when considering expanding your horizons, take it slow. Think quality over quantity. Join one or two groups at first. If things work out, great! Yet, if you don’t think that it’s a good fit after a few visits, move on to another that will be.

Develop Friendships

An offshoot of joining a group is that the connections you’re building with other people can turn into lasting friendships.

You don’t need the excuse of a group meeting to chat with a friend on the phone or through social media, get together for a drink to swap stories, or go for a bike ride. These are more impromptu experiences that allow you to forge deeper friendships.

Of course, it helps to start with a group setting to find other people with whom you have common interests. But don’t just leave it at that.

Use Technology to Your Advantage

Oftentimes, modern technology such as cell phones, computers, as well as software (like social media apps) have a bad reputation for keeping us apart. To be fair, there certainly can be a concern for overusing technology versus building meaningful, in-person relationships. However, for those who struggle with loneliness, technology can be a great tool for getting things started.

For example:

• Texting with a friend
• Joining a group on a social media site with a common interest (photography, gardening, etc.).
• Video chats
• Playing games together

What’s important is that these tools can be a bridge towards creating meaningful real-world relationships and belonging. If you are sitting at home and just passively watching videos online or TV, you are not making any progress towards combating loneliness.

Get Professional Help for Loneliness

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, it’s still a struggle to not feel lonely. Maybe there is something more that’s going on? For instance, perhaps your social skills need some polishing. Or you might need to build up your confidence so that you don’t feel overwhelmed interacting with other people.

This is where therapy can be helpful in getting you to the next level. Talking to a therapist doesn’t mean that there is something “wrong” with you. Rather, it is a chance to refine and practice skills you can use to form relationships.

—

Despite there being over 6 billion people on this planet, many struggle with social isolation and loneliness. If you feel alone, try practicing the tips listed above. And if you need more personalized assistance for dealing with loneliness, please don’t hesitate to contact us, 256-686-9195.

Oftentimes, the advice given to those who have experienced trauma due to another person is to separate themselves from that relationship. For example, if you were abused by your romantic partner, then you should leave and go somewhere safe.

That advice is still true. However, what happens afterward? What if you and your partner still want to mend the relationship?

Or what if other people in your life have caused trauma for you, but they are not your romantic partner? For instance, your teen may have traumatized you by hitting, punching, making threats, etc. But they are still your child, after all, and you still love them.

So, what are you to do?

Here are some thoughts on how to survive being around the person who traumatized you.

Physical Safety First

Before going any further it’s very important to recognize that you can’t be around this person unless you feel physically safe. Period. If you don’t, then you must remove yourself from their presence.

It’s important to emphasize that this is okay. You need to be safe.

Maybe in the future, there could be the possibility of you being around this person again. But if that isn’t possible for now, then you need to take the steps necessary to maintain safety. Even if you have to leave your home. Reach out to your local crisis center for help or contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to www.thehotline.org.

Separating the Person From Their Actions

Once the above issue has been addressed, consider how you can survive to be around this person. For one, you can try separating the person from their actions.

For example, let’s say that the person who has traumatized you is great most of the time. However, you know that they struggle with anger problems. Although, you know that deep down they want to be kind and empathetic.

Creating this separation helps to avoid labeling someone as “bad.” You can certainly say that their behavior is inappropriate, without saying they are inappropriate. If there are mental health issues involved, that can certainly help with making this separation. When the person is struggling, it’s the mental health problem, not them, that is the issue.

Creating Strong Boundaries

Another way to be around someone who caused trauma in your life is to create and maintain strong boundaries. For instance, both of you agree that certain actions or behaviors are unacceptable. If they happen again, then there will be consequences.

That may include, for example:

• You leaving the home
• Calling law enforcement
• Separation or divorce for romantic couples

It’s important for that person to know that you and they are not living in a vacuum. Actions have consequences.

Neither of you has to be wedded to the past. However, that doesn’t mean that both of you should forget what happened, but it means making informed choices about how to move forward in the future.

Improving Your Communication

Communicating will be important if you are to continue to be around the person who traumatized you. This includes discussing what happened and acknowledging the situation.

Yet, it also means learning and practicing communication skills so that situation doesn’t happen again in the future. That can be tough, especially when there are a lot of strong emotions to deal with. Make sure that both of you take the time to communicate and focus on one skill at a time.

Getting Professional Support

It should be no surprise that these kinds of issues require professional help. Talking to a therapist who understands trauma will be necessary for both of you.

