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What Happens During Family Counseling?

What Happens During Family Counseling?
During family counseling, a therapist typically helps family members explain their concerns, understand how each person sees the situation, identify recurring communication or conflict patterns, set treatment goals, and practice healthier ways of responding to one another. Sessions may involve the whole family or different combinations of family members depending on the treatment plan. The…
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What Problems Can Family Counseling Help With?

What Problems Can Family Counseling Help With?
Family counseling can help with problems involving communication, repeated conflict, parenting disagreements, parent-teen relationships, blended-family adjustment, trust, boundaries, grief, divorce, major life changes, and the effects of addiction or other personal struggles on the household. Rather than focusing only on which person is “causing” the problem, family therapy may help family members recognize recurring relationship…
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How Do I Know If My Family Needs Counseling?

How Do I Know If My Family Needs Counseling?
Your family may benefit from counseling when communication problems, repeated conflict, parenting disagreements, trust concerns, behavioral issues, or major life changes are becoming difficult to resolve and are affecting several family members. You do not have to wait until your family reaches a crisis point. Family counseling may be worth considering when the same problems…
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What Is Family Counseling and How Does It Work?

What Is Family Counseling and How Does It Work?
Family counseling is a form of therapy that helps family members understand and improve the patterns affecting their relationships. Rather than focusing only on one person, family counseling may address communication, conflict, parenting, boundaries, behavior, life transitions, and the ways family members respond to one another. A therapist typically helps the family identify concerns, establish…
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What Is an EMDR Hangover, and How Long Do the Side Effects Last?

What Is an EMDR Hangover, and How Long Do the Side Effects Last?
If you've recently completed an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy session and now feel unusually tired, emotional, mentally foggy, or are experiencing vivid dreams, you are not alone. Many people search online for phrases like "EMDR hangover," "Why am I so tired after EMDR?" or "Is it normal to feel worse after EMDR…
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Is EMDR Therapy Effective for Complex PTSD and Childhood Neglect?

Is EMDR Therapy Effective for Complex PTSD and Childhood Neglect?
If you experienced ongoing childhood neglect, emotional abuse, repeated criticism, domestic violence, or other long-term traumatic experiences while growing up, you may find that the effects continue to influence your life decades later. Many adults struggle with persistent anxiety, difficulty trusting others, emotional numbness, relationship challenges, low self-worth, or a constant feeling of being on…
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How Do I Know If I Am a Good Candidate for EMDR Therapy?

How Do I Know If I Am a Good Candidate for EMDR Therapy?
If you've been researching trauma therapy, you've probably come across Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Perhaps a friend recommended it after overcoming post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or maybe your therapist mentioned it as a possible treatment option. Either way, one question naturally follows: "How do I know if I'm a good candidate for…
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Does EMDR Therapy Work for Children and Teenagers, and How Is It Adapted?

Does EMDR Therapy Work for Children and Teenagers, and How Is It Adapted?
Parents naturally want to protect their children from emotional pain, but some experiences can leave lasting effects that are difficult for a child or teenager to process on their own. A frightening accident, the loss of a loved one, abuse, bullying, family conflict, medical trauma, or another overwhelming experience can sometimes continue affecting a young…
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What Actually Happens During a Typical EMDR Counseling Session?

What Actually Happens During a Typical EMDR Counseling Session?
For many people exploring mental health treatment options, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) sounds incredibly promising—but also a bit mysterious. It is entirely normal to feel a hint of anxiety when considering a therapy that deviates from traditional "talk therapy." To clear up the mystery, let’s pull back the curtain and look at what…
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Is EMDR Only for PTSD, or Can It Help with Anxiety and Depression?

Is EMDR Only for PTSD, or Can It Help with Anxiety and Depression?
For many years, EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) was considered a specialized therapy reserved exclusively for military veterans or survivors of severe, singular catastrophes. It built its reputation as a gold-standard treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), leading many to believe that if they hadn’t experienced a major, life-threatening event, EMDR wasn't for…
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EMDR vs. CBT —Which Trauma Therapy Really Works?

EMDR vs. CBT —Which Trauma Therapy Really Works?
When you decide to seek therapy for trauma, stress, or anxiety, you are quickly confronted with an alphabet soup of modalities. Two of the most heavily researched and widely recommended options are CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). While both have helped millions of people regain control of their…
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During EMDR Therapy Do You Have to Talk About Your Trauma?

