Therapy Specialties

Marriage & Couples Counseling

Many couples experience conflict and learning to communicate effectively and handle conflict productively is essential. I enjoy teaching and working with couples to bring these skills to your relationships - it can be transformative!

I also offer Urgent Response Counseling: If you are experiencing a crisis in your relationship, often quick, intensive therapy will be successful in turning your relationship issues around. I offer two and three hour therapy sessions within the week of your initial call.

Co-Parenting Counseling

Co-parenting counseling can be a very effective tool in restoring the parental relationship and making sure children thrive through the changes in their families. Co-parent counseling provides a framework for helping both parents work toward a healthy, stable relationship for the best interest of their children and themselves. Divorce is often a very painful process and challenging for each member of the home, especially children. Co-parenting can ensure that your children's needs are met and that your relationship with the other parent is productive. Co-parenting will help reduce the stress, frustration and anxiety that are brought about when family dynamics and functioning change.

I am grateful to the mentors and therapists that assisted my husband and I in our quest to blend our families….Eighteen years and counting….

Trauma Therapy & Services

I am a certified trauma response Critical Incident Debriefer.   I offer rapid response services on-site and followup therapy services for first responders, servicemen and women, and people exposed to traumatic events.

There are multiple treatment options to aid in healing: CISD services, EMDR, Yoga therapies, and psychotherapies based on mindful practices.

Addictions Counseling

I am a Certified Addictions Professional (CAP, 1988) and an Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (ICADC, 1988). My work experience as the Director of The Freedom House (1984 - 1987) - a long term residential treatment center for women's addictions problems was one of the first of its kind.  I have worked with The DOT, as a Substance Abuse Evaluator (SAP) - and EAP's (Employee Assistance Programs) providing drug and alcohol evaluations. This has led to an extensive knowledge of addictions, its impact on relationships, families and work settings.  I also have extensive knowledge and experience in finding the most appropriate treatment resources currently available in order to provide Individualized treatment plans specifically designed to meet each client’s needs. 

I also have in-depth understanding and clinical skills for the treatment of many other Addictions - Food, Sex and Pornography, Gambling, Internet, Shopping etc.  

I am a practiced, seasoned Interventionist for families and friends with a loved one suffering from an addictive process.  Often the person who is suffering with an addiction of any kind is emotionally and mentally compromised and will not be able to 'see' how much the disease has impacted their lives (denial).  Getting a loved one to seek help is delicate and difficult.  I have helped many families and friends develop interventions for their loved ones.  These interventions preserve the dignity of the addicted person and support the family/friends through this confrontation. Well planned and thought out Interventions are highly successful in getting the addicted person to treatment.    

EMDR

EMDR is an integrative psycho-therapeutic approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma.  This adaptive information processing model (AIP)  proposes that the unconscious is really composed of stored memories that guide us automatically. Stored memories unprocessed contain emotions, beliefs, and physical sensations that arise in the present and cause the present disturbances. Processing those old memories frees the individual to respond more appropriately in the present"  For more information go to EMDRIA.org.

I have trained extensively with multiple trauma approaches. In 2010, I completed the fifty (50) hour EMDR certification training approved by The EMDRIA (EMDR International Association).

EMDR is a rapid trauma debriefing model. Each person is unique and their experiences and the subsequent impact on them unique as well.  Therefore, each person benefits from different modes of therapy. In my professional experience, I have found that a combination of approaches works best for most people.  A comprehensive evaluation is necessary to determine the best approach for each person's particular needs.  

Mindfulness Based Therapy/MBCBT

Mindfulness is a mental state and therapeutic technique attained by purposefully focusing your awareness on the present moment, while calmly and without judgement acknowledging your feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. If we have present moment awareness we can become less reactive and more responsive to our world. Mindfulness helps us consider our actions and respond in thoughtful ways. And it helps us consciously choose what environments, people, and thoughts to be affected by, too.

In summary mindfulness creates room for us to make clearer choices, feel more in control of our lives, be calmer and make healthy decisions, and ultimately find more joy by noticing the positive details of our lives and relationships.

Mindfulness is an ancient Buddhist and Indian practice further developed in the 1970s as a psychological tool to manage anxiety, stress and chronic pain by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn. Now mindfulness is a scientifically researched phenomenon recognized by the world’s leading doctors, scientists, and psychologists.

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a short- to medium-term talk therapy. The basic concept is that focusing on changing the way you think (cognition) will change the way you act (behavior). CBT looks at ‘negative spirals’ where self limiting beliefs/ thoughts lead to feelings and physical sensations that then lead to actions. Changing these cycles means that anxiety and mild depression become more manageable. So CBT can help you manage emotional, physical and behavioral issues in a more purposeful way by identifying and changing these limiting, negative thinking patterns and embracing new empowering, positive ways of thinking.

I have been practicing both CBT and MBCBT therapies for years and am very comfortable teaching clients to embrace these powerful techniques to their own unique circumstances.

Mentoring

I offer mentoring and therapy services for Therapists and Yoga teachers who would like to expand their knowledge,  teaching and therapy skills and self care. As a seasoned practitioner, I have consistently focused on my own self care through therapy and yoga practices.  I have had two mentors myself who proved to be invaluable to me over the years - both professionally and personally.  I have a strong belief that those who provide care need to do the due diligence of their own mind/body work to be the most effective person they can be and the most effective teacher and guide themselves.  I have built and maintained a successful private practice and have supervised and mentored many therapists and business clients.  I am a Florida Qualified Supervisor for therapists(2017), and a 500 E-RYT(Yoga Alliance) Yoga teacher and therapist.  Years of personal and professional training inform my mentoring work.  My certifications in Addictions, Trauma, Yoga and Training along with my business development skills further inform this beneficial service.

If you are interested in a free consultation to discuss your concerns or questions, please feel free to contact me.  I look forward to meeting with you and developing your own mentoring, therapy and teaching skills.

Collaborative Law

Cindy is a member of the Collaborative Family Law Group of Central Florida. Collaborative Law is an innovative, non-adversarial, process for divorcing couples to work as a team with specifically trained, multi-dimensional professionals to resolve disputes respectfully, avoiding the historical adversarial/ litigious/costly process that has been the norm. Each client has the support, protection and guidance of his or her own lawyer. While Collaborative lawyers are always a part of Collaboration, most models provide Child Specialists, Financial Specialists and Divorce Coaches (Mental Health Professionals) as part of the client’s divorce team. In these models the Clients have the option of starting their divorce with the professionals with whom they feel most comfortable. Then the clients choose the other professionals they may need. Therefore, the clients benefit throughout Collaboration from the assistance and support of all of their chosen Professionals. 

 Although Collaborative Practice comes in several models, it is distinguished from traditional litigation by its inviolable core elements. These elements are set out in a contractual commitment among the clients and their chosen collaborative professionals to:

• Negotiate a mutually acceptable settlement without using court to decide any issues for the clients

• Withdrawal of the professionals if either client goes to court

• Engage in open communication and information sharing, and

• Create shared solutions that take into account the highest priorities of both clients.

Visit the Collaborative Family Law Group of Central Florida website.