Consider seeing a therapist together, as well as individually. If you are to get through this, you will need someone who can provide the big picture, teach the necessary communication skills, and who is a safe person to talk to.

—

Relationships are complicated, and sometimes, the situation calls for maintaining a relationship with a person who caused trauma. Consider doing so only after you know you can be physically safe. And remember, if the situation gets worse, don’t hesitate to do what you need to do to maintain safety.

Finally, make sure both you have professional help from a therapist experienced in trauma therapy. If you would like to know more about how I can help, please contact us, 256-686-9195.

One of the many problems associated with depression is the belief that there is no way out of the doom-and-gloom. In other words, hopelessness.

If you have depression, then you know this feeling. You might have even tried counseling before, but it didn’t work. And those setbacks have only added to that sense of hopelessness.

What winds up happening is you develop a belief that there is nothing that you can do to fix the problem. It’s always going to be like this. But, does it have to be?

Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR, is a strategy that can be used for depression. Yet, how effective is this treatment?

The Basics of EMDR

EMDR is a treatment method that, at its essence, utilizes eye-movements in conjunction with guidance from a therapist to help you process traumatic memories.

The therapist starts by taking a detailed history of your issue (in this case, depression) and how it has affected you. They are not judging you or trying to discount your experience. Rather, they aim to tailor the EMDR treatment for your needs specifically. At the same time, they also teach you coping methods to handle the strong emotions that will likely come up during treatment.

Then, in session, the therapist will ask you to bring up a memory from the past that has been causing you distress. As they guide you through experiencing the memory, they’ll pass a finger, pen, or similar object back and forth in front of you. Your eyes follow the object while you allow yourself to experience the emotions evoked by the memory.

Similar to what happens during REM sleep, the physical act of tracking the finger allows your brain to reprocess the traumatic memory. Over time, it becomes less distressing, to the point that it no longer is triggering for you.

Why EMDR Can be Effective in Treating Depression

Depression is a complicated problem. The reason why is that the source of depression can come from a variety of means. Certainly, biology does play a role. If you had a parent that struggled with depression, then there is a chance that you might develop it as well.

However, depression also arises due to life experiences. These life experiences often are the result of trauma that you’ve endured. It could be a major loss or witnessing a violent act. Or it could be trauma that is experienced repeatedly.

All these experiences may cause you several beliefs:

• “No one understands me”
• “I feel powerless to do anything about this”
• “I don’t deserve help”

In some cases, the depression may stretch so far back that it’s all you’ve ever really known. It’s become a way of life for you. And it seems like life without depression is something you can’t even imagine.

What makes EMDR so effective for depression is that you now have power over what’s happening to you. You have the ability, and even permission, to feel those emotions and memories that you have been struggling with for so long.

With the help of the eye movements, your brain is able to finally process and store-away, if you will, those memories and thoughts.

After you’ve completed EMDR treatment, they no longer are at the forefront of your mind. Yes, they still exist. After all, they are your lived experience. But now they don’t have to drag you down. It’s like a burden that has finally been released.

Avail Yourself of a Powerful Tool

EMDR is a powerful tool that focuses on healing. It’s not meant to drag up old memories that you’d rather forget. Instead, it’s about putting those memories to rest. And with that you no longer have to be defined by those thoughts, allowing your depression to finally lift.

If you are interested in how EMDR can work for your depression, I invite you to contact us 256-686-9195

No doubt, you have seen them while out and about in your daily life. You go to the store and see someone with a dog in a place you weren’t expecting. They probably had on a vest that identified them as a service dog or therapy dog.

Yet, what do these terms mean?

Granted, it can be confusing, as it might seem that both types of dogs are similar. After all, they help people, right?

Yes, but in different ways.

In fact, the U.S. Department of Justice has specific guidance as to what is a service dog versus a therapy dog. Knowing the difference can be very helpful if you or someone you know is considering utilizing a dog to help with particular issues.

What Is a Service Dog?

A service dog, as defined by the Justice Department is “a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.”

A disability would be an impairment that is recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), such as a physical disadvantage (being blind or confined to a wheelchair) or a mental ailment (struggling with PTSD). This law was created to protect the rights of those who have a disability. And it stipulates that these individuals may utilize a service dog to help them and make them feel safe.

A key marker for service dogs is that they are trained specifically to assist a person with their particular disability. One example that highlights this point is a service dog assisting a person who has seizures. Canines have the ability to detect an oncoming seizure in a person before they even realize it’s happening. A well-trained service dog can warn its owner that a seizure is coming, which helps them to prepare for it. Additionally, the dog also helps keep the person safe when a seizure is occurring.

