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Welcome to Carolina Counseling Services – Pinehurst, NC
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“Life is a beautiful journey regardless of its occasional hurdles and puddles.” Indeed, you may have many reasons to smile and be thankful: good health, a loving family, or countless other blessings that come your way with each passing day.
It is, however, difficult to appreciate all these things when your thoughts and feelings are overwrought with negativity and emotional challenges. In the midst of trouble, don’t lose hope. There are many good reasons to get up and bounce back.
At a time like this, a capable therapist/counselor contracted with Carolina Counseling Services (CCS) — Pinehurst, NC, can be your saving grace. Once you decide to call and work with the caring and impartial professionals at CCS, you are on the right path toward improving your functionality for a happier and fulfilling life.
- An initial session is all you need to feel that there’s HOPE for you: Hope can be among the first things you lose when overwhelmed by negativity, life pressures, or symptoms of an emotional condition. After meeting with your therapist/counselor, you can find hope again and realize that there are many reasons to enjoy life.
- CCS–Pinehurst is in your neighborhood: The Carolina Counseling Services main office is located in Fayetteville, NC, and has several other locations around NC. Now there is an office in YOUR area at this address: 45 Dowd Circle, Suite 5, Pinehurst NC 28374 to better serve your needs. Now, there’s no need to drive all the way to another location when you want to work with a caring therapist who can help you.
- Insurance is welcomed: If you are covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), call us for your first appointment without worry. If you have other concerns or you have another insurer, call us so we can discuss the matter and help you better. * Please note that each contracting therapist is credentialed with insurances separately. Different therapists are able to accept different insurances.
- Don’t be deterred by insurance referrals: Though a referral is usually required when using insurance, you may not need one when seeking help for an emotional condition. There are exceptions for some child clients under NC Health Choice. Call us so we can clarify the concern and help you.
- Your confidential information remains private with us: We understand why you may want to keep your visits to a therapist/counselor private. CCS–Pinehurst pledges to secure your private information in accordance with state laws and HIPAA, using encrypted tools.
- Making your appointment is easy: All you need to do is call us or text us. We will discuss with you what your needs are, and schedule the appointment accordingly.
If your life has become too complicated and negative, you may have forgotten how wonderful it can be. That is why you need help. We at Carolina Counseling Services — Pinehurst, NC, can help you rediscover what you are sorely missing or restore what you have lost in your struggles, and find positivity, hope, and resilience.
When bouncing back, moving forward, or starting anew is your goal, you’ll find professional help you can count on at Carolina Counseling Services — Pinehurst, NC. Contact our Pinehurst location today!
Welcome to Carolina Counseling Services
– Pinehurst, NC!
Beginning a New Chapter in Your Life
Has life been dreadful for you in recent weeks or months? Living with weighty emotional baggage or negativity is not healthy. It can douse your motivations, weaken your determination, and damage your relationships. If your goal is to feel better and more functional, you’ve come to the right place: Carolina Counseling Services — Pinehurst, NC, can help you.
Notwithstanding the imperfections of life, it is beautiful. There are wonderful goals to achieve and rewards to look forward to. To reach your goals, however, you must stay optimistic and hopeful. If you hit rock bottom and find yourself lost or emotionally weighed down, it’s not the end of the world. There is hope if you will let us help you! Let’s work together.
You deserve nothing but the best professional help. That is what Carolina Counseling Services (CCS) — Pinehurst, NC, is here for.
CCS is now in the Pinehurst area!
If you live in Pinehurst and travel is one of the roadblocks keeping you from seeing a therapist/counselor, rejoice in this good news—CCS is now in your neighborhood!
In an effort to serve its clients better, CCS has decided to open an office in Pinehurst, located at 45 Dowd Circle, Suite 5, Pinehurst NC 28374. Seeing your therapist is now both convenient and stress-free.
Guarding your privacy is of utmost importance to us
We understand the necessity of keeping your condition and therapy private, and we adhere to all applicable state laws and professional codes of ethics in handling these matters. We value your privacy and respect your right and decision to preserve it.
We will assist you with your insurance
We also understand the difficulty of dealing with health insurers. To lighten your load, we can assist you. If you are covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), you need not bother with referrals. Call us so we can help you.
The name that trust and credibility built: Carolina Counseling Services
In North Carolina, Carolina Counseling Services has been a name that means caring and quality counseling and therapy for over 21 years and counting. Our independently contracted counselors have helped many people improve their lives, and they can also help you.
We are giving back to the community what it gave us: TRUST. This is the logic behind bringing our service closer to you. CCS in Pinehurst can give you and your loved ones the assurance that you will never be alone when life gets tough. All CCS offices bear the same stamp of impeccable service and unwavering commitment. These are your guarantees that your life can be better.
Are you at a life crossroads, or has life been difficult recently? Reaching out has never been easier. Let us journey with you. Call or send us a text. We will call you back and discuss your needs.
