Behavioral Health Psychotherapy

Our experienced clinicians utilize various techniques to help you stop limiting your potential for a fulfilling life.  If working on your "self" and changing unhealthy thought patterns that contribute to increased feelings of anger, confusion, disconnect, indifference, anxiety, embarrassment, self-destruction, self-sabotage, sensitivity, shyness and various other comfortable emotions then you've come to the right place.  As Licensed Certified Clinicians, National Board Certified Clinical Hypnotist and Registered Dietitian our primary goal is to provide a secure environment in which you will change the quality of your life, improve communications, and create healthy relationships. Our role as your clinician is to ensure you feel heard, empowered and enlightened as you begin to make the necessary changes within.

Comprehensive Alcohol and Other Drug Use Evaluation

Our alcohol and substance evaluations are supervised by a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical with 19 years of behavioral health and substance abuse experience.  Treatment recommendations are based on the results of the comprehensive bio-psychosocial evaluation, scored on the standardized substance abuse screening tests and the licensed professionals insight and observations.  With your permission, a report will be prepared and mailed to your attorney or probation agent.

 

Bariatric Surgery Evaluations

Objectives of the Assessment:

When a surgeon assesses patients for bariatric surgery, he/she ascertains their general health, with the idea of identifying those for whom surgery is too risky and those who have conditions that need to be treated, stabilized, or managed for surgery to be worth its risk. Behavioral health specialists can no more “predict” a particular psychological outcome than the physician can “predict” a surgical or medical complication. We can, however, via the pre-operative behavioral health assessment, identify psychosocial risk factors and make recommendations to both the client and surgical group that are aimed at facilitating the best possible outcome for the patient.

Patients are typically faced with initial dietary restrictions, permanent changes in eating and dietary habits, altered body sensations and experiences, shifting body image and self care behaviors, new cognition's and feelings, and an emerging and different lifestyle. In addition, they may realize sometimes unexpected and significant changes in relationships that may result in marked stress. Bariatric surgery is a highly effective procedure that not only reconfigured and/or restricts a patient’s stomach, but significantly affects their psyche as well. Generally patients will need a secure identity, sound psychological resources, resiliency, effective coping strategies, and willingness to access meaningful support from others.

When problematic pre-surgery psychosocial factors are identified, the clinician is able to alert the treatment team and the patient, and make appropriate recommendations. Recommendations may include pharmacological interventions, psycho-education, psychotherapy to address potential post surgery stumbling blocks, nutritional consultation, close aftercare monitoring, and/or bariatric surgery support group attendance.

 

Call Terese Hayes, LCSW-C at 301-972-1373 to schedule your evaluation.