Obviously, it takes time to train a service dog to perform these tasks correctly and safely.

What Is a Therapy Dog?

Therapy dogs are different than service dogs in that they are not specifically trained to perform a task related to someone’s disability. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they are not useful! In fact, they are certified, registered dogs that have to meet stringent requirements.

A therapy dog can provide comfort and support for someone who has trauma or other emotional issues. They may serve in hospitals and nursing homes, therapist’s offices, or in homes to help decrease stress and anxiety levels. That’s because having a therapy dog present and interact with them can help lower blood pressure, slow breathing, and release feel-good hormones.

So the issue is that they’re not “of service.” It’s that they don’t fall under the definition of “service dog” because they’re not trained to perform specific tasks.

The Important Difference Between a Service Dog and a Therapy Dog

It all comes down to the law. Under the ADA, a person with a disability who uses a service dog cannot be denied services. For example, a blind person using a service dog would be allowed to bring the animal into a grocery store or restaurant. Of course, the dog must be under your control, and it must be housebroken.

Therapy dogs, on the other hand, do not have this protection. So if you would bring a therapy dog into a business (even if it had a vest that identified it as such), you could be denied service as it is not classified as a service animal.

For an individual who would like a dog for support, it would be best to seek guidance in order to choose the right do for the job. In broad terms, if you have a diagnosed disability and need help with performing specific tasks, then a service dog would be appropriate. On the other hand, if you need general emotional comfort and support, then a therapy dog might be the best choice. If you are unsure, ask organizations in your area that specialize in dog training.

—

Dogs, in general, make great pets because of their capacity for unending love and affection to their owners. They are also intelligent animals that can be trained for a range of tasks. If you are struggling, either emotionally or with getting by in your day-to-day activities, then a service or therapy dog might be the answer you need.

Also, at Luminous Counseling, we can provide the companionship of a therapy dog to boost your sessions. Please, call/text us to find out more, 256-686-9195.

When you have been together for a while, it’s easy to get “comfortable.” You each have your daily routines and interests. Of course, you both love each other.

Yet, that connection that you first had when you were dating has changed. The passion that you each felt has tempered a little over the years.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you both don’t still love each other. However, it might feel more difficult now to feel connected.

If this is a problem for your relationship, there are ways to rediscover a meaningful connection with your partner.

Here are some ideas to consider.

Spend Time Together Every Day

Before you say, “I’m already booked every day!”, think about this for a moment. In order to have a meaningful connection, you have to spend time being with each other. There’s no other way around it.

Why? Because time together means opportunities to share thoughts, ideas, laughs, and other things. Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to spend 6-8 hours with each other every day to make this happen.

Some ideas for spending time together are, for example:

• Dedicating 30 minutes or so at the start or end of each day to be together. Share coffee in the morning, or drink tea in the evening.
• Eating lunch together! Is it possible to arrange your schedules so that you can meet up for lunch during the day? That gives you an extra hour a week to connect.
• Maximizing weekends by spending a longer stretch of time in each others’ company.

Having different lengths of together-time spread over the week will help to lay the groundwork of rediscovering a meaningful connection with one another.

Become Experts at Resolving Conflicts

Every relationship has conflict. Yet, that doesn’t mean that conflict has to drive you both apart. Couples who are skilled at navigating and resolving conflict will be better able to stay connected.

Note that this is not a skill that occurs overnight. It takes time to master conflict management skills. And that process might involve a few bumps in the road for your relationship.

However, as both of you practice and refine those skills, conflicts don’t have as much of an impact anymore. If you quickly resolve relationship issues, then you can both put it behind you and move forward together.

Have Fun Together

When you have fun with anyone, you feel more relaxed and at ease. You have a common bond that is shared through something you do together. This applies to friendships, family, and your partner as well.

So to rediscover a meaningful relationship with your partner, do something fun together! Use the scheduling ideas mentioned above to build fun into your week.

It may seem a little ridiculous, scheduling fun, but we do live in an overly-scheduled world (which is decidedly not fun!). Accept the situation for what it is, and build fun into your week. Maybe it’s relaxing at home for movie night or going on an adventure on Saturday. There are lots of ways to factor fun into your relationship.

Rekindling Intimacy

No discussion about rediscovering a meaningful connection with your partner can happen without talking about intimacy.

