Specialized Programs
Substance Abuse Assessment and Treatment:
Assessment and Evaluations can be done at our Fairfield, Western Hills, and Anderson Offices over the course of 3 one-hour, face-to-face sessions with one of our counselors. Following the assessment, the client will be referred to the appropriate treatment, which might include: individual counseling at CPCS, Intensive outpatient group (IOP) at CPCS, or in-patient detox in a hospital. Admission to the group therapy is open and ongoing allowing specialists to add or graduate members according to the client's need. Group Treatment will be held weekly for 90 minutes at our Fairfield office. Members will be expected to develop and increase skills in the following areas:
- The effects of substance use on the body and in the individual's life
- Identifying and Utilizing support networks
- Learn and follow a Wellness Model for preventative care
- Identifying and restructuring thinking errors, or cognitive distortions that support substance use
- Developing positive relationship skills and maintaining appropriate boundaries with others
- Developing effective coping skills to manage identified risk factors
Assessment and Individual Treatment sessions are $85 for the first one-hour session and $60 per hour-session thereafter. Group treatment is $25 for the weekly, 90 minute meeting.
Payment is due at the time of service. If there is insurance we will gladly submit claims for reimbursement.
Sex Offender Assessment and Treatment:
Assessment and Evaluation can be conducted at our Anderson, Western Hills and Fairfield offices, and typically information will be gathered over 3 one-hour, face-to-face meetings. Based on the results of the assessment, our professional will refer the patient on to either Individual, Group Treatment, or some combination that may be obtained right here at CPCS.
Admission to group therapy will be open and ongoing, allowing specialists to add or graduate members according to the client's need. Group Treatment will be held weekly for 90 minutes at our Fairfield office. Members will be expected to develop and increase skills in the following areas:
- Accepting responsibility for sex offending and other harmful behaviors
- Developing or enhancing empathy for victims
- Maintaining control over unhealthy impulses
- Identifying and restructuring thinking errors, or cognitive distortions, that support offending behaviors
- Developing positive relationship skills and maintaining appropriate behavior in other life areas
- Developing effective coping skills to manage identified risk factors and Identifying and utilizing support networks - those individuals in the community who become part of an extended supervision network, such as family members, employers and others
Assessment and Individual Treatment are $85 for the first one-hour session and $60 per session thereafter. Group treatment is $25 for the weekly, 90 minute meeting.
Payment is due at the time of service. If there is insurance we will gladly submit claims for reimbursement.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy:
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based treatment for persons struggling with emotion regulation issues (e.g., rapid mood changes, intense and debilitating emotions, etc.). It was developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan and colleagues at the University of Washington. Since its creation in the early 1990's, DBT has been shown to be effective for a broad range of issues from severe suicidal thoughts to problems in maintaining relationships. The standard DBT "program" consists, at minimum, of once weekly individual therapy and once weekly skills training, usually done in a group. DBT is provided by a team of therapists who meet weekly for consultation on how to improve their skills as therapists adhere to the treatment principles and protocols.
The overarching goal of DBT is to obtain “a life worth living” by providing skills to manage emotions, to tolerate distress and to improve relationships. DBT has been shown to be effective in reducing suicidal behaviors, hospitalizations, and problems with anger, depression, and hopelessness. DBT treats emotion dysregulation, defined as a combination of extreme emotional vulnerability with difficulty in regulating emotions once they are aroused. DBT clients learn an array of skills to manage their emotions and the impulsive and almost automatic behaviors that often accompany strong emotions. In individual therapy each client works on
- A highly personalized plan to reduce the behaviors getting in the way of attaining their goals
- Increasing their use of skillful behaviors. Clients who enter DBT are asked to make a six month commitment to attend both individual therapy and skills training. In six months of treatment with hard work from both the client and the DBT team, most clients can see significant improvement in their lives.
This question is best answered in an interview with a trained DBT therapist. However, to get a general idea of the kinds of problems DBT treats you can read through the nine questions below. Consider each question carefully and decide if it is 1) mostly true or 2) mostly not true about you. If you find that you answer "mostly true" to several of these items, then DBT may be right for you.
- Do you have mood swings and rapidly changing emotions? Do you find that little things tend to cause emotions to flare and that the emotions are extreme and sometimes long-lasting?
- Do you either over-express or under-express anger? Does anger cause a lot of problems in your life?
- Are you somewhat impulsive? Do you have a tendency to do things under the influence of emotion that you later regret, such as drink too much, spend too much money, eat to excess or engage in inappropriate sex?
- Are you confused about who you really are? Do you wonder, for example, whether you really like yourself at all, what your values are, or whether or not you are a "worthy" person?