During EMDR Therapy Do You Have to Talk About Your Trauma?
For many people living with the aftermath of trauma, the idea of traditional talk therapy feels like an insurmountable hurdle. The thought of sitting in a room and verbally dissecting your most painful memories, piece by piece, can feel less like healing and more like being retraumatized. If you are seeking relief but dreading the…
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When is Family Counseling Covered by Insurance?

When is Family Counseling Covered by Insurance?
It may be confusing to figure out how the insurance system works for covering family counseling when you have a lot of stress at home. Today, you are trying to find out whether your family’s mental health needs can be met with the proper insurance coverage you carry. Here’s the quick answer, many health insurance…
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What Are the Top Reasons Families Seek Counseling?

What Are the Top Reasons Families Seek Counseling?
There is no shortage of reasons why families choose to seek assistance with their issues by going to family counseling. Many families face emotional challenges, disconnection, and other issues, both occasionally and devastatingly. If a family is experiencing ongoing issues that impact the mental health of one member or the stability of the family unit,…
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How Does Family Counseling Helps Improve Family Relationships?

How Does Family Counseling Helps Improve Family Relationships?
Family counseling is an approach to therapy where families get help from a licensed mental health specialist in a collaborative manner. The goal is to help families learn to communicate better, resolve conflicts and create strong bonds with each other. Family counseling also allows families to deal with issues such as ongoing arguments with each…
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Critical Factors Why Family Counseling Makes Good Sense

Critical Factors Why Family Counseling Makes Good Sense
Families can go through rough patches. Stress associated with job loss, divorce, financial problems, parenting struggles, major life changes, and misunderstanding among family members can be a consistent source of frustration within a family. Even families who deeply love each other may find themselves at a point where communication is breaking down; and relationships are…
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How Do I Know If I Need Trauma Counseling?

How Do I Know If I Need Trauma Counseling?
You might think of trauma as something that occurs during big life events such as natural disasters, acts of violence, or military service. While those things can certainly be traumatic (we even deal with those things happening in our society such as road rage and mass shootings in 2026), trauma can also be caused by…
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How Can Couples Therapy Help and What Does It Involve?

How Can Couples Therapy Help and What Does It Involve?
Like other forms of psychotherapy, couples therapy endeavors to relieve people’s suffering and enhance their functioning in one critical area of their lives. But unlike other formats, there are generally three clients in the room along with the psychotherapist. There is each partner in the couple, and then there is the relationship. In a very…
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Can Trauma Counseling Help Your Deal with PTSD Symptoms and Start Being Happy Again?

Can Trauma Counseling Help Your Deal with PTSD Symptoms and Start Being Happy Again?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an extreme disorder that negatively affects survivors of horrific events. Trauma counseling can help individuals work through and recover from severe PTSD symptoms. Here we discuss why trauma counseling is relevant, learn about the various therapeutic modalities, and understand how it helps heal individuals suffering from PTSD. What is…
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Can Marriage Counseling Help After an Affair?

Can Marriage Counseling Help After an Affair?
Discovering that your partner has cheated on you can be devastating. Equally as upsetting is finding that you were the one who was unfaithful. You may be wondering how you’ll ever recover from the pain caused by infidelity. Is counseling after cheating possible? Can marriage counseling or couples counseling help with infidelity? And is it…
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PTSD Therapy: Which Types Are the Most Helpful?

PTSD Therapy: Which Types Are the Most Helpful?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often associated with combat veterans, but it affects people from all backgrounds who experience or witness trauma. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by overwhelming feelings of fear, stress, worry, and/or dread. If you’ve ever experienced PTSD symptoms, you know that flashbacks and nightmares can be so severe…
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Do You Need PTSD Counseling? Here’s What to Expect at Your First Session

Do You Need PTSD Counseling? Here’s What to Expect at Your First Session
Entering therapy when you’ve experienced trauma may feel daunting—you’re probably already overwhelmed with dealing with life as it is and replaying your past. When I hear from prospective clients, the biggest fear about trauma therapy is that they’ll be asked to retell their story, break down, and face experiences they aren’t ready to handle yet.…
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Couples Counseling: What to Expect & Can it Save Your Marriage?

Couples Counseling: What to Expect & Can it Save Your Marriage?
So, what happens during couples counseling? The image you conjure up may be quite simple. A married couple struggling in their relationship decides to get some help from a therapist. The couple sits down on opposite ends of a comfy sofa and tell the marriage counselor all the things they hate about their spouse. The…
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Can Couples Counseling Save Your Relationship?