Waiting and stalling will never resolve your concerns, but contacting us can.
There are many ways to begin a healthy and happy new chapter in your life. Letting Carolina Counseling Services (CCS) — Pinehurst, NC, into your life can be one of those ways.
Eight Reasons to Get Counseling
Life is beautiful, but it isn’t perfect. In fact, one in five or 20% of Americans have unduly tougher lives because of an emotional condition (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Despite the alarming figures, only 46-65% of those suffering from moderate to severe emotional impairment are receiving some forms of treatment.
There have been massive efforts to educate the public otherwise, but to many, seeing an behavioral health specialist remains a last resort because of feelings of feelings associated with it. This is all wrong. According to psychologist Daniel J. Reidenberg, “The earlier someone gets help, the easier it is to get through the problem.”
To avoid emotional health obstacles that may stand in your way, you should be able to recognize the “biggest reasons or take-aways” that merit a call for an appointment with a therapist/counselor:
- You are overwhelmed by intense feelings. If even the smallest conflicts are reverberating and getting magnified in your mind, you should see a therapist right away. There could be an underlying emotional issue that is making everything complicated.
- A traumatizing experience is keeping you captive. A trauma is something you don’t just forget, but if memories of an upsetting or disturbing event are interfering with your day-to-day life, see a counselor. If your trauma is a complicated one, you may need professional help to extricate yourself from it.
- You have “unexplained and recurrent headaches, stomach-aches, or a rundown immune system.” A person experiencing intense emotional issues can feel physical pain even when there is nothing medically wrong with them. Prolonged suffering in this way can contribute to physical illness.
- You are using an addictive substance to escape life issues. Many substance abusers have used alcohol or drugs to numb their negative emotions and to find the elusive solace that they lack in their lives. If you have reached this point, know that there are positive ways to improve your life, such as calling a therapist.
- Poor focus is causing your level of performance to deteriorate. If you are noticing the quality of your work declining because of your waning ability to concentrate, make an appt with a qualified therapist. An emotional condition could be the culprit.
- You are losing interest in people or things that used to deeply matter to you. Feeling disconnected from what you used to hold dear in your heart can be alarming and a sign of a condition such as depression. To better understand what’s causing the change, see a therapist.
- You have difficulty trusting even people very close to you. This can lead to strained and unhappy relationships. Could a childhood issue be coming to the fore and threatening your emotional stability? Don’t take a chance. Find out what’s troubling you with the help of an expert.
- You are changing in an unpleasant way. Change is inevitable; everyone changes throughout their lifetime. However, when a life change leaves you noticeably alienated, solitary, or withdrawn, or makes you feel sad, fearful, or overwhelmed, it is time to visit a therapist.
There are many reasons why seeing a counselor contracted with Carolina Counseling Services — Pinehurst, NC, can be good for you. Therapy is not just for those with psychological conditions. If you are proactive, working with a professional counselor can help you sail through many types of life challenges.
Why waste a good life when there are interventions that a therapist contracted with Carolina Counseling Services — Pinehurst, NC, can provide to ease negativity and uplift the quality of your life? Heed the advice of Reidenberg: Don’t delay seeing a therapist/counselor. Get help early to get through your issues easier.
Facts That Say Your Child Is Depressed
Childhood should be fun. You hope your little one will have happy years growing up, but while you would do anything to ensure that, you know that nothing is guaranteed in life.
If your child starts to exhibit extreme sadness, unwillingness to participate in school or home activities, or other alarming behaviors—constant anger/irritation, tantrums, or crying—there is good reason to worry. These can be signs of pediatric depression. If your child has depression, it is critical to be proactive.
According to Medscape, “Pediatric depression is a relatively common psychiatric condition that generally continues episodically into adulthood.” Regardless of what’s triggering this emotional condition—sad experiences, a genetic predisposition, or biological causes—the fact remains that there is a common pathway involving changes in brain chemistry causing depression. This means your child needs to see a professional for diagnosis and treatment.
What Science Says about Child Depression
It was once widely believed that young children could not have depression, only teens and adults. However, more and more clinical studies are showing that pediatric depression exists.
You may not believe it, but “babies can be depressed,” according to Dr. Jess Shatkin of New York University’s Child Study Center. Author and psychologist Deborah Serani, PsyD confirms this. Luby et al. (2009) have shown that it can weigh down preschoolers, and Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., says “kids as young as 3 years old can have depression.”
Your child may be at risk at any age, even when they haven’t experienced a triggering life event and have been raised in a loving and nurturing environment. The risk may lie in anomalous changes in brain chemistry and/or genetics. There is a higher tendency for children with a depressed parent to also develop the condition.
