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Starter Session
Book your starter session now. Self-pay rates are $90 per session.
I accept these insurance plans: Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, Oscar, Oxford and UHC. Email Kelly at kelly@pedersencounseling.com or click here to book a session.
Services
Trauma Counseling
I utilize EMDR therapy. EMDR Therapy helps people heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences. Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events. This process involves communication between the amygdala (the alarm signal for stressful events), the hippocampus (which assists with learning, including memories about safety and danger), and the prefrontal cortex (which analyzes and controls behavior and emotion). While many times traumatic experiences can be managed and resolved spontaneously, they may not be processed without help. Stress responses are part of our natural fight, flight, or freeze instincts. When distress from a disturbing event remains, the upsetting images, thoughts, and emotions may create an overwhelming feeling of being back in that moment, or of being “frozen in time.” EMDR therapy helps the brain process these memories and allows normal healing to resume. The experience is still remembered, but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event is resolved
Relationship Counseling
In traditional behavioral couple therapy (TBCT), Partner A changes because Partner B wants them to change. This approach can work well with newer couples or when the changes that need to be made are superficial. However, often more established couples or couples with entrenched problems require an integrative approach. Integrative behavioral couple therapy (IBCT) will also involve Partner B modifying his or her emotional reaction to Partner A’s behavior. The strategy when a behavior is “irreconcilable” is to change the complaining partner’s response to the “offending” partner’s behavior, rather than changing what is “unchangeable” behavior.
Ideally, Partner B will develop a new understanding of his or her partner’s behavior, and the complaint will be transformed into a less destructive response. This change in Partner B’s reaction often then has a salutary impact on the frequency or intensity of Partner A’s behavior. With this acceptance-focused approach (as opposed to a change-focused approach), even the most polarized, disengaged, and “unchangeable” couples have an opportunity to increase their overall relationship satisfaction. Bear in mind that “acceptance” means letting go of, but not unwillingly tolerating, resigning oneself, or giving in. It is about transforming irreconcilable differences into a vehicle for promoting closeness and intimacy and developing a new appreciation of each other’s experiences. Although you may still have your “hill to die on” issues, as is normal, it is about accepting influence and living a better life together.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing (MI) is a counseling approach developed by clinical psychologists. It’s all about emphasizing change from within the client. As an MI practitioner, I use my counseling skills, such as open-ended questions and ways to reflect, to evoke what’s called change talk— a conversation about what clients are unhappy about and how they’d like to change. Through an accepting, collaborative, and guiding style, this approach seeks to strengthen the person’s commitment to goals they identify for themselves. The emphasis is on a person’s own choices and own reasons for change. Though MI practitioners like me might make suggestions to help guide our clients, we aren’t trying to force anyone to change or make choices we think they should make. Instead, I ask my clients questions, and reflect back to them what I’m hearing related to their desire, ability, reasons, and need for change. The end goal is to arrive at the change that is driven by you, all the while unlocking your motivation to get there.