Services
HOLISTIC CARE OFFERINGS
W
e offer individual, couples, family and group psychotherapy, nutrition counseling, and psychiatric services, as well as the unique somatic and experiential treatments including hypnotherapy, yoga, equine assisted psychotherapy and sound therapy.
The understanding that people are built for attachment is at the heart of what we do. Many times, we need to have the family in sessions in order to help the person the most, or the family members also need some information, therapy, or support of their own.
We understand that someone’s experiences significantly impact relationships. Our training allows us to help you to work on forming healthy attachment relationships with your partner, your siblings, your parents, or your unborn child.
Most often, parents are involved in the process of nutrition counseling and medication evaluation and management.
We create a plan based on your specific needs. We can combine the appropriate group, EMDR, Nutrition Counseling , Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Safe and Sound Protocol (sound therapy), Hypnotherapy, Trauma Conscious Yoga, and/other individual or family therapy to create a customized program for you. Some people need intensive EMDR, some people need Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, some need group support and normalization. The possibilities are extensive. Don’t let that overwhelm you. We can help you decide what combination of services would be right for you. We don’t try to fit everyone into a cookie cutter mold. We also offer weekend intensives that immerse a person or family in any or all of the above or you may create a longer term intensive outpatient program.
GROUP THERAPY
Gr
oup therapy is powerful and usually has a significant impact in an individual’s healing. Sometimes group is the first place someone feels understood. Almost every group described can also be tailored to be a private intensive. Just ask!
CONNECTIONS- The original Brene Brown curriculum- because, why reinvent the wheel?? This brilliant research based curriculum focuses on shame resilience, vulnerability, and making connection. At times we combine the Connections Group with Equine Assisted Psychotherapy – so that people can PRACTICE all of the things they are learning about in group.
HOLD ME TIGHT – This is a couple’s workshop based on the works of Sue Johnson and Emotionally Focused Therapy. Reconnect and deepen your relationship through guided conversations as you and your partner explore ways to improve communication, resolve past hurts, and strengthen your emotional bond, in a safe, supportive setting. Join us for a weekend dedicated to building lasting closeness and understanding.
NOT ALONE – Being an adolescent or teen has got to be one of THE loneliest life phases ever. Some of us put on a great face, but don’t get to really dig into what some bigger fears, struggles, or emotions may be. This group is for those suffering with teenage anxiety and depression, or post traumatic stress disorder. LGBTQ+ friendly and often a topic. Ages 14-18 most typical.
SOME BODY TO LOVE- Can you imagine loving your body? Caring for it with compassion and being in tune with what it needs? This is a group for those suffering with an eating disorder, an unhealthy relationship with food or body image issues. We will combine intuitive eating and movement into this group. Yep, you eat with people and you move with people. And everyone is terrified. It’s ok, we got you!
RESILIENCY – If you want to get out of your pain cycle, this is the group (or private intensive) for you! Feel better about their own regulation, relationships, and reasoning. This is how we do it! Histories include sexual assault, military sexual trauma, male sexual trauma, abandonment, grief and loss, pregnancy and infant loss, parental or partner abuse, religious trauma, and developmental trauma. Nobody’s trauma is less significant than anyone else’s. In addition to group psychoeducation and processing, each person is offered individual EMDR or Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.
NEW PATHWAYS – a little brain development pun for you. Schedule a private intensive or join a group of other parents/ caregivers and children who need to address attachment issues/adoption/foster care. The groundwork is laid with psychoeducation about neurosequential (bottom to top) brain development, how trauma or neglect impacts that development, and how we work to form new pathways (get it?). We learn about behaviors and trust and coregulation. It’s not what you think! Then YOU PRACTICE those concepts with experiential equine assisted psychotherapy or other activities that help parents and caregivers understand their child and learn ways to help them. Parents do work in this setting apart from and with their children in this group.
RESILIENT PARENTS OF NEURODIVERSE KIDS- This group is similar to NEW PATHWAYS, but specifically, it is a group intended to support parents of any age child who may exhibit baffling behaviors, be difficult to connect with, or have unique needs. A kiddo may have a diagnosis of autism, ADHD, ARFID, Sensory Integration Disorder, or may not be diagnosed yet, but you know there is something that makes them different. Parents hear from other parents with similar struggles, they learn to celebrate some uniqueness that their child brings to the world, they learn to regulate themselves and focus a bit on their own self care, and more. This group is being offered virtually currently, in order to make it more accessible for busy parents to attend.
HORSES HEALING HELPERS – a group or private intensive for health care professionals, therapists, first responders and service men and women. Those who are responsible for keeping us safe or for healing us deserve a place to do their own healing. You can schedule an intensive for your coworkers, peers or employees or join a group. Many first responders have rotating schedules and it’s very difficult to commit to a group. We can do a one time event for different shifts or can do individual work as well.