How to Recognize Child Depression
Is your “bundle of joy” just being fussy, or depressed? Is your preschool child just being picky with their food, or gripped with depression? What are the indications of pediatric depression? What do you need to know about it? What should you be watching out for? Here are some facts to help you understand the challenges related to pediatric depression:
- The prevalence of depression in children is high. In the United States, about “1 percent of preschool and 2 percent of school-aged children” have depression, according to Son and Kirchner (2000), in the American Family Physician. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) estimates it to be “1 in every 20 children, including the adolescents.”
- There is a big chance that parents may not spot depression. You likely do not expect your young child to be depressed; it is not on your radar, so you may miss the signs and symptoms. You may think your child is not eating or sleeping well due to a medical issue, or that they have no reason to become depressed.
- Overlapping symptoms make recognizing them more challenging. The symptoms of depression in children can be different from the usual ones that adults exhibit. They do not fully understand their feelings, and they can be confused. They may respond to their depression in ways that they know to signify discomfort or sadness. Know that pediatric depression also makes your child vulnerable to other emotional conditions—anxiety, ADHD, and learning disorders. When the symptoms overlap, it can be more difficult to recognize them.
- Depression goes beyond sadness. Sadness is a hallmark symptom of depression, but there are many others. The child may experience physical pain, not eat or sleep well, or be sullen most of the time. They may feel unwanted, unloved, or overwhelmed. Their thoughts could be tinged with pessimism. Any of these can trigger misbehavior, defiance, or other unpleasant behaviors.
- Your child may be genetically predisposed. If one of their parents or grandparents has depression, a child is more vulnerable to it. According to author David Fassler, M.D., “a child with one parent who has depression has a 25 percent risk of developing it, while a child with both parents who have depression has a 75 percent risk.” Be extra vigilant if your child has a predisposition.
- Early diagnosis and treatment are critical. Depression is not a destiny for your child, even if the predisposition “runs in their blood”. The expression of their genetic potential depends on other factors. However, if your child does have depression, prompt recognition of signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment are critical in improving their life. The earlier they are treated, the better their chance of recovery.
Productive Early Intervention
Childhood is supposed to be fun. It is disheartening to see your child suffering from depression and missing the joys of childhood and the opportunity to develop into a healthy adolescent. But there is help available right in your neighborhood, at Carolina Counseling Services — Pinehurst, NC.
It is understandable if you feel discouraged, but shake your fears and worries away, because your child needs you to be strong. When hope starts to flicker in your heart, make that call to Carolina Counseling Services — Pinehurst, NC. There is too much at stake here; don’t just “wait and see,” because the condition can get worse. The therapists independently contracted with CCS are willing to work with you to improve your child’s condition and life.
What to Do When Anxiety Is Melting Your Marriage
Building a strong marriage is a lifelong challenge for all couples. After all, marriage is not conflict-free bliss; there will be difficult times and periods of disappointment. This is especially true when half of a couple is consumed by anxiety. Negative feelings such as fear, uncertainty, anger, helplessness, etc., can impact a person’s capacity to be present within a relationship.
A study by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) reveals that people with generalized anxiety disorder or GAD are significantly less likely to stay in a healthy and supportive intimate relationship than those without GAD. Although the study targeted respondents with GAD, the findings are considered to be generally applicable for other anxiety disorders. The most common problems include regular arguments, withdrawal from social activities, and loss of intimacy with their partner.
Specific Ways Anxiety Challenges Your Marriage
Ideally, couples are supposed to work through the factors that challenge their relationship. There may be differences in parenting style, financial management, or intimacy, and all of these can test their faith and loyalty. Adding a psychological condition such as anxiety to the mix can make it a lot more difficult for the relationship to survive.
An anxiety disorder is usually accompanied by a great deal of personal distress for both spouses. While the anxious partner becomes preoccupied with his or her limiting feelings and ability to face the demands of daily life, the significant other takes on a greater share of domestic, parenting, economic, and other responsibilities. Family activities and household routines are often adjusted to fit the condition and needs of the anxious partner. As the sufferer withdraws from social life, the other person may also avoid public activities, making them both feel isolated.
An abstract published by PubMed concludes that anxiety affects marriage negatively and influences romantic feelings. The loss of security caused by anxiety can be markedly visible in the anxious partner’s sadness, irritability, weakness, and lack of self-confidence, all of which can damage the marital friendship and intimacy. Both spouses may feel depressed, scared, resentful, guilty, and scared for their partner and for themselves.
These challenges can be daunting unless addressed properly. When ignored, they can become ugly feelings that tempt even couples who were “crazy about each other” to consider separation or divorce. With treatment, the spouse with anxiety can uncover the underlying issues contributing to the condition. Seeking counseling early for anxiety when it affects your marriage can be greatly beneficial in helping you enjoy a quality relationship and lead productive lives.
