The first thing you need to know about us at Hope Mental Health, is that we’re imperfect people. We don’t have all the answers. We make mistakes. We are all on a journey called LIFE. We want to be better; we strive to be passionate about our personal development and growth, and we want the world to be better than we found it. That is the reason for establishing Hope Mental Health in 2020.
Hope Mental Health is a private practice providing outpatient therapy to individuals, adults, and families in need. This past couple of years have been devastating to say the least with increasing numbers in anxiety, depression, drug overdoses, child abuse, and suicide. There have been numerous deaths of loved ones directly related to Covid-19. It has affected all of us in one way or another.
What if I told you that in the middle of all these unwanted circumstances, you could find joy and satisfaction in your daily life and hope for a brighter future? We want you to know that you are more than your past! You are more than what you have done! You are more than what has happened to you! You are no accident, and your story is not over! You have strengths, talents, and abilities! You matter to God! You matter to us at Hope Mental Health as well!
Regardless of your past experiences, your socioeconomic background, religion, race, or beliefs, we are committed to treating you with the dignity and respect you deserve. As therapists, our goal is to bring our training and experience to help you make effective and long-lasting changes in your life.
How we do it.
Step One: Identify the Challenges
At the beginning of our work together, each client will be asked to complete a Biopsychosocial Inventory to look at major life events that may have contributed to the challenges you are facing. During that session, we will also assess the impact of specific challenges using several evidence-based assessments: GAD-7 – Anxiety, PHQ-9 – Depression, and the C-SSRS – Suicide Risk.
Step Two: Identify the Needs and Strengths:
When we work with someone, we focus on strengths as well as other growth areas. We do not see our clients as their diagnosis but as a person focusing on challenges. We help them identify the resources they have or can develop in order to overcome the things that are holding them back. We do this through use of the Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment (ANSA) or Child and Adolescent Needs Strengths Assessment (CANS).
Step Three: Make Referrals
At times, our therapists may make a recommendation for the client to see his or her primary care physician (to rule out any possible medical issues that may be affecting mental health), psychiatrist (medication management), and/or psychologist (testing).
Our clients are intelligent people and the experts in their own lives. Our therapists seeks to meet that expectation in every session. To provide that level of care, we strive to stay abreast of current thinking on the issues in which we specialize. That means there may be some issues in which we do not have the education or training to treat effectively. When that happens, we provide referrals to other therapists who specialize in that area of concern.
Step Four: Collaborate on a Treatment Plan
Therapy is a collaborative process. It is important that we establish a solid working relationship and write a plan of action that will guide our work together.
Step Five: Take Deliberate Action
Even before starting therapy, our clients are changing. Almost always, our clients will have the opportunity to practice in their everyday lives what they are learning in session through homework assignments and readings of various educational materials. We want our clients to become intentional about the new behaviors they will employ.
Step Six: Monitor Progress
In every session, we ask for feedback from our clients to help us evaluate the effectiveness of the Treatment Plan and revise it as necessary.
Step Seven: Maintain Momentum
Everyone experiences times in their life of accelerated growth and change. We also experience periods of slower progress and decreased motivation. During those times, it is our job as therapists to remind our clients of their progress and encourage them to keep their eyes on the goal.
Step Eight: Create a Relapse Prevention Plan/Crisis Plan
Few of life’s challenges are fully resolved in a single set of counseling sessions. To keep a slip from becoming a fall, and a lapse from a relapse, we help clients to write a plan to include such things as recognizing the warning signs of falling back into old patterns as well as looking at the resources they must have to regain balance and continue making progress.
Most people look for a therapist when their problems they are experiencing have become too frequent, too intense, and have gone far too long – sometimes years. While they realize that their problems won’t be resolved overnight, they want to work with someone they can trust to help them in an effective and efficient manner. If you would like more information after reading this, please feel free to contact us. We are here for YOU!