Many couples often turn to therapy because the passion and spark that they once felt in the bedroom are gone. This is often due to partners having different levels of desire for sex, which in turn causes conflict. For example, one partner wants to have sex more often, while the other does not.

Couples can examine this issue and try to find common ground. Which includes discovering that intimacy doesn’t equal sex!

—

There is no one single solution to rediscovering meaning and connection in your relationship. Rather, it potentially requires addressing multiple issues that could be affecting your connection with each other. That’s why it’s important for couples to ask for help and consult with a therapist who understands relationship counseling.

If you would like help with reconnecting or relighting the spark in your relationship, why not call / text us 256-686-9195.

Typically, when we talk about experiencing trauma it’s usually associated with life events. For instance, during your childhood, you grew up with parents who were both emotionally and physically abusive.

However, what doesn’t always get as much attention is critical incident stress related to your work. This too is trauma. And just as with any kind of emotional trauma, work-related critical incidents are just as likely to lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

That’s why early intervention for critical incidents is so important. So is practicing self-care before such an incident arises so that you are better prepared to cope.

What Is a Critical Incident?

According to the U.S. Government’s Department of Health and Human Services, there are three types of incidents. They are:

Special Incidents: Traumatic events that happen to an employee that are not connected to work. For instance, getting involved in a traffic accident or having your home destroyed in a fire.

Critical Incidents: These do happen on the job and do affect the workplace. For example, a convenience store clerk is robbed during their shift, another employee makes violent threats to others, or someone dies while working.

Catastrophic Incidents: Catastrophic incidents are very severe and unexpected. Some of these may be connected to work; others not. For example, it could be that that a natural disaster strikes, such as a hurricane. Or there may be a workplace shooting with mass causalities.

The government considers critical incidents and catastrophic incidents to be most relevant to employees and workplace critical incident stress. They also note that workers may need more tools to best cope with critical incident stress and that employees are usually receptive to learning those skills once an event has occurred.

Building Positive Coping Skills

One way to cope with critical incident stress is to already have a set of healthy coping skills and tools. These are not complicated therapeutic practices or models. They are the things that you do every day to stay both physically and mentally healthy.

For example:

• Exercising regularly
• Cooking your own meals
• Drinking water
• Practicing mindfulness such as deep breathing
• Developing healthy relationships with people who you care about

You can use these tools when an incident does occur to better cope with the stress. Instead of feeling like you need to drink alcohol and retreat inwardly, you may go for a run or talk to a close friend. Knowing and applying these skills will really help when coping with the aftermath of a critical incident.

Coping with Critical Incident Stress

When a critical event does occur, it’s important for employees to know that they need to talk about what happened.

The intent isn’t to dwell on the incident or rehash what you could or could not do. The reason why you need to talk about the incident is to help your brain process what happened to you. That way you don’t continue to dwell or ruminate on the event weeks or months later.

For many professions, there is already a structure in place for this; it’s called critical incident stress debriefing. Careers that are more prone to critical incidents (fire departments, EMS, police, etc.) will require employees to go through critical incident stress debriefing after an event has occurred.

But what if your workplace doesn’t have critical incident stress debriefing?

Of course, many businesses don’t have a critical incident stress debriefing plan already in place. For example, it’s far less likely that a lawyer who owns their own, one-person practice or a small coffee shop owner will have developed such plans. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t get professional help if something does happen.

If this applies to you and an event occurs, don’t hesitate to get professional help from a therapist or counselor who understands trauma and PTSD.

—

Critical incident stress can happen regardless of your career or workplace. The key to coping with that stress is to build healthy coping skills beforehand. Also, when an event does occur, be willing to talk about it with a professional.

If you’ve already been through a critical incident or want to better prepare for one, consider call / text us 256-686-9195.

Shame is such a powerful emotion. But it’s not one that springs up from one moment to another—it slowly develops, over time.

Certainly, there are times when everybody feels embarrassed, awkward, etc. Yet, the feelings in those instances are quite different from feeling shame.

Shame is something that disrupts the very fiber of your being. It causes you to question your self-worth as a person. And it is rooted in experiences that go back years, or even decades.

In the end, shame causes you to doubt whether or not you are “enough.”

Such a powerful concept can drive anyone towards substance abuse, and eventually, addiction. Here’s how.

1. Shame Is Ever-Present

Unlike many momentary emotions, shame is ever-present in your life. It’s with you when you wake up and when you go to bed. While you might not be thinking about your shame every waking moment, it exists in the background.

