Making the decision to ask for professional help and then choosing the right therapist is not always easy. Many people come from families where it is looked down upon to ask for help or share personal information with anyone outside of the family. Perhaps you feel like you “should” be able to figure out the answers yourself, solve your own problems or make desired changes without guidance or support. The truth is, asking for help is courageous. Needing and wanting support and human connection is at the core of our humanity and is nothing to feel ashamed of. In fact, asking for help is courageous and inspiring.

Individual therapy is valuable in so many ways and, just as every individual is unique, the entire therapy experience including therapeutic goals and outcomes is equally as unique. Here is a brief outline of some of the ways therapy can be helpful but in no way is it complete:

• Work through trauma, addiction, attachment problems, sexual and intimacy issues, toxic shame and grief
• Connect family of origin issues to present day experiences and problems
• Improve communication, learn healthy boundaries and increase empathic attunement
• Stabilize mood and decrease anxiety
• Learn healthy coping, distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills
• Learn the power of positive confrontation
• Learn mindfulness as a way to be more fully present in every day situations
• Develop self-awareness and insight regarding negative thought and behavioral patterns and learn how to change them
• Identify and overcome barriers to achieving healthy relationships, intimacy and life goals
• Learn how to make yourself your greatest priority

Therapy can empower you and support you in making changes, finding meaning, resolving trauma, getting sober and, most important, learning to love yourself.

While there are many factors to consider in choosing a therapist such area of specializations, cost and location, I think the most important factor is ultimately how comfortable you feel with your therapist. If you don’t feel a connection it will be difficult, if not impossible, for you to be fully authentic and vulnerable, the most crucial elements necessary for the development of a successful therapeutic relationship.

CRH has a wide array of therapists, all with different therapeutic approaches and styles. Let us know what your therapeutic goals and preferences are so that we may find the very best fit for you. We will never define your goals for you. Rather, we will help you identify your own goals and create a treatment plan to achieve them. Even though many individuals approach therapy looking for answers and often ask their therapist to provide the answers for them, we believe that nobody knows more about what’s best for you than you. Therefore, rather than give you the answers or tell you what to do, we help you discover the answers for yourself. We approach therapy as a collaborative relationship in which we support you in making the necessary decisions and changes to have a joyful and meaningful life.

If you are considering couples therapy, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Have you and your partner stopped having sex completely?
2. Do you want sex to be different or more exciting?
3. Are you and/or your partner emotionally or physically abusive?
4. Do you and your partner have completely different perspectives about managing finances and spending money?
5. Do you and your partner have trouble communicating without lashing out or shutting down?
6. Do you feel disconnected from each other but can’t figure out why?
7. Do you feel like you’re not heard?
8. Do you feel grief about the loss of your relationship as is once was?
9. Do you and/or your partner not trust one another?
10. Do you feel resentful more often than not and have difficulty letting go of resentments?
11. Do you blame each other for the problems in the relationship?
12. Do you find that, despite wanting to be connected, you and/or your partner/spouse are unable to be vulnerable with each other?
13. Do you feel as though your relationship is not an equal partnership?

If you answered yes to any of these questions and want to discover how to achieve the intimacy and connection you desire or once had with your partner, couples therapy can help.

Often when we are emotionally attached or invested in another person, particularly a partner or spouse, we lose our ability to be neutral and non-reactive in triggering moments or situations. When we get triggered, we commonly project onto the other person our own interpretations of what we think they said based on our own beliefs and experiences. Without the tools to communicate in a healthy way, partners shut down, withdraw, rage, become defensive and lose the ability to be relational with one another. While what most couples want more than anything is to resolve conflict effectively, listen to each other’s perspective without judgment and feel and offer empathy towards each other even in times of disagreement, highly charged or triggering words or actions can cause vulnerability and intimacy to go out the window. During these times, loving feelings are temporarily replaced with hostility,

Couples therapy offers a safe forum in which to share intimately, vulnerably, respectfully and authentically. With the help of an objective third party, couples are better able to listen to each other and work through painful issues without the veil of protection they may wear outside the therapy office to protect themselves from getting hurt. Couples therapy can help heal relationships and allow partners to discover new ways of understanding, connecting and communicating with each other; ways that foster trust, safety and intimacy.

COMING SOON!

Group therapy can be a profound and powerful experience, providing invaluable opportunities for growth and personal development. Groups can help with feelings of alienation and isolation and a sense that no one else feels the same way you do. Many individuals seeking therapy lack healthy relationships, strong support networks and community. They may have a history of difficulty establishing and maintaining meaningful relationships with others.

