Veterans

First responders are in a bind when it comes to stress related issues. Seeking help could have unintended consequences. If you’re in this position, come in for a free consultation. I’m happy to explain the steps I take to protect the interests of first responders. I’ve worked with police officers, deputies, troopers, detectives, firefighters, EMT’s and paramedics. If you call or email, please let me know that you’re a first responder.

I work well with adolescents, possibly because I’m still a kid myself. Most of my work with this age group is centered around trauma and stress related issues. All trauma work with adolescents involves the active engagement of a caregiver. Whether that caregiver is a parent, legal guardian, or foster parent, participation is required. That doesn’t mean that we’re always in session together, however, and confidentiality will be discussed with all parties prior to beginning therapy. If we want adolescents to heal from these issues, we must engage the systems they exist within.

If the issue is not truama or stress related, give me a call and lets talk. I’m not a therapist that does 30 different things and I want to make sure that the kiddo gets the best help possible.

Trauma therapy is a specialized and evolving field. It’s not something a therapist should simply add to the list of issues they work with. I am, at heart, a trauma therapist. Every day, I work with survivors of abuse, neglect, and dysfunction. Co-occurring personality, mood, impulse control, substance abuse, and dissociative disorders are common, and understandable, given the context. Even if it’s not me, you want a trauma therapist who understands how multiple issues work together.

I’ve worked with survivors of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, domestic and intimate partner violence, combat and 911 response related PTSD and stress, and both single event and complex trauma.

If a criminal case has been filed against a perpetrator, you may be eligible for the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program which can help cover the cost of therapy and other expenses. Follow the link to learn more or give me a call and I can provide the contact info for the local victim’s advocate.

I’m not a fan of the disease model. We’ve swung from one pole that judged people as, “bad,” to the opposite pole of having a chronic, progressive, incurable, relapsing disease. I was a drug addict and alcoholic for 25 years. I’d rather believe I was a bad person than accept the idea that I have an incurable disease that I have to struggle against for the rest of my life. There is a middle ground. I believe that all people, regardless of the issue they struggle with, have good reasons for the things they do. No one persists in an obviously destructive behavior without a good reason for doing so. The reason may not be immediately obvious, but it’s there. Substance abuse is the symptom, and the false solution, to this problem. Our goal is to find the real problem, the reason for the chaos. At Black Sheep, we take practical steps to begin reducing the impact of substances, but the majority of the work is in getting to the root of the true problem.

While Black Sheep is a trauma oriented practice, trauma is not the sole focus. I’ve worked extensively with many other issues, but if it’s out of my area I have no problem referring to a more appropriate provider. My primary goal is to ensure that you get the best help available.