Are You Thinking About Getting Some Help?

Life can be difficult sometimes.  Unexpected situations arise.  Our lives move through transitions that we don't quite know how to handle.  Our relationships change and we begin to feel anger and resentment.  Our children, in their attempts to become independent people, behave in ways we don't understand.  Sometimes the stress of everyday life just runs us down.

Why is life so difficult?  What did I do to deserve this?  Is it my fault, Gods' fault, the economy, or just bad luck?  One thing we as humans share is that sometimes our lives hurt. The desire to move away from pain is natural and healthy.  The directions we move in sometimes are healthy and productive. Other times the direction can lead us into more pain and suffering.

If you are thinking about getting some help you may have a lot of questions.  What is therapy?  How does it work?  How much does it cost?  How long does it take?  Do I need insurance?  What does a therapist do?  How do I find a good therapist?  Why can't I just solve my own problems?  We hope to answer these questions and more on this site.  So lets get started.

The first line of one of my favorite books The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck is; "Life is difficult."  The difficulty in life is balanced in the way we have learned to cope.  When the pain becomes too much, a therapist is good person to help you learn a different way of coping and living life.  For many people, the word therapy is related to the words crazy or insane.  It is related to the images we have of dark and dank psychiatric hospitals or ineffective therapists we have seen in movies like Girl Interrupted, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or What About Bob?   As a result many people see therapy as a joke or for the very ill.  Our culture has strong "Pull yourself up by the boot straps " mentality.  Some believe those who are hurting emotionally are weak or bad.  These beliefs can only add to your pain or compound the emotional pain of a loved one.  The fact is, if you are suffering emotional pain, you are far from alone. Help is available.  

So, How Does Therapy Help?

There is nothing noble about suffering through pain.  It does not build character or test your faith or strength.  Pain simply hurts.  For all of us, there is a mind-body connection.  When we are in pain, we attempt to deal with it through Action, the Body or the Mind.

When we take Action, we are either trying to solve the problem or create a distraction.  Problem solving might mean communicating directly, changing behavior or resolving a conflict.  Distraction is the way we try to reduce the pain or ignore it.  We accomplish this through actions like: workaholism, alcohol or other drug abuse, watching TVand picking fights with others.

The body makes changes as a natural response .  These physical changes are part of emotional responses  (e.g. insomnia, increased blood pressure, palpitations, )  People who ignore their inner feelings often suffer from body related symptoms that can range form disturbing to life threatening ( i.e. headaches, dental problems related to grinding the teeth, complications due to diabetes and heart attacks).

Finally, the Mind addresses emotional pain through thoughts or feelings.  Those who are aware of feelings may feel intense sadness or anger.  Those who are more connected to their thoughts may experience painful memories or constant worries.

My approach to therapy is to integrate these ways in which we attempt to deal with emotional pain. Through discussion, education, writing, reading and observation, the client and therapist discover the cause of the pain and the maladaptive ways it is being dealt with and create a strategy to solve the problem and improve the ability to cope.

 How Can Talking Help?

By talking to an understanding person about your thoughts, feelings and experiences, things begin to make sense.  Talking can help to make connections between what is happening and what you are thinking, believing, and feeling.  When you are under a great deal of stress, you might begin to take things personally.  You begin to make assumptions and fail to notice important details.  Talking with a therapist can help you understand faulty perceptions or assumptions.  Talking allows one to view events realistically, process feelings and gain insight.

What Kinds of Services Are Available?

Individual Therapy:  Many people come to therapy alone to address their thoughts and feelings.  The goal is to reduce the negative feelings and increase a sense of well-being.  Even those who have problems with their primary relationships can improve their relationships by attending individual therapy.   By working individually, someone can talk about sensitive issues or feelings they might feel too uncomfortable sharing in a group or with their family members. 

Couples Counseling: Problems in the primary relationship affect each partner differently.  These problems unaddressed over time lead to undesirable changes in the relationship. Communication breakdowns are common in stressed relationships. Couples counseling bring in both partners to discuss the problem realistically and find solutions.  

Family Therapy:  As the name suggests, family therapy includes many if not all the members of a family.  Many times a family will have one family member with a "problem".  Perhaps it is a teen who runs away or an elderly parent who is not taking care of themselves.  The family comes together to talk about how the problem effects each member individually as well as how it effects the family system.  The goal of family therapy is two-fold.  The first goal is to resolve the individual's problem .  The second goal is to improve the functioning of the family as a whole.

Group Therapy:  A group is designed to address a specific problem shared by many individuals.  The types of problems can include Anger Management, Depression, Trauma, Addiction, Wellness, Parenting etc..   A group can take a few different forms.  Some groups are open. This means the group is on-going and members of the group can join or leave as they see fit.  An example of that kind of group might be Alcoholics Anonymous or a depression support group.  Other groups are closed. Closed groups have a defined beginning or end. they do not allow new members to join in the middle of the group. An example of a closed group might be a 6-week parenting group.   Most groups include some education or skill building  as well as interaction with the other group members.

Where Do I Go From Here?

The goal of the Global Therapy web site is to answer your questions and provide resources as you make the decision to pursue clarity and improved relationships.  I would be happy to answer any questions or refer you to resources or services which might be of help. Donna@Global-Therapy.com

Some local resources:

There are many fine services in the local Tampa Bay area. The following are just a few with stellar reputations. If you do not find what you are looking for, feel free to e-mail us and request another resource. We will try to locate something that will be helpful to your particular situation.

Alpha House of Tampa- pregnancy, adoption and support services 875-2124
American Red Cross- health and safety information and education 251-0921
The Centre for Women- social services for women, displaced homemakers 251-8437
The Child Abuse Council- services to treat and prevent child abuse and neglect 673-4646
Consumer Credit Counseling Service 289-8923
Francis House- housing and social services to those effected by HIV/AIDS 237-3066
Hospice- services to those faced with terminal illness 877-2200
Metropolitan Ministries- dealing with the issues of homelessness 209-1000
The Spring- services to victims and perpetrators of domestic violence 247-7233 (crisis line)
Tampa AIDS Network- resources for those effected and affected by HIV/AIDS 987-8683
Volunteer Center of Hillsborough County- for anyone interested in volunteering for his or her community 274-0909

The following are the contact number for various 12-step recovery groups
Alcoholics Anonymous - Hillsborough and East Pasco county- (813) 933-9123
Al-anon Hillsborough County 889-4544
Narcotics Anonymous-879-4357
Overeaters Anonymous 254-4190

Information and Resource Hotlines
Alcohol Abuse 24 -hour addiction-information and Treatment 800-274-2024
Narcotics abuse 24-hour help line and treatment 800-234-0420