Making Yourself Strong to Strengthen Your Relationship
Being married to someone with anxiety can be exhausting and emotionally draining. It can make it hard to care for yourself if you focus too much on your spouse. At this difficult time, it is important to remain strong, calm, and responsible in managing the household, looking after the children, minding the finances, etc. It is extremely helpful to maintain a support system to confide in and to ask for the assistance your spouse cannot give. While it is beneficial to seek couples counseling when anxiety affects your marriage, it may also be necessary to seek treatment for yourself, especially if you start to experience the same symptoms. Self-care is an investment in yourself, your partner, and your relationship.
Keep yourself energized by engaging in your passions, maintaining friendships, and staying positive to remain happy, healthy, and better prepared for whatever challenges may assault your relationship. Learn more about anxiety to have a deeper understanding of the condition and how you can help improve the situation.
Stopping Anxiety from Melting Your Marriage
Anxiety can damage relationships, but knowing how to respond to it can help you protect yours. In some cases, it may be a serious, long-term condition that can affect your marital happiness. Fortunately, an anxiety disorder can be managed with appropriate treatment. While it is vital for the anxious spouse to muster the strength to seek help, the other spouse must support them in that effort.
Carolina Counseling Services — Pinehurst, NC, is the right place to call. The independently contracted licensed counselors offer various forms of treatment known to be beneficial to those with anxiety disorders. You’ll be matched with the right-fit therapist who specializes in treating the symptoms that are harming your relationship. To make an appointment, just call us, or request one through text or email.
Serving Areas: Carolina Counseling Services
Counties: Moore county, NC, Lee County, Hoke County, Chatham County
Areas: Pinehurst NC, West End NC, Taylortown NC, Seven Lakes NC, Eagle Springs NC, Jackson Springs NC, Foxfire NC, Candor NC, Norman NC, Ellerbe NC, Rockingham NC
Zip Codes: 27281, 27376, 28315, 28347, 28350, 28373, 28374, 28387, 28388, 28394
Office Information:
This office is Handicapped Accessible.
Depression Is More Than Sadness
The word “depression” is commonly used to refer to the feeling of sadness. However, in behavioral health care, it refers to a condition that goes beyond sadness. With 14.8 to 19 million people in the US experiencing clinical depression, it ranks as “one of the most common mental disorders in the United States” (National Institute for Mental Health). According to All About Depression, “Clinical depression is more than just the ‘blues,’ being ‘down in the dumps,’ or experiencing temporary feelings of sadness we all have from time to time in our lives.” It is a condition that can’t be taken lightly, as it impairs your mind and body. It can impact virtually every facet of your daily life, and treatment is necessary to overcome it.
Depression Facts to Know
• Depression is a real emotional condition. Do not misconstrue it as simply being sad. Though unhappiness is a symptom of depression, it is a chronic unhappiness that weighs you down. It can make you feel empty, hopeless, and uninterested in things that used to deeply matter in your life—family, relationships, health, and work or school.
• Depression needs to be treated; “snapping out of it” is out of the question. You can’t just “snap out” of depression, even when your family and friends tell you, “You can do it!” Depression has nothing to do with being weak or flawed. Like any medical condition, its symptoms can be treated by the right health professional.
• Depression involves a chemical imbalance. You can’t just snap out of depression because you may be suffering from an imbalance in neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, GABA, glutamate, and dopamine. According to Neurogistics, these chemicals “affect mood, sleep, concentration, [and] weight, and can cause adverse symptoms when they are out of balance.”
• You may have a genetic predisposition. If certain family members have depression, you could be genetically predisposed to have a higher risk for the condition. Know, however, that there are factors in your environment that can alter the expression of these depression-related genes. If you are proactive, you can stay depression-free with the help of a therapist.
• Talk therapy can help you overcome depression. Hiding your depression or its symptoms can’t help you overcome it, but talking can. Talk therapy in the capable hands of a therapist independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services - Pinehurst, NC, can help in resolving issues and releasing your negative thoughts and feelings while encouraging positive ones.
Sadness that takes two weeks or longer to dissipate may not just be the ordinary “blues.” It could be depression. The way to find out is to get your symptoms assessed by a qualified therapist independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services - Pinehurst, NC. Call us for an appointment
How Counseling Can Help Resolve Conflict
Conflicts can complicate your life. According to Good Therapy, “conflict can cause negative emotions to form out of an individual's natural response system.” These feelings can linger longer than necessary, affecting the quality of your everyday life and maybe even leading to grim, lasting consequences. This is the most basic reason why your clashes with people close to you need to be resolved promptly.
Normal Differences Can Produce Conflict
Occasional conflicts with your spouse, family, classmates, peers, or colleagues are normal. These happen because people have unique personalities, perspectives, and opinions. While varying viewpoints must be encouraged, considered, and respected, know that these conflicts are potential precursors to misunderstandings and disagreements. When they become serious, couples divorce, families drift, and friends part ways.