Off Site and Home Therapy
We really do want to help you practice the hard stuff. This might mean grocery shopping, going out to eat at a restaurant, or clothing shopping.
We also offer “Home Therapy” which is a very unique service combining interior design/overhaul, with the psychological aspects of what creates a peaceful home that is reflective of your unique values. Think interior design meets psychotherapy.
EQUINE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY AND LEARNING
We utilize TF-EAP (trauma focused equine assisted psychotherapy) most often with our patients. This may be mounted (riding) or ground (no riding) work, depending on the needs of the patient(s).
Our program is a trauma informed model that utilizes our knowledge of neuroscience and the effects of trauma and chronic stress on the brain-body, relationships, and our ability to regulate. The work helps to reorganize the brain and reintegrate the connection between the brain and body. Learning in the context of a relationship with a horse allows the development of a secure connected attachment with another. Some people do EAP as an adjunct to office therapy, and some do it exclusively. One of the most rewarding experiences people have in intensives and weekly therapy programs is to combine Equine Assisted Psychotherapy with Emotionally Focused Therapy to help heal relationships. To learn more, visit Natural Lifemanship.
Equine assisted learning is different from psychotherapy, although similar in many ways. Equine assisted learning facilitates awareness and change with any issues that may be arising in the work place or home, illuminates patterns that may be occurring, and often enhancing leadership and stress management skills. We conduct a debrief with individuals as part of the experience, discussing what stood out, what the therapist or facilitator noticed, and how the individual may be able to navigate moving forward with his/her work group or family in an effective manner. People sometimes continue with Equine Assisted Psychotherapy after this experience. 
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma, however, it can be used more broadly. “EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from many different treatment approaches. It can be used for panic attacks, complicated grief, dissociative disorder, disturbing memories, phobias, pain disorders, performance anxiety, stress reduction, addictions, sexual and/or physical abuse, body dysmorphic disorders, eating disorders, and personality disorders (emdria.org).
To learn more, visit emdria.
Trauma Conscious Yoga
The Trauma Conscious Yoga Method (TCYM) is a unique model incorporating traditional yogic teachings along with internal family systems, EMDR (most well known for trauma resolution), and somatic experiencing models of psychotherapy. Traditional yoga classes often involve breath work, poses that can feel vulnerable or can activate a stored physical trauma, or an instructor that will place hands on a student to help adjust their alignment. This can be extremely triggering or intimidating for some people and so they avoid the experience of yoga! This TCYM experience is a gentle restorative practice combining hands off (no touching or adjusting) less triggering or vulnerable asanas (poses/movements) along with meditative practices. Many people have worked to disconnect head from body for various reasons, often for purposes of disconnecting from trauma to the body. This practice allows for integration of the entire body, while learning to trust yourself to give your body what it needs. It is also often difficult to relax for sleep or meditation without some movement first or connection to breathe. People can learn to utilize skills to help them to reduce anxiety and learn to relax. This is completely appropriate for beginners of yoga or meditation of any age or size.TRAININGS & EVENTS
Connections Counseling will be participating in the NEDA Walk annually! Connections is proud to work with those struggling and in recovery from eating disorders. We would be honored to have you join our team and show support to those who wish to achieve and maintain RECOVERY!
Connections Counseling has hosted Natural Lifemanship trainings at our facility. Stay tuned for future training dates or visit Natural Lifemanship’s website.
From Natural Lifemanship’s Fundamentals page:
Natural Lifemanship is the science and art of connection. Founded on modern neuroscience and the principles of trauma-informed care, Natural Lifemanship promotes healing, recovery and positive development through the process of building connected relationships. The Fundamentals of NL training teaches how the brain develops and changes to accommodate survival and other needs; why relationships are so central to neurodevelopment; and how to intentionally build relationships in ways that support health and healing of self and others.
The relationship principles that we teach are demonstrated, experienced and practiced with horses at our Fundamentals of NL trainings. The training provides a solid foundation in Natural Lifemanship’s Trauma-Focused Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (TF-EAP) model for mental health and equine professionals who practice equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP). It also provides a solid foundation for individuals who are simply interested in understanding how trauma and toxic stress affect the brain, and how relationships with self and others may be built in ways that promote health and well-being. In addition to mental health and equine professionals, the Fundamentals of NL training is often attended by teachers, parents (including foster and adoptive parents), and others.
This training is intended for:
- Mental health professionals
- Horse professionals
- Anyone with an interest in neuroscience and trauma-informed care
- Anyone with an interest in healthy relationships with self and others
- Anyone concerned with recovery
- Those with an interest in horses, horse-human partnerships, and many kinds of animal-assisted therapy
- Those who wish to pursue certification in Natural Lifemanship
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