- Are your relationships often filled with conflict, or do you have few or no lasting relationships?
- Do you find that when an important person in your life is upset with you or wants to leave a relationship that you feel overwhelmed with fear of abandonment as if you cannot survive without that person? Does this feeling really frighten you?
- Do you find that sometimes, when you are really upset, that you want to hurt yourself, or think you would like to be dead? Do you ever harm yourself intentionally or consider killing yourself?
- Do you ever feel empty or numb for long periods of time?
- When you are really, really upset, do you sometimes have thoughts that people really want to harm you or are hurting you on purpose even though later you might realize this isn't true? Do you ever lose track of where you are, or of time, or feel paralyzed when you are very emotional?
What can I expect?
DBT is a therapy which requires a serious commitment from both the client and the therapist. Your therapist will help you clarify your goals and will ask for specific commitments from you, which will help you reach your goals. You and your therapist will develop a collaborative relationship which will seek to reduce any problems that get in the way of your therapy and will also identify behaviors that you most need to change in order to achieve your goals. Individual therapy and skills training will be weekly and you will have homework for each. You will also have access to between-session coaching contact. DBT is a very active and directed process, where you and your therapist delineate a clear path toward your goals and focus on the steps needed to reach them. Your effort will be a huge factor in your progress.
The first four sessions of DBT will focus on orientation, assessment and commitment. There are formal and informal assessment procedures. During the early sessions you and your therapist will establish your relationship and treatment plan, including making a diary card. Attendance at group usually begins within four to six weeks after entering therapy. The minimum commitment is usually six months and many people stay in DBT for longer than one year.
Borderline Personality Disorder:
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is an often misunderstood condition that can be very debilitating for those who suffer with it and their families. BPD sufferers, estimated to be around six million people in the U.S., experience episodes of emotional intensity that are difficult to contain. At it's core, BPD is a psychological disorder that adversely affects one's ability to regulate emotions. In short, this inability causes emotions to go from one extreme to another, sometimes for seemingly little or no reason. These rapidly changing, intense emotional experiences create significant problems for the person experiencing them. At its extreme, symptoms of BPD can include suicidal thoughts or gestures, addictions to substances or problematic behaviors, chronic feelings of emptiness and chaotic relationships with others. Not only is BPD painful for the person who suffers from it, but it can also be very difficult for family members who find themselves "walking on egg shells" in an effort to not make it worse.
BPD traits can vary greatly in intensity among individuals. In fact, many persons who do not meet all the criteria for BPD may find that they struggle these same problems to a lesser degree. Dialectical Behavior Therapy has been shown to be highly effective in treating both individuals who struggle with BPD or similar psychological problems. Those who have found significant help and guidance in their lives include people from all walks and stages of life. Dialectical Behavior Therapy offers help to anyone who finds him or herself having difficulty regulating painful emotions or maintaining positive and satisfying relationships.
When the average person feels anger, sadness, or emotional pain, healthy coping mechanisms kick-in to contain the feelings. These coping skills ensure that the intensity of feeling does not overwhelm the individual and cause them to express feelings in destructive ways such as violence toward self or others. This is described as having the ability to regulate emotions, i.e. think and behave in ways that help one feel calmer and in control of emotions and behaviors.
Under extreme emotional distress, such as the loss of a loved one or a threat to one’s sense of emotional or physical safety, even the average person's ability to manage painful feelings may fail. Individuals with BPD often have extreme difficulty in these situations and sometimes act in ways that are harmful to themselves or their relationships when experiencing such a crisis. Many with BPD have suicidal thoughts and approximately 10 percent will commit suicide. Some may cut or otherwise harm themselves to manage their internal suffering.
People suffering with BPD may have a biological predisposition to feel emotions more intensely than the average person. For example, they more readily perceive threats to their emotional or physical safety in situations that most people do not interpret as dangerous. Or, they may express anger as rage and verbally or physically attack the source of such anger.
Researchers have also found that a high percentage of individuals with BPD have come from families where there was physical, emotional, or sexual abuse (often referred to as the "invalidating environment"). The combination of feeling emotions more intensely and experiencing an invalidating childhood is thought to be one of the main causes of BPD in adults.
If you are in a relationship with someone with BPD you may have experienced the "walking on eggshells" feeling. Everyday interactions can become minefields where misperceived statements or behaviors are interpreted as threats triggering a verbal or physical explosion. The emotional volatility can create a chaotic and emotionally damaging environment, especially for children.
Fee is $100. per week which includes the assessment, individual, group treatment, and coaching between sessions.