Healthy Resolution of Conflicts
Conflicts can sour relationships and make your life miserable. Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to view your personal circumstances in an objective way when you are in the midst of such a conflict. This is where counseling can come in: the counselor serves as an objective third party for an effective intervention.
Counseling can help you resolve your differences and encourage and support diversity. Conflict resolution therapy is a strategy available for you to handle and manage differences in any situation—marriage or romantic relationships, family, school, or work.
In the Hands of a Trustworthy Counselor
Conflict resolution therapy has one major goal: to achieve a fair or “win-win” solution for the parties involved. This can be difficult for you to achieve when you are one of the parties, even when you have conflict resolution skills.
If you want to preserve the integrity of your relationships without bias or subjectivity, seek the help of a trustworthy and impartial counselor independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services - Pinehurst, NC. With the help of a fair counselor, it is possible to develop basic conflict resolution skills, making it easier for you to identify the core issues, reduce tension, and find fair solutions.
Conflicts can destroy the most valued relationships in your life. But do not feel helpless; a counselor can help you handle clashing views and differences with the people who are important to you. Save your relationships—call Carolina Counseling Services - Pinehurst, NC.
Teen Counseling: Toward a Happy and Healthy Adolescence
Adolescence comes with unique developmental and age-related challenges; many teens are faced with wrenching emotional difficulties at this stage in their lives. This is confirmed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. According to NAMI, “about 4 million children and adolescents experience a mental health issue that significantly impairs them at home, school, or in their social groups.”
Those who had unhappy or traumatic childhoods are at higher risk for these conditions. The complications of adolescence—physical changes, relationship pressures, and other challenges—can increase teens’ vulnerability to emotional turmoil and problems such as low self-esteem, eating disorders, clinical depression, and self-harm.
The Challenges of Adolescence
The transition to adulthood involves major physical and social changes, and the teenage years are often confusing, complex, and tumultuous. Like any transition, these changes can create difficulty in your children’s lives, and yours as well. Though the changes are expected, the stage can nevertheless scare or confuse them.
If teens are overwhelmed by complicating factors—parental divorce, sibling rivalry, genetic predisposition to an emotional condition, financial troubles, addiction in the family, etc.—they can become intensely affected, exhibiting moodiness, sadness, fear, guilt, etc. They can also be more prone to developing emotional conditions such as depression and anxiety. The emotional burden may overwhelm their inherent ability to handle their issues, and counseling may be necessary to make a difference in their lives.
Teen Counseling: What Is It?
Teen counseling is a proactive way to help teenagers stay emotionally well during their tumultuous adolescence. It can be provided by a mental health professional such as a clinical social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist, or professional counselor who is formally trained in teen counseling/therapy.
Teen counseling works in much the same way as adult counseling, but counselors for adolescents are familiar with teen behavior and concerns. They use both talk therapy and nonverbal therapy strategies to help their young clients express their thoughts. One approach that relies very little on talking, but is fast gaining recognition, is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
Approaching Teen Issues with the Right Professional Help
Your teen’s future depends to a great extent on how they navigate the challenges of adolescence. Successfully managing their difficulties can make a significant difference in their life. Provide them with the right professional help: call Carolina Counseling Services - Pinehurst, NC.
Do not wait for your teen’s symptoms to get worse or for their life to be unduly difficult. Let’s work together to help them have a happy adolescence that they can cherish and draw inspiration from as they step into adulthood. Call now for an appointment.
5 Signs That Tell You It May Be Time To See A Therapist
We all have our share of problems in life but it is our attitude that makes a difference. Some people tend to get affected by the residual effects that come with their problems and they tend to become victim of emotional distress, stress, anxiety and, depression. However, the sad part is that people continue to live with all of the emotions of these toxic experiences that contaminate their life until they are at the brink of what many refer to as a “nervous breakdown”.
So if you think that something is breaking you from inside, please note these 5 signs that hint that it is time to think about seeing a therapist:
1. You Suffer Frequent Mood Swings
Have you recently developed a bad temper? Do you find yourself sad all the time? Or are you complaining all the time to your spouse?
If you’ve recently noticed any of the aforementioned shifts in your mood, then it is probable that you are suffering from emotional stress, depression or anxiety. The frequent mood swings are one of the primary signs that show that something may be wrong with your temperament and you should seek the help of a therapist.
2. You Have Recently Indulged In Addiction
People find addiction as a way to escape from their worries. When you are emotionally stressed out, you tend to indulge in some kind of pleasures that could help you flee from the harsh realities of your life. Sadly, people who develop an addiction of nicotine, alcohol or drugs only make their lives worse as it drastically affects their health and deteriorates their quality of life in the long run.
3. You Find No Pleasure in life
Have you suddenly stopped enjoying activities that you would spend hours in the past? If yes, then it is a sign that you may be depressed. When you are living with depressive symptoms, you begin to lose touch with the other parts of life and all the pleasure that comes with it.