Occasionally, shame rises to the surface because of a reminder or trigger. For example, let’s say that someone gives you a compliment. You have learned, over time, to put on a positive face and thank them for saying something nice. However, deep down you don’t really believe them. In fact, when they do compliment you, your mind automatically disputes it. It tells you that they must be lying, or if they knew the real “truth” they wouldn’t extend the compliment.

This is what makes shame an ever-present force in your life. And why it can erode your self-esteem.

2. Shame Has Roots in the Past

The origins of shame usually come from experiences that you have had in your past. For example, one would be your childhood. Did you have supportive, loving parents that lifted you up? Or were they critical, demeaning, or abusive?

These early life experiences definitely have an impact on how your personality and mindset develop. Also, these are often experiences that you’d rather forget. Hence, that’s why things can get out of control quickly and lead to addictive behavior.

3. Always Trying to Be Perfect

One aspect of shame that isn’t always noticeable is when someone is a perfectionist. Signs of a perfectionistic personality can be subtle or very obvious.

For example:

• The need to always get straight A’s in school, no matter what
• Thinking that people might be critical of you is overwhelming
• A desire to people-please
• Fear of letting others down

Perfectionism causes you to use up a lot of mental energy. It’s stressful and makes you feel anxious. That stress can become very overwhelming.

To cope with the stress, you might be tempted to use substances to calm down, relax, and forget. For instance, maybe you like having a drink or two to take the edge off in the evening. However, that could present the opening for addiction to take hold.

4. Questioning Your Worth

One of the critical, and perhaps existential, issues at the heart of shame is questioning your self-worth. When this occurs, you doubt whether you deserve anything positive, happy, or good in your life. In fact, when something positive does happen, you may immediately doubt and question it. Plus, you may avoid such things in the first place.

If you believe that you are unworthy, that can be a powerful gateway for addiction. When you don’t think that you deserve anything, then you are more likely to do things to yourself that are negative and harmful.

5. Reaching a State of Numbness

Finally, shame drives you to not want to feel anything at all. Addiction helps you accomplish this.

People who experience a lot of shame often become overwhelmed by their feelings of sadness and despair. So they numb those feelings by using substances. They bear down on those emotions so that they don’t have to experience them. All that is left is the euphoria from the high of the substance use.

If you don’t want to feel shame, it makes sense that you want to replace the feeling, or at least numb it. But, sadly, that’s only a momentary fix.

—

Shame has the power to take control of your life in ways that you may have not even expected. Using substances is a way many people cope with shame. However, substance use can quickly accelerate into an addiction.

Because the causes of the addiction are so complex, it’s important to work with a therapist to get help. I invite you to call / text us 256-686-9195.

Video conferencing, online meetings, and chat discussion groups have become the norm for getting work done in the internet age.

In your work, you might have to take part in an “all hands” online meeting in the AM, and then be messaging with a client in the afternoon. Or perhaps you have an interview with a potential new employee via a person-to-person video calling tool.

Thus, it makes sense that people—both clients and therapists—would consider counseling online to be an option as well. There are several advantages to utilizing these tools for mental health.

What are some?

When You Can’t Get There from Here

First, using the internet for counseling is really useful when you “can’t get there from here.” This is especially true for those who live in remote areas of the country. They may be hours from a hospital, let alone mental health services.

This should give you pause as, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), rural Americans are more likely to die by suicide than those that live in more urban areas. Any tool that can help bring that number down—including internet counseling—should definitely be considered.

A More Comfortable Way to Start the Process

Next, online therapy can be a helpful way for people to start their therapeutic journey.

It might be easier for someone to talk to a therapist initially via video chat than face-to-face. That could be because they can be in their home, which is comfortable and familiar. Or maybe because having that barrier of someone on a screen helps you feel safer.

Additionally, many companies offer instant messaging as part of their general services. And these tools allow for privacy. So, in essence, you can talk to someone about what’s going on for you and have more privacy than if you were in a therapists’ office.

Greater Availability

Depending on the service, you could message someone whenever you want. That can be really helpful as it frees up more time in your day.

Therapy in an office setting might only take fifty minutes. But there is the travel time to and from the office to get there. Because of distance, you may have to squeeze it in during your lunch break—which isn’t the most ideal.

More Accessibility for Those with Mobility Issues

Many people struggle with mobility issues. Perhaps they were in an accident recently and have a hard time getting around. Or they have a permanent disability or suffer from a long-term illness. Leaving their home might be difficult, especially without support.