Can Couples Counseling Save Your Relationship?
It’s not uncommon for people in relationships to experience challenges here and there. Whether you and your partner are having communication problems, trust issues, disagreements over where to spend the holidays, arguments about chores, career stresses, children, in-laws, or money, there’s always the potential for two people to butt heads. If you find yourself on…
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What are the Main Types of Therapy for Trauma?

What are the Main Types of Therapy for Trauma?
There are so many types of therapy out there that it can feel overwhelming when you’re trying to pick just one. Trying to narrow it down can feel stressful and draining for many trauma survivors. Luckily, there’s no ONE right way to do therapy. When you know how to filter through the options and recognize…
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What Types of Therapy Are Most Effective for Trauma and PTSD?

What Types of Therapy Are Most Effective for Trauma and PTSD?
Dealing with trauma is challenging and often confusing. When you are hurting, you may not know where to turn or what to do. You should not have to face trauma by yourself. There are many types of therapy that can help you better manage or work through the after-effects of whatever event cause you to…
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What Is the Difference Between Trauma Counseling and PTSD Treatment?

What Is the Difference Between Trauma Counseling and PTSD Treatment?
Trauma can cause intense emotional and physical symptoms that stick with survivors for years. PTSD is a mental health condition that many experience after trauma, but not everyone develops PTSD. Understanding how trauma and PTSD symptoms differ is important when you or someone you love is hurting. This article will review what trauma is, what…
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What are the Most Effective Therapies for Trauma?

What are the Most Effective Therapies for Trauma?
Here are eight evidence-based therapies that treat trauma. Keep in mind that the ‘best’ type of therapy will depend on your experience and symptoms: Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) (most effective trauma therapy for PTSD) Other treatments mentioned below Ready to learn more about each one?…
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What Issues Can Family Counseling Help Resolve?

What Issues Can Family Counseling Help Resolve?
Families are unique and may argue for many reasons. What makes your family special can also test your understanding and empathy. Your family may frustrate you, but love can amplify conflicts. Disagreement is inevitable. Your family will share laughter and plenty of differences. The good news is that you can handle these conflicts through family…
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How Many Times a Week Should I Go to Therapy Sessions?

How Many Times a Week Should I Go to Therapy Sessions?
Feeling Stuck? We’ve all felt like we’re giving 110% to our treatment but not improving. If that sounds like you, you might benefit from increasing frequency. While weekly sessions are great, consider seeing your therapist twice a week to gain momentum and focus. There’s no “right answer,” but this article breaks down how to answer…
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How Do I Know If My Family Needs Counseling?

How Do I Know If My Family Needs Counseling?
All families face challenges. Most resolve issues on their own, but sometimes outside help is necessary. Family counseling can help. When should you seek family counseling? That’s a question many people struggle to answer. In this blog, we discuss signs that your family needs therapy to overcome challenges and live happier. Top Signals Your Family…
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Does Grief Therapy Help with Complicated or Prolonged Grief?

Does Grief Therapy Help with Complicated or Prolonged Grief?
Losing a loved one is deeply painful, but for most people, grief gradually eases. Sometimes, however, grief remains intense for months or years, signaling complicated or prolonged grief disorder. Grief therapy is a proven way to help when sadness feels overwhelming. Grief counseling often begins about a week after the funeral. If you are in…
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What Exactly is Family Therapy and How is it Different from Individual Therapy?

What Exactly is Family Therapy and How is it Different from Individual Therapy?
While individual therapy can be transformational, at times, our struggles with mental health are symptomatic of pathological systems we are part of, most pointedly our families. Where discord, lack of communication, or emotional pressure affect more than one individual, family therapy may prove to be a more healing option than just individual therapy. At Odyssey…
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What are the Different Types of Anxiety Disorders?

What are the Different Types of Anxiety Disorders?
Stress, worry and anxiety are all a normal part of life. Fear is useful in that it motivates us to do something; for instance, if we fear a test, we prepare for it; or if we fear that a challenging situation is on the way, we are alerted and can get ready for it. But,…
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When is Therapy Confidential and When Is It Not Confidential?

When is Therapy Confidential and When Is It Not Confidential?
Some people never going to therapy because they are not confident that their therapy sessions would be confidential. This is a common concern, and an important one. Will people know the content of my therapy? So is therapy confidential? Yes, therapy is kept confidential in general. There are very tight privacy laws regarding what you…
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What’s the Best Way to Beat the Winter Blues?

