Sunday Reset

https://www.facebook.com/bethaneylmhc/posts/1135043653198208

Lies one person's depression told her:
https://www.facebook.com/Upworthy/posts/1444617498912437

SWFL Counseling, LLC's Newest Counselor!

https://www.facebook.com/swflcounseling/posts/1777896185761517:0

Staying centered in times of stress and anxiety...

Breathing is key to being centered in any level of stress or anxiety...breath...pause...and reflect.

Check out our new web page for SWFL Counseling, LLC:
http://www.swflcounsel.com/our-counselors

Welcome!!

Welcome!!

Immediate Appointments Available! Each session is only $25! Life often gets in the way of being our best selves. As a former university/college administrator and public school teacher, I have an understanding of life's struggles with change. Call me to set up an appointment so we can work together toward a better you.
       

I am a Clinical Mental Health Counselor.  I graduated from FGCU in 2016.  My counseling experiences include working with; teens, mid-life, and the elderly clients, including issues of depression, careers, substance abuse, co-parenting, multigenerational issues, care giving, , health issues, learning challenges, time management, stress, and anxiety.

       

I am under the supervision of a licensed mental health counselor. Please feel free to take the first step  contact me directly to set up an appointment text or call: (239) 224-2305. When leaving a message be sure to note your name, number, and when would be best to contact you.  Thank you!

 

My profile on Psychology today is located at: https://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_detail.php?profid=272229&sid=1455736989.7636_7374&zipcode=33919&search=33919&tr=ResultsProfileBtn

Postive Characteristics Often Associated with ADHD

Living with ADHD in the Age of Information and Social Media | Theo Siggelakis | TEDxQuinnipiacU

Within this video, there are some great analogies for everyone to better understand the struggles and the benefits (I did say benefits) of having ADHD as an adult. 

Mediation & It's Benefits

As a Counseling Intern, I felt it important to become a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator because the skills required of a mediator can be utilized in multiple settings including some counseling situations.  Below you will find a link to the Florida 20th Judicial Circuit: Mediation Program.  If conflicts arise within your relationship this may prove to be a valuable resource.  Using mediation in an informal way is also an effective way to work with kids who are having challenging disagreements. 

William A. Moulton, III
Counseling Intern
SWFL Counseling LLC

Link: http://www.ca.cjis20.org/home/main/mediation.asp

Make You the Priority!

Taking care of yourself should be your number one priority.  Being available to others is probably important to you, yet if you are not fully charged and able to fully participate in your life's relationships as a sibling, partner, parent, daughter/son, cousin, aunt/uncle, and/or a grandparent then you may need some extra help.  This is where counseling can come into play.  Meeting with a counselor can enrich your knowledge about you.  Providing you with what you need to better define your role(s) within the various relationships in your life.

Consider making yourself the priority in your own life and begin taking the time you need to better understand you!

William A. Moulton, III
Counseling Intern
SWFL Counseling, LLC
Contact: wmoultoncounselor@gmail.com

Demystifying Therapy: How to Get the Most Out of Your First Therapy Session

• Daniela Tempesta, LCSWPsychotherapist, danielalcsw.com

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So you’ve decided it’s time to give therapy a shot. Now what? Preparing for your first session with a new therapist can be a bit nerve wracking. Sharing your pain and vulnerabilities with a perfect stranger can feel foreign and even daunting. If you notice yourself feeling nervous, don’t worry, it is totally normal. But remember that therapy is an investment in your most important asset: yourself! So do your best to push those nerves aside so you can focus on getting the most out the experience. Below are three tips on how to prepare for and maximize your first session with a new therapist.
(Still not sure therapy is for you? Check out my top five reasons why everyone should go to therapy.)
1) You Have Nothing To Lose — Be Honest
While compassionate and caring, the therapist is not your “friend.” The relationship with your therapist is different than any other relationship you will ever have. You are guaranteed complete confidentiality and offered an environment free of judgment or criticism. It is structured this way purposefully to allow for the kind of total emotional transparency that might otherwise feel unsafe. So while it is normal to want to censor information when talking with someone new, this contradicts the whole purpose of the therapeutic relationship. Your therapist is not there to judge you, he or she is there to support you in your pain (and even help you diminish the shame you feel). You are not going to get the most out of the process if you are not being totally transparent. So even though it might feel a bit like swimming upstream, push yourself to be brutally honest with your therapist so you two can address the real issues head on. If you don’t, you may be wasting your own time and money.
2) Come With A Direction In Mind, But Be Open To A Detour
Think about what you most want to get out of the process before you arrive for your first session. Your therapist will work with you to determine what your goals in working together will be, but don’t rely on the professional to do all the work for you — this therapy is for you and about you. Remember that you are the expert on your own experience and that expertise is essential in ensuring that you are on the right track. At the same time, be open to seeing new things and considering other directions. The beauty about therapy is that the objective lens of the therapist, paired psychological expertise, will allow him or her to see some things that are not visible to you and together you can work to co-construct a plan that best meets your needs.
3) Focus On How The Relationship Feels
The largest predictor of the effectiveness of therapy has to do with client-related factors such as willingness to change, ego strength, access to social support, etc. The second largest factor is the quality of the relationship with the therapist. So needless to say, ensuring you get the most out of the experience has a lot to do with the relationship you build with this person. Though it is normal to feel uncomfortable at times during the first session, overall you should feel heard, understood, accepted, and safe. You should feel that this is someone you can imagine building a strong rapport with. Hopefully, the therapist will check in to make sure it feels like a good fit for you. If in the end you leave feeling judged or unsafe, it’s time to go back to the drawing board and find another clinician to work with. If you need some guidance with finding a better fit, check out my top 5 tips for finding a great therapist.
So now hopefully you are feeling a little more ready to embark on that first appointment. Keep an open mind, take a deep breath, and take some risks. Good luck!

The original article can be found at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniela-tempesta-lcsw/therapy-session_b_4703236.html

Follow Daniela Tempesta, LCSW on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Tempestalcsw