Though there are several specific types of anxiety disorder (i.e. Phobias, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder), they share common characteristic symptoms and treatment elements. Panic Disorder, for example, can include such symptoms as heart palpitations, trembling or shaking, shortness of breath, choking feelings, chest pain or discomfort, nausea, dizziness, chills or heat sensations, numbness or tingling sensations, feelings of unreality, fear of loss of control, or fear of dying.

Anxiety Disorders are among the most common of emotional disorders, and fortunately are among the most treatable. Various forms of psychotherapy can be effective, especially cognitive/behavioral psychotherapy. Anti-anxiety medications (i.e. Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin) can be used for short- term symptom control, and antidepressants are sometimes useful, especially when treating co-occurring depression.

Psychotherapy refers to a broad range of techniques designed to help patients gain an understanding of themselves, their concerns, and how their behavior and thinking affects their feelings. In therapy, the patient learns to identify and change maladaptive behavior and thinking so that emotional change can occur. This occurs in the context of a trusting and supportive therapeutic relationship with the therapist. Treatment can be short or long term (i.e. several weeks to several months), depending on the patient’s identified problems and goals.

Most Health Insurance Plans provide coverage for mental health treatment. This includes outpatient treatment, hospital treatment, and partial hospitalization, depending on patient needs. Often, co-payments, deductibles, or co-insurance will apply. You should review your particular policy carefully, or check with your health insurance carrier directly. You are free to contact our office regarding your health insurance coverage as well.

“ADHD” refers to Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. This is characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.

Treatment for ADHD should always begin with a careful and complete psychological evaluation. When this evaluation indicates the presence of ADHD, a treatment regimen consisting of medication, individual counseling, and family/school support can be very effective in alleviating the patient’s symptoms.

Binge Eating Disorder is a newly classified disorder. It refers to a problem with tending to eat large amounts of food over a discrete period of time, with a sense of lack of control over eating during these episodes. Binge-eating episodes may be associated with eating much more rapidly than usual, eating until feeling uncomfortably full, eating large amounts of food when not hungry, eating alone out of embarrassment, or feeling disgusted with one’s self or very guilty after eating.

Although Binge Eating Disorder comprises a new diagnostic category in the DSM-5 (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition), mental health professionals have been working with people suffering from this for many years and several recent controlled studies have indicated that Cognitive/Behavioral Psychotherapy, in either inpatient or outpatient settings, can be very helpful.

Relationship Counseling can often be very helpful when people in committed relationships find themselves unable to communicate effectively. They may argue about the same issues over and over, without being able to come to a solution. Anger may be getting in the way of effective communication, and resentment grows as time goes on. Learning to “fight fairly” and communicate more effectively can go a long way toward repairing a broken (or breaking) relationship. The techniques used in relationship counseling are adaptable to all sorts of relationships between people who need to communicate effectively, not only romantic partners.

YES! Decades of research have convincingly demonstrated that depression can act to decrease a patient’s pain threshold and that prolonged physical discomfort can result in the development of symptoms of clinical depression. Because of this, many physicians practicing pain management will refer their patients to psychologists who specialize in Behavioral Medicine. The role of the psychologist is to help the patient reduce the negative effects that chronic pain is having on his/her life; learning ways to reduce suffering, physical and emotional.

Starting with your initial call for services, our practice works to ensure that your privacy is respected and strictly maintained. NPA is fully HIPAA compliant. Clinical charts are double locked, and their contents are available only to you and your therapist. Financial records are maintained separately. Our E-mail system is secured using a dedicated server and our voice mail system is confidential. If you use your health insurance to pay for your treatment, only limited, required information is provided to the carrier. Whenever a request for information is received (e.g. from your doctor, lawyer, or insurance company), you will be informed and asked to sign a release for disclosure of specific and limited information. No information is released to anyone without your written permission, except in the rare circumstance where not releasing information would be dangerous to you or a specific other person. Even then, you would be notified of the need to release this information.

Helping a person answer this question for him/herself is often a focus of counseling. Alcohol and/or drug abuse involves: 1) a pattern of pathological use; and 2) significant disruption of psychosocial functioning. Pathological use of alcohol, for example, might involve daily overdrinking, binge drinking, or drinking at all if your medical status makes it unsafe for you. Disruption of psychosocial functioning might refer to family or work problems that your drinking/drug use is causing you.

If you decide that substance abuse is an issue for you, and want to do something about it, effective help is available. You can talk with us about treatment options including inpatient and structured outpatient programs, in addition to AA (Alcoholic’s Anonymous), and NA (Narcotics Anonymous).

PTSD refers to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sometimes, when a person is exposed to actual or threatened potential death, serious injury, or sexual violence, he/she may later develop such symptoms as: recurrent, intrusive, involuntary memories of the event(s), recurrent, distressing dreams of the event(s), “flashbacks”, intense or prolonged distress at exposure to internal or external cues of the traumatic event(s), and/or marked physiological reactions to cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the event(s). People with PTSD will avoid memories and cues of the event(s). They often experience significant anxiety and depressive symptoms. They may appear irritable, reckless, hyper vigilant, have problems with concentration, startle easily, and sleep poorly. These are just some of the main symptoms.

Treatments for PTSD have come a long way in the last 10 to 20 years. Most people with PTSD can be helped by Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy, often in combination with antidepressant and mood stabilizing medications.

Upon your arrival to the office, you will be greeted by a member of the administrative staff, who will collect your insurance information and invite you to be seated in the waiting area. You can expect that your appointment with your therapist will begin on time. In session, you and the therapist will discuss the concerns that bring you to counseling, your personal history, medical/health history, etc. Then, the two of you will discuss your specific goals for treatment. Your therapist will guide you in this. He/she will then explain what treatment will involve, including a time frame for completing your course of treatment. He/she will try to answer any questions you may have, and you will arrange a time to get started working on the goals you identified. Your first appointment will last between 45 and 55 minutes, roughly the same for subsequent sessions. Finally, there may be times when your therapist asks you to do some “homework” between sessions (i.e. keep a journal, practice relaxation techniques, confront a social situation, etc.).