What’s the Best Way to Beat the Winter Blues?
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… except when you don’t feel well. Fortunately there are many ways to avoid the winter blues and lift your spirits. As many as 50 percent of those in four- season areas have reported experiencing the "winter blues," which is defined as a mild depression including symptoms of…
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What are Some Healthy Ways to Deal with Grief?

What are Some Healthy Ways to Deal with Grief?
Shook. Fury. Guilt. Sorrow. Everyone experiences grief in their own way – there is no “right” way to grieve. Grief is an emotional shotgun blast that physically assaults your ability to sleep, eat, and focus. Though grief is a uniquely personal experience, there are coping strategies and healthy ways to deal with grief that may…
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What are Some Strategies I Can Use to Combat the Winter Blues?

What are Some Strategies I Can Use to Combat the Winter Blues?
If you’ve realized that you are consistently unhappy when the days grow shorter, you’re not alone. The days darken and the weather begins to chill. We find ourselves outdoors less and exposed to light less. This can disrupt the body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) and, still producing the sleep hormone, melatonin, result in a decreased…
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How Can Counseling Help Me Cope with a Death in the Family?

How Can Counseling Help Me Cope with a Death in the Family?
Grief can be a response to even the most heart-wrenching of circumstances, including a divorce, an empty nest, or death. Though everyone will feel this emotion, no two individuals are likely to experience it the same way or within the same time frame. The specific stages that most individuals will go through are relatively similar…
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How Do I Deal with Travel Anxiety?

How Do I Deal with Travel Anxiety?
Have you ever struggled with insomnia, intrusive racing thoughts, or the desire to just cancel it all when you’re trying to look forward to the next trip? If this is the case, you are not alone. Anxiety over travel, whether due to the stress of being in an airport or on an airplane, fear of…
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What is the Difference Between Stress and Anxiety?

What is the Difference Between Stress and Anxiety?
There are numerous psychological, physiological, and physical symptoms and effects of stress or anxiety. Some of them – rapid breathing, stomach upset, constipation, diarrhea, rapid heartbeat, inability to relax, and others – are common in both conditions. Stress and anxiety are both adaptive, natural human responses that have a function, and it is important to…
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How Can Marriage Counseling Help Us Deal with Our Marital Problems?

How Can Marriage Counseling Help Us Deal with Our Marital Problems?
Falling in love, watching it grows, and then marriage can be blissful, but no relationship is all upsides. In fact, it is the long haul of a marriage that can be hard on a union. Raising children, financial matters, working long hours, your own personal battles – simply learning how to adjust to life’s peaks…
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What are the Main Reasons We Might Need Marriage Counseling?

What are the Main Reasons We Might Need Marriage Counseling?
Love feels good. But as with our cars, which periodically need an oil change or a tune-up, so too do our relationships sometimes require some maintenance. Did you ever get the sense that your marriage could use some tweaking? Marriage counseling could be the answer. Is it for you? Below are 10 signs that may…
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What are the Benefits of Family Therapy and What Can We Expect If We Start Going?

What are the Benefits of Family Therapy and What Can We Expect If We Start Going?
Family therapy aims to enhance how a family operates and interacts. Family therapy can also offer these benefits, in addition to aiding families in articulating their feelings and solving other issues: Enhanced family connection: Family therapy enables families to form more authentic connections, bringing them closer together. By being open, honest, and empathetic, people can…
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What are the Advantages of Family Counseling?

What are the Advantages of Family Counseling?
Families are the key influence on our health and happiness. All families are unique, of course, but over time, many find themselves grappling with conflicts and strained relations, life transitions and loss, and mental health problems or drug abuse. Please know that help is available and can make a tangible difference for your family. Family…
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How Can Family Counseling Assist with Parent-Child Conflicts?

How Can Family Counseling Assist with Parent-Child Conflicts?
While parenting is one of the most satisfying experiences people can have, it can also be challenging. Conflicts arise, communication becomes stagnant, and both parents and children may feel that the other does not understand. Individual therapy also provides the opportunity to improve family relationships and work through some of these challenges together. One intervention…
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How Frequently Do I Need to Go to Counseling?

How Frequently Do I Need to Go to Counseling?
How frequently should you attend therapy? The ideal option is weekly so that it allows for exploration and creating a strong connection but that can depend on the individual. So, your concerns are suggesting methods of therapy, and the practicalities of everyday life all contribute. Talking to your therapist will help you identify the days…
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