Group therapy has a long, proven history as a highly effective form of therapy and is indicated and useful in treating many kind of psychiatric and addiction problems. In some cases, it is even more helpful than individual therapy, particularly when social support and learning about interpersonal relationships are important objectives of treatment. Group therapy provides a safe forum in which to learn more about how to relate to others, improve interpersonal relationships, receive and offer support and feedback, talk honestly and directly about feelings and gain insight into one’s own thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Most important, group therapy is a microcosm for life outside of the walls of the therapy room. This means that the problems you experience in your social life will inevitably emerge in your relationships within the group. Therefore, by exploring and understanding all aspects of your relationships with other members and then transferring this knowledge to your outside life you begin the process of developing more satisfying and meaningful relationships.

*A note about groups and sex addiction: Because sex addiction is an intimacy disorder and most often occurs in isolation and secrecy, specialists in the field consider group therapy the most effective treatment for sex addiction once a period of sobriety and recovery has been achieved.

CRH specializes in private, personalized outpatient intensives for individuals, couples and/or families that are based on the specific needs of the client. In collaboration with the client(s) and referring therapist, we create an individualized treatment plan consisting of psycho-education, psychodynamic and experiential therapy and adjunct therapies. Spiritual practices and counseling are integrated when requested by those clients seeking a more spiritual approach to healing. Our program is designed for clients who do not require 24-hour supervision of an inpatient setting but still need a high degree of therapeutic support. We believe that a team approach is often an integral component of quality treatment and work collaboratively with like-minded mental health professionals to provide the most integrative and comprehensive treatment possible.

Our personalized intensive outpatient programs (IOP) are available for a variety of mental health needs including:

• Sex Addiction
• Relational Betrayal (Partner Trauma and/or Infidelity)
• Substance Abuse/Chemical Dependency
• Codependency

What is different about our IOP Program?

Unlike more traditional IOPs that have a standardized schedule and cost, each CRH IOP is fully customized in real-time, based on the specific needs and resources of the individual or couple. Our team and network of clinicians/practitioners tailor a holistic treatment plan for the first week that is evaluated and adjusted throughout the IOP using a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach.

For more information on CRH’s customized IOP program, please contact ana@lacrh.com.

This training will be facilitated by Marnie Breecker, LMFT, CSAT, who has been a certified sex addiction therapist since 2010. It is a four-part series, which can also be taken individually. The first module is starting in January 2019. This training is a great opportunity for therapists who want to specialize in this area, as well as people who are just curious and interested in learning about this population. This special training is limited to 8 students, so register soon to reserve your spot! Please contact kim@lacrh.com for more information and to register. Please see this flyer for more details.

This training will be facilitated by Marnie Breecker, LMFT, CSAT and Neil Strauss, best-selling author. Since 2010, Marnie has taken all of Pia’ Mellody’s trainings (some more than once). As a couples therapist with a center devoted to relational healing, Pia’s model of developmental immaturity is the foundation of her integrative model of relational healing. Marnie and her staff have been using this model in their work with clients for years with excellent results and she feels passionate that other helping professionals learn these important skills.

Marnie and Neil share a deep respect and passion for Pia Mellody’s model. They are very excited about this opportunity to train therapists to teach their clients how to grow themselves up and be the functional adult necessary to maintain healthy intimate relationships.

When asked why he was interested in co-facilitating this training with Marnie, he said “This work transformed my entire life. It has allowed me to be able to be a functional adult 97% of the time. I want to spread the model to as many people as possible and make the world a better place.”

There is limited space available, so register soon to reserve your spot! Please contact kim@lacrh.com for more information and to register. Please see this flyer for more details.

This training will be facilitated by Marnie Breecker, LMFT, CSAT and focuses on the treatment of betrayal trauma and recovery. It is designed for therapists who are interested in working with sex addiction and betrayal trauma but do not have the interest or resources at this time to pursue certification.

The training is comprised of four modules and each module is comprised of four components: education, experiential exercises, case studies, and Q&A. This training will prepare you to work with sex addicts, partners, and couples impacted by betrayal trauma immediately. However, it is highly encouraged that you seek supervision with a specialist if your intention is to specialize in working with this population.

Space is limited to eight students, so register soon to reserve your spot! Please contact meredith@lacrh.com for more information and to register. Please see this flyer for more details.

COMING SOON!