Category Archives: NWA Marriage Family Therapy

Understanding Your Mental Health Provider’s Credentials: Why it Matters

Introduction

A professional caring mental health is an important component of your overall well-being. Finding the right therapist or counselor is helpful to achieving emotional and psychological stability. However, choosing a mental health provider can be confusing given the range of professionals and approaches available. Understanding a therapist’s credentials is essential to making an informed decision that will benefit you.

What Are Credentials?

Credentials refer to the education, training, and licensing required for a mental health professional to practice therapy. The type of credential varies depending on the level of education and expertise. Common mental health credentials include Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT).

Importance of LPC and LMFT Credentials

LPC and LMFT credentials represent that the therapists has attained certain standards in the mental health field. LPCs usually specialize in individual and group counseling, while LMFTs because of their training focus on family and relationship therapy. Mental health professionals that have these licensures have completed a master’s degree in counseling. In addition to years of supervised clinical experience and passed various licensing exams. Practitioners with LPCs and LMFT’s credentials continue to take yearly education requirements in their field. This ongoing training will make them better equipped to provide therapy, as well as ensuring best ethical practices.

Non-Licensed Mental Health Providers

Non-licensed mental health providers may offer emotional support and guidance. Many may lack the level of education, training and licensing requirements of an LPCs and LMFTs. As a result, their approach to therapy and their ability to provide ethical and effective treatment may be unknown.

Why It’s Important to Ask About Credentials

Inquiring about your mental health provider’s credentials is a important to ensuring that you receive quality therapy. Understanding a counselor’s qualifications helps clients determine if their therapists will meet their needs.

Conclusion

Comprehending a mental health provider’s credentials is a good first step towards finding the right therapist or counselor. LPC and LMFT credentials signify that Arkansas counseling standards have been met and that they are current. This makes these therapists them a good professional choice. Non-licensed mental health providers may be an option for some. Inquiring about a person’s approaches and type of training will help make sure that you are getting the right help.

Call NWA Marriage Family Therapy, 479-225-0055 serving NWA and the rest of Arkansas for over a decade.

Rebuilding Relationship Trust After Addiction Issues

Rebuilding relationship trust after addiction issues is possible. This can be a long and challenging process, and here are some tips:

  1. Honesty is best policy: Honesty is crucial in rebuilding trust. It is essential to be open and honest about your addiction, struggles, and your recovery journey. It may be uncomfortable, but it’s important to share your thoughts, feelings, and concerns with each other.
  2. Stay Consistent: Consistency is important to building trust. Show your partner that you are committed to your recovery and that you are maintaining your sobriety. Follow through with your promises and commitments.
  3. Communication : It is vital in any relationship, but it’s especially important when rebuilding trust. Talk to your partner regularly and openly about your progress, challenges, and on going goals.
  4. Take your time: Rebuilding trust takes time, and it won’t happen overnight. Be patient and understand that it may take some time for your partner to trust you again.
  5. Find a supportive community. Find support groups, therapy, trusted friends and safe family members. Having a support system will help you stay accountable, motivated and committed to your recovery goals.
  6. Actions speak louder than words. Show your partner that you are committed to making positive changes in your life by staying sober, making healthier choices and treating them with respect and kindness.

Remember, trust is easily lost and not easily earned. Trust can be rebuilt with time, willingness and consistency. If you would like to talk about your own situation, I am offering a sliding scale fee for 60-minute sessions. Please call NWA Marriage & Family Therapy at 479-225-0055 and leave a voice mail.

Thank you.

Healthy Relationships

Building and maintaining healthy relationships is a journey that requires effort, patience, and commitment, to a likeminded individual. Whether you’re in a romantic partnership, a friendship, or a family relationship, the following tips can help you establish and nurture healthy connections.

Effective communication is key to any healthy relationship. This means being open and honest with your partner or friend, expressing your needs and concerns in a respectful manner, and actively listening to their perspective. Communication also involves being mindful of your tone and body language and avoiding behaviors that might be considered negative.

Trust is another essential element of healthy relationships. This involves being reliable, consistent, and transparent in your actions, and respecting your partner’s boundaries and privacy. Trust also means being vulnerable and sharing your thoughts and feelings with your partner and being supportive of them in kind.

Healthy relationships also require a willingness to compromise and work through conflicts. This means acknowledging and addressing issues when they arise, and seeking out solutions that work for both parties. It also involves being patient and empathetic and understanding that relationships are not always perfect or easy.

Finally, self-care is crucial for maintaining healthy relationships. This means taking care of your own physical and emotional needs, setting boundaries to protect your time and energy, and prioritizing activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. When you take care of yourself, you are better equipped to show up as your “best self” in your relationships.

Please call NWA Marriage Family Therapy at 479-225-0055 Office V. M. to make a 60 min. appointment. Offering an affordable sliding scale fee for clients who live in the NWA area or anywhere in Arkansas. Weekends are available..

Thank You.