However, online therapy helps remove that barrier. This is important, as they might be struggling with depression because of their mobility issue. Online therapy can ensure that, regardless of their ability to get around, these people get the help and emotional support they need.

But What About the Difficulty of Mastering a New Tool?

For many therapists and patients, using online tools to communicate with each other may seem daunting. However, this is just another barrier to care that can be addressed.

If you know how to do an online search, you can look up the steps to use this technology. Another idea is to ask a friend or loved one who understands how these tools work to get you started. You might be surprised how quickly you can get the knack of it!

Also, workshops or classes may offer another option. For instance, if you are a therapist, it might be one of the offerings on the agenda. If you are an older and retired individual, there may be a class available at your local community center. There are even events that pair young people with older adults to help them learn about these tools!

—

It can seem as if technology makes us more disconnected from one another. However, it does have the power to build connections too. This is especially true for those who might not have man options when needing professional mental health care services.

If you are considering online therapy and have questions about how it works, please don’t hesitate to call / text us 256-686-9195.

Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is complex and nuanced.

Usually, there is not just one but several issues that affect a person with ASD. These can include symptoms related to the condition. Additionally, there also can be secondary symptoms. These are typically connected to other mental health issues that also go along with autism.

To break down the symptoms of autism into more distinct categories, researchers have created a system. There are three categories, or levels, of autism. The criteria for these categories is formalized in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, or DSM-5.

Of course, nobody likes being labeled. And these classifications are not meant to discriminate. Rather, they help to better focus the care, attention, and services needed to best help someone with autism.

Let’s take a closer look at all three.

Level 1 Autism

The first level of autism is considered a mild form of ASD. Someone who would fall into this level of autism is capable of interacting with other people. However, they might still struggle and need coaching and assistance.

For example, in some of the following areas:

• Problems with starting a conversation
• Disinterest in interacting socially with other people
• Trouble with dynamic and fluid conversations
• Struggles with making friends and forming relationships
• Difficulty with adapting to change or switching tasks
• Inability to form and communicate complete sentences.

As noted, people diagnosed with level one autism do have the capacity to somewhat navigate life and social situation on their own. Yet, without support, they generally miss the nuances and details.

Level 2 Autism

Level two autism is a more acute category. People with this diagnosis struggle with everything mentioned in level one, just more intensely. Therefore, they need much more support.

Examples of issues for those with level two autism include:

• Have more significant problems when it comes to both verbal and also non-verbal communication.
• Talk in simple, single sentences
• Elicit repetitive behaviors
• Have more narrowed and specific interests
• Struggle with change
• Exhibit marked decrease of interest in social situations or interactions

Typically, it’s much more difficult for these people to navigate everyday life and social settings. Thus, they need much more support, including professional help with making adjustments.

Level 3 Autism

This is the most severe form of autism, and thus will require the most amount of support and professional services. Generally, people with this level of autism are not able to handle daily situations by themselves.

With level three autism you will see:

• Capacity to only speak one or two words at a time
• Rarely, if at all, social interactions on their own
• Very rigid in behavior
• Difficulty adapting to change, which causes intense feelings of distress
• Distinct repetitive behaviors

A Spectrum of Symptoms

It’s important to note that there’s a reason that ASD falls along a spectrum. Someone might receive an autism diagnosis but fall within a broad range of symptoms.

For instance, they might be considered to have level one autism. That means they have the capacity to be much more independent than someone who has a level three diagnosis, which requires a lot more support and treatment.

Thus, it’s critical to understand that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to autism. Each individual needs a thorough evaluation and receive a treatment plan specific to their needs. It’s especially important that family members understand the scope of autism symptoms.

Support for Autism

If you’re looking for support with handling autism, there are many options available. In fact, there can be multiple support services at work at the same time.

Some examples of support for adults with autism include:

• Academic help for those enrolled in college or university
• Job coaching
• Recreational services
• Life skills training

Another important support is autism counseling. An autism counselor is someone who is trained and experienced in working with people who have the disorder. This is important, as a counselor can be another resource for understanding how autism works and in which ways it affects your or your loved one’s life.

—

An Autism diagnosis doesn’t mean someone can’t lead a rich and fulfilling life. However, it does mean that the person will need certain support and resources. Understanding the different levels of autism and how they affect someone helps with ensuring they get the help they need.

If you or someone you know has ASD, consider seeking out an autism counselor. I invite you to call / text us 256-686-9195.