4. You’ve begun To Lose Your Relationships
When you are not feeling healthy emotionally, you tend to become irritable which can result in bouts of aggression (or at least others interpreting it as such). Often, the contained anger/resentment is vented out on people with whom you are sharing most of your time, i.e. your family and friends.
5. You Have Developed a Negative Attitude
Life comes with many unpleasant events that change our outlook towards life. Divorce, breakups, death of loved ones and professional failures are some of the common events that affect our attitude about life – often leading some to develop a negative outlook towards life.
So if the bitter experiences of life have caught up with you and you believe they’ve made you a toxic person, rest assured, there is help. You don’t have to continue on feeling this way.
If you identify with any of the aforementioned 5 signs, call to set up an appointment with an independently contracted therapist. Resolving the issues that overwhelm you can result in a happier you and better relationships.
Seeking Marriage Counseling: When Is the Right Time?
It isn’t unusual for a marriage to encounter conflicts once in a while. With the spouses or partners being unique, there are many grounds for disagreements. Differences can add flavor to a marital union, adding dynamism and excitement to the relationship. Be conscious, though, that these may also generate conflicts as your views, positions and convictions clash more often than necessary.
There are conflicts that may threaten your marriage – the ones you want to resolve with haste. There are conflicts that you may deem insignificant, so you sweep them “under the rug.” While “turning a blind eye” may work on certain matters or buy peace in the meantime, it isn’t a real or an enduring solution. The most important thing to do is to be proactive, meaning work on them before the issues become too advanced and complicated.
Most marriage-changing issues do not just appear instantaneously. Many of these start as small issues that have been ignored, thinking it is the best way to prevent them from snowballing into major conflicts. It is important to discern that it may work at times on certain issues, but it doesn’t work on all issues or all the time. Unfortunately, discernment and objectivity does not always come easy where your spouse is concerned. This is how marriage counseling can help.
Signs Your Union Needs Help
It is never too late to seek marriage counseling. It is, nonetheless, wise to remember that it works best when sought proactively in strengthening a marriage. While it can still work with unions weighed down by conflicts, it may take a long time or more sessions and commitment from both spouses to achieve success. Therefore, it is critical to recognize the signs that your marriage may need help, such as:
- Communication is lost or is slowly dying. One sign to note is how your interactions or exchanges end. If these often end in a shouting match, verbal abuse or with intense negative emotions – anger, sadness, guilt, or frustration – then you and your spouse need help. Effective communication is a critical element in a happy marriage. With it, you can sustain a healthy interaction, end conflicts, restore harmony, and reinforce your ties.
- You can’t “forgive and forget.” Are you always arguing about old issues? If you do, it could be a sign that you have not successfully resolved previous issues or that you may have not really forgiven one another for the mistakes committed in the past. Just “making up” may prove meaningless without forgiveness. If you can’t bury the painful past, it can come back stronger, creating or aggravating other marital and family concerns.
- There is no trust between you. Trust is another important ingredient in a happy union. If you are purposely keeping secrets from one another, it is a sign that you don’t trust each other enough to share information that may affect you, your marriage and family. If there is cheating or infidelity, it is an indication that trust has been breached. It needs to be acted upon with utmost urgency.
- The bond is fading. The shared bond of love is considered a cornerstone of marriage. Without this mutual connection, it would be virtually impossible for a marriage to be sustained or to endure. Some actions to watch out for are the lost interest in sharing moments or the preference to be with someone else than to be with the spouse. These may not be a real measure of caring for each other but avoiding sharing time together deserves attention.
Working on Your Marriage with the Right Marriage Counselor
Living with another person can be extremely challenging, as you both bring into the marriage your personal views, philosophies, convictions, and cultures. With your many differences, sometimes conflicts can’t be too far away. It can become a bedfellow, lying between the two of you and preventing you from talking and easing your hurts. With marriage counseling, however, those differences, could become a complementary rather than a divisive force.
Marriage counseling is a type of therapy designed for people within a relationship. Using therapeutic interventions, it can help you understand your relationship better and resolve your conflict to make your union happy, satisfying and enduring. Marriage counseling can help transform differences into constructive opportunities. It can also aid couples to understand, respect and accept contrasting views, philosophies, convictions, and cultures. It can help protect the bond the two of you have.
Staying in a marriage isn’t the only goal of marriage counseling. More than that, marriage counseling can help you be happy in a loving and enduring union as it addresses current issues, prevents the worsening of minor conflicts, or simply to provide a “check-up” for a satisfying marriage faced with challenges. If you want more than to just continue “going-with-the-flow,” work on your marriage with the right counselor. Find the right professional independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services – Pinehurst, NC to help you.