Valentine’s Day Intimacy Fears?

Valentine’s Day is almost here. For some people this day brings about fears around intimacy. How soon is too soon to celebrate Valentines Day as a “couple”? Maybe just celebrate as friends? lovers? or celebrate love in general?

Do you ever think, “I want to be close, but just how close is it comfortable for me? ”

Are you comfortable with the idea of being close and staying close? Are you comfortable with the idea with giving as well as receiving over a Longterm relationship? Will you be testing your love often? How comfortable are you with commitment? If you move forward into a relationship, will you feel obligated, trapped or controlled? Will you feel like you will be losing your freedom or a part of you?

Exploring these questions is important for you to know where you are as far as desiring and maintaining long term intimacy.

Finally, knowing where your lover is as far as their intimacy abilities? Are they open and available to being intimate? Are they willing, capable and as vested as you? Are you well matched as far as your expectations and abilities? It’s good to think about these things on your own, as well as talking together.

There can be so many ways to celebrate and to create a meaningful intimate relationship on Valentine’s Day, as well as other types of friendships. Taking the opportunity and time to celebrate love in its many forms, is a day well spent.

So…..Happy Valentines Day!

Please call NWA Marriage & Family Therapy at 479-225-0055 to schedule an online appointment, if you would like to talk further.

Thank you.

Possible Signs Your Family of Origin is Impacting Your Life

Are you noticing that you are having trouble with anger, sadness or are afraid? That your relationships seems to repeat unhealthy patterns? That you maybe struggling with addiction issues? Maybe you also have trust issues in relationships? Do you feel an over all sense of unworthiness?

These might be sings that you are struggling with family origin issues, that have been going unresolved and or unnoticed, that are impacting your life and need some work so you can heal and move forward.

Consider my video conference therapy offering a sliding scale fee and convenient times. I have served the NWA area for almost a decade. Now with virtual secure conferencing I can serve any clients in Arkansas, that are compatible to my scope of practice.

I appreciate your consideration and I hope every one stays safe.

Call me at 479-225-0055 and leave a voice message to see if I can help you with your needs so we can set up a virtual appointment.

NWA Telehealth, Online Counseling, Virtual Therapy

Telehealth, Online Counseling, Virtual Therapy, there are many names that exists for technologically assisted counseling. With our health becoming our most valuable resource, and our lives becoming more difficult making your mental health a priority can be a challenge. Online counseling is now available from NWA Marriage Family Therapy

With new changes in the healthcare regulations and availability of technology like your smart telephone or computer, I am now offering virtual therapy services to the NWA Arkansas area as well as all of Arkansas.

Thank you and feel free to call NWA Marriage & Family Therapy at 479-225-0055 and leave a message to set up a teletherapy online virtual appointment.

Relationships are important

Relationships are important in your life.

If the relationships in your life are healthy they can allow you to feel good about your self, be more creative, feel loved and have an over all sense of wellness from day to day that actually makes for better over all health. Making an investment in your relationship is worthwhile.

Please call NWA Marriage and Family Therapy at 479-225-0055. Offices in Fayetteville and Bella Vista, with hours that accommodate any schedule. I would be happy to answer your questions. Now serving online the Fayetteville, Springdale, Centerton, Rogers, Bentonville, and Bella Vista areas.

NWA Affordable Pre Marital Counseling

Offering Affordable Premarital Counseling in the NWA area customized to fit your needs in the NWA area do you have a limited time frame? One session or a few NWA Marriage and Family Therapy can help you customize your premarital counseling to fit your busy lifestyle and budget.

Call NWA Marriage & Family Therapy 479-225-0055 to set your premarital counseling appointment with a licensed Marriage and Family Therapists.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Celebrate your relationship on this Valentines Day and make it meaningful. It might take some effort sometimes to work out the glitches and endure the ups and downs. If you are needing any type of relationship support, be it dating, in a live in situation, premarital or marriage support.

Please call Northwest Arkansas Marriage and Family Therapy Office at 479-225-0055, leave a voice message and I will return your call. Flexible appointment times to fit all schedules. Look forward to speaking soon about your situation. Serving NWA specifically and all of Arkansas both virtually and in person Thank you.

New Years Tribute, NWA Marriage & Family Therapy

 

Happy New Year’s 2019.  Reflecting on  2018 I was thinking some times it is good to take a look back  to remember those folks who lived and came before us.  Way before us.  We are here because they survived and had the strength to carry on even in very difficult circumstances, often facing situations that in their time seemed impossible to  overcome or endure.  We as people, are stronger and more resilient  than we believe to face our situations.

Please call NWA Marriage & Family Therapy @ 479-225-0055 to set an appointment for couples or individual counseling, at your convenience.  If you need my services, in Fayetteville, Bella Vista, or Ft. Smith.please leave a voice message and I will call back.

Thank you  and I look forward  to hearing from you.

Happy 2019 New Year’s to all as we head forward.

Carmen