Individual Therapy In Austin, TX

Individual therapy is a collaboration between an individual and a therapist with an end goal of helping work towards improving quality of life by managing complex situations, solving their problems, and achieving their goals.

It provides the opportunity to explore their beliefs, behaviors, or feelings to work through challenging aspects of their lives to reach a change in their life. Confronting emotional and mental barriers that could otherwise interfere with day to day life are part of the process.

If your life is being affected by these problems, it might be time to talk to an Austin therapist for individual counseling.

Why Do I Need Individual Therapy?

Individual therapy can help treat issues or mental conditions that would otherwise interfere with day to day life.

Sometimes speaking with family or friends is just not enough. The help of an Austin therapist is needed. Situations you might need help in vary and could include:

Depression
Stress
Anxiety
Relationship issues
Anger
Feelings of self-harm or suicide

Grief and loss issues
Conflicts in life with family or loved ones
Substance abuse
Academic pressure
Self-growth

While some people who seek individual counseling have chronic emotional difficulties, there are also people looking for a therapist to listen and provide them with alternatives to take in life to achieve self-growth.

What Can I Expect From Individual Therapy?

Louis Laves-Webb, LCSW, LPC-S and his associates offer sessions that are 50-55 minutes in length which begin with a consultation. Shorter or longer sessions are also available if agreed upon depending on the case.

How Can Individual Therapy Help Me?

Individual counseling can help you work towards the results that you want to achieve. The effects are different depending on the situation at hand and will be assessed by a qualified Austin therapist as we strive to work together.

By communicating through appointments you get an opportunity to express your true feelings, thoughts, and build a relationship with your counselor. Together we establish what barriers are holding you back and how to better address them.

It’s a process that could take one session or multiple sessions depending on the situation, but the ultimate goal is get you back on the road towards becoming a better you.

Phase 1: History Taking

Before beginning EMDR, your trauma therapist will get to know more about your experiences and symptoms. This step is for you to share about events in your past that may be affecting your current mindset.

Phase 2: Preparation

This stage is about ensuring your readiness for EMDR. Even though EMDR therapy for trauma is completely safe, it can be problematic for individuals who commonly experience dissociation. As a safeguard, your trauma therapist will work with you to create your own “calm place” to concentrate on if you feel distressed.

Phase 3: Assessment

It’s now time to choose a target to be reprocessed during your next few sessions. In doing so, you’ll need to identify a vivid image related to the memory, a negative cognition about yourself associated with it, and emotions and bodily sensations that accompany both. Your therapist will then have you challenge that negative cognition with a cognitive one. They will have you rate how true your positive cognition feels and how much distress the target memory causes you on a scale from 1-10.

Phase 4: Desensitization

This is where Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing comes into play. When you feel ready, your therapist will guide you to process your negative feelings and memories using bilateral eye movements to facilitate the brain’s healing process. This will help to ground you and take more directed focus on the thoughts, feelings, and images associated with your target. Every minute or so, your therapist will check in on what you’ve noticed and ask you to rate how much discomfort you’re now feeling. When you no longer report distress related to your targeted memory, you move onto the next step.

Phase 5: Installation

Next, your attention will be brought back to the positive cognition you identified earlier. Your trauma/PTSD therapist will recheck how true this belief now feels. The goal is to get this belief to feel like it’s 100 percent true.

Phase 6: Body Scan

You will now be asked to check your body for any areas of tension in your body caused by the target memory. Are your teeth clenched? Is your chest tight? Any uncomfortable physical sensations will be reprocessed using the same procedure as before until you can think of the target memory without feeling any tension.

Phase 7: Closure

At the end of every session, your trauma counselor will make sure that you are leaving feeling more relaxed than when you arrived. If you are feeling agitated, they will lead you through self-calming techniques until you regain your sense of control.

Phase 8: Reevaluation

At the beginning of each subsequent session, your therapist will ask you questions to ensure your positive beliefs have been maintained. This will also help them to identify any new problem areas that may need to be targeted.

EMDR therapy for trauma is considered a success once you are able to bring up memories of trauma without feeling the distress that brought you to therapy. Your trauma therapist will also provide you with the techniques and skills you need going forward to deal with upsetting feelings.

How Do I Begin Individual Therapy?

Healing starts with an appointment with an Austin therapist. We are here to help you work towards a treatment that may work best for you and will analyze your situation.

It’s okay to reach out for support; we’re here to help you heal.