Specializes in: (Ages 3+) Children, Teens, Adults, Couples and Families. Anxiety, Depression, Grief and Loss, Mood Disorders, Trauma, Adjustments and Life Transitions, ADHD, Behavioral Issues, Parenting, Relationship Concerns, Self Esteem
Insurance: BCBS, Tricare Prime/Select, Medicare and Cash
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Giving Your Marriage Another Chance through Marriage Counseling
Most marriages go through rough waters at some point in time. People bring different personal cultures, ideas, values, and beliefs into a relationship, and it can’t be expected that they will match each other perfectly, all the time. Opposites may attract, but the differences can also grate on any couple’s nerves after they spend time together.
Some marriages survive stormy periods because the couples have the innate skill to fix issues before they become full-blown problems that can potentially shatter their marriage. Others are not as flexible when their relationship is tested by domestic issues, miscommunication, debilitating illness, or financial difficulties.
Not every type of relationship trouble fades on its own. When allowed to fester, problems can become severe enough to cause emotional issues such as depression and anxiety. They may also significantly affect other family members. Marriage counseling can be the antidote that can save your relationship in a way you and your spouse may not know how to accomplish on your own.
Seeking Marital Happiness through Marriage Counseling
According to marriage expert Dr. John Gottman, it usually takes six years for an average couple to get help for marital problems. This means that they have to endure living together unhappily for that amount of time. You don’t have to wait that long to bring about the change that you want for your relationship. Marriage counseling can help you solidify your union with new skills that will help you identify, understand, and resolve your besetting issues.
Marriage counseling is also referred to as couples’ therapy. Whatever you decide to call it, it is a form of talk therapy that aims to resolve marital conflicts in a healthy manner. In a safe and nurturing environment, a qualified marriage counselor facilitates, instructs, guides, and provides a nonpartisan third perspective on how to resolve issues and improve your marriage. This allows you and your spouse to work together in solving the issues without hurting or downgrading each other’s feelings. In the process, both of you are able to develop a deeper understanding of each other’s needs.
Giving Your Marriage Another Stake
It takes a lot to make your marriage work, and it takes more to save it from crumbling. Seeking marriage counseling, whether early on or after the problems have already escalated, proves that you are willing to give your relationship another chance.
Discover ways to strengthen your relationship and restore the lost spark. Let a professional marriage counselor independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services - Pinehurst, NC, help you save, strengthen, and protect your marriage. Call now to request an appointment for your first session.
Seek Counseling Early for Anxiety
Anxiety is the most prevalent emotional condition in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 40 million adults in the US are affected by this condition, or 18 percent of the population. Children are not spared from anxiety: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the condition affects about 3% of the child population. Further, NIMH estimates that around 25% of the adolescent population has anxiety and that "5.9% of 13-18 year old children have a severe disorder."
It’s an Important Health Issue
Anxiety is a serious concern, and chronic anxiety can impact your overall health throughout your lifespan. It is treatable, but many sufferers are not getting the treatment they need. In fact, “80 percent of kids with a diagnosable anxiety disorder… are not getting treatment,” says the 2015 Mental Health Report of the Child Mind Institute. For children and teens, it can stand in the way of their normal growth and development. Anxiety can also interfere with their (or an adult’s) relationships at home and school/work.
When to Seek Professional Help
Though anxiety is a common reaction to certain situations, excessive manifestations could indicate any of several types of anxiety disorders. These include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and specific phobias. The symptoms can be so intense that they make your everyday life extremely challenging. Rather than struggling with anxiety alone, work on overcoming it with the help of a licensed therapist.
Your Treatment Options
A number of clinical studies show that there are many effective evidence-based treatment options available for individuals suffering from anxiety. Psychotherapy is a popular treatment option for people who prefer to achieve emotional wellness without the use of medications. Two types of psychotherapy that are particularly helpful in managing generalized anxiety disorder are
Live a wonderful anxiety-free life with the help of a therapist independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services - Pinehurst, NC. If you suspect you or a loved one could be affected by anxiety, call us right away for early diagnosis and treatment. It can make a difference.
Child Counseling: Achieving Psychological and Emotional Health for Your Child
Childhood is often considered a carefree time of fun and enjoyment. This is not, however, true for all children. Like adults, children are subjected to many unique challenges, such as school pressures and domestic problems. Due to their underdeveloped faculties, young children find it difficult to understand and express their feelings; when they are confused, angry, or sad, they may act out with emotional or behavioral symptoms.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 20 percent of American children, or one in five, are diagnosed with some form of emotional disability. This includes attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), mood disorder, and major depressive disorder. As a parent, it’s not easy to see your child struggling with the symptoms of these conditions. Seeking counseling for your child is the best proactive step to help them achieve psychological and emotional health.
How Children Benefit from Counseling
Child counseling is provided by a professional therapist in an environment that is safe and supportive for children facing emotional difficulties. In this setting, the therapist helps children express and understand their feelings with a healthy, hopeful attitude and perspective. The child is helped to recognize their strengths, thus boosting the self-confidence needed to manage the issues that confront them.
Counseling for children depends upon the child’s age and development phase, and the specific difficulties to be addressed. If your child is showing distressing signs such as persistent sadness, constant irritability or anger, a sudden drop in school performance, or aggressive or self-harming behavior, they will likely benefit from counseling.
Sparing Your Child from Unnecessary Struggles
Take a stand to provide the kind of help your child needs to achieve overall well-being. Counseling can make a big difference in ensuring that your child develops robust psychological, emotional, and behavioral health.
Don’t watch your child struggle with symptoms until they get worse. Help is available at Carolina Counseling Services - Pinehurst, NC. We take pride in contracting with independent, highly trained child therapists. One of them will be the right fit to provide the full range of counseling your child deserves. Contact CCS - Pinehurst, NC, to get started
No Need to Wait to Get Counseling
Emotional conditions can make you intensely sad, fearful, anxious, manic, etc. Relationship issues can dishearten you and drive you to extreme anger and frustration. The loss of someone or something valued can cause grief, guilt, and distress. There are also inevitable, major life transitions that may bring saddening or confusing adjustment issues into your life.
All these can make the future look grim, but not everything is lost. With counseling or therapy, you can bounce back and have a more fulfilling life. Waiting should not be an option. It will only make the symptoms of an emotional condition worse and prolong your suffering.
Reasons for Seeking Counseling
There are a variety of reasons why people would pursue counseling. In the past, seeking help from a professional counselor or therapist was regarded as a last resort. That is, it was conceived as a solution to seek out when everything else had failed. But, by then, you could have already suffered a great deal and your issues could have made a deep impact on your life.
To benefit from counseling, you need to be proactive and have a positive mindset. Think of counseling or therapy as a first rather than last solution to life or emotional issues. Don’t be deterred by fear of what others may say, cost, or any other roadblocks that stand in the way of seeking treatment.
The Price of Delay
Ignoring the symptoms of an emotional condition or a gripping negative feeling can cost you your physical and emotional health. It can cost you your peace of mind, taking you farther from your dreams and aspirations. It can cost you your most valued relationships and leave you with a lonely life.
Your consultation with a therapist or counselor should not wait. A capable professional can promptly assess your symptoms for a timely diagnosis and treatment. It is true that it takes courage to act on matters that you may find embarrassing, but waiting can have much worse consequences for your well-being and life.
Professional Help Works
Counseling and therapy work, but to truly benefit from your courageous decision, it is important to seek help from the right professional. Call Carolina Counseling Services - Pinehurst, NC, to find the counselor or therapist who can help you change your life for the better. If you want to feel better, stronger, and more self-aware, or to resolve your concerns without popping medications, call us. Let us journey with you as you navigate through your life transitions and emotional issues.
Child Counseling: Moving Towards Emotional Health for Your Child
Parents play an important role in inspiring and motivating their children, so they can reach their full potential and ambitions in life. Being carefree and happy may be natural for some children, however, it isn’t so for every child.
If your child is struggling with an emotional issue or condition, helping them achieve their goals and experience more enjoyment in their lives may take more from them and you. Along with your guidance and the assistance of a child counselor, they can identify, address, and resolve their challenges.
Emotional Health: An Essential Part of a Child’s Overall Health
Your child’s emotional health is as important as their physical health. These vital elements of development can affect how they think, feel, and respond to internal and external stimuli. Their emotional health is intricately linked to their physical wellbeing and their ability to do well in many aspects of their lives.
Just as you would take them to a medical doctor when necessary, the same can apply if they are troubled by unhealthy emotions. Behind their unusual behavior could be an emotional condition or issue that’s confusing them in a way you don’t recognize or understand. A child counselor can help assess your child’s symptoms and provide prompt intervention.
How Child Counseling Can Help Your Child
If your child is weighed down by an emotional condition, you are not alone in not always knowing exactly what to do next. What you may perceive as typical misbehavior could be the symptoms of a deeper issue. Applying more discipline or increasing your tolerance level may be an immediate strategy, however, both actions are usually temporary, and the symptoms may worsen.
A good way of helping you and your child work through their difficulty is child counseling. It will take place in a safe, nurturing environment with an experienced and caring counselor who can encourage your child to express their thoughts and feelings in a healthy way. As the hurtful symptoms improve, they can gain more self-understanding and discover their strengths and joys along the way.
The Gift of a Happy Childhood
A happy childhood is a gift that can inspire and motivate your child to reach their full potential and aspirations later in life. You have the power to provide them the help when they need it by ensuring they are physically and emotionally well. To find the appropriate assistance for your son or daughter, seek child counseling from one of the counselors independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services – Pinehurst, NC. Call us today to schedule their first appointment!
