Counseling Services

Areas of Specialty

Your counseling experience will be individually tailored to meet the specific needs of you and your family. Jill's personal approach and flexible style lend themselves to addressing a variety of sensitive but not necessarily uncommon issues that individuals and families may encounter, including:

• Depression
• Anxiety -- School, Social, Generalized, Specific Phobias
• Stress Management
• School/Workplace Struggles
• Divorce/Stepfamily Issues
• Co-Parenting Challenges
• Friendship/Social Problems
• Self-Injury
• Eating Disorders
• Healthy Coping Skills
• Conflict Resolution
• Getting Organized
• Anger Management
• Low Self-Esteem
• Relationship Problems
• Parent Effectiveness Training
• Communication Skill-Building
• Unique Challenges Related to Adoption and Other Nontraditional Family Constellations
• Crisis Intervention for Children at Risk for Out-of-Home Placement
• Wellness Practices
• Valuable Life Skills

Services Provided

A comprehensive psychosocial assessment, history, and diagnostic interview, with attention to current symptoms and consideration of developmental, emotional, behavioral, health, family, peer, and social components.

An individualized treatment experience designed to meet your unique needs. The process begins by identifying your personal strengths and establishing your goals, which, over time, will be prioritized, modified, and eventually attained.

Involves two or more family members, depending on the changing needs of the family, and strives to improve strained relationships, maladaptive family patterns, and identify and resolve factors that interfere with healthy family functioning.

Oftentimes, the most valuable feedback we can hear comes from our peers, or others who share situations and experiences similar to our own. Group therapy is an effective way of receiving (and giving) support, learning and benefiting from others, and often developing meaningful relationships in the process. Groups will be offered when a common need and interest exists for several clients. (Please see the Groups, Workshops, & Seminars page for group therapy availability.)

May include one or all of the following: parent support and education; co-parenting skill building for married, separated, or divorced parents; adjunct therapy for parents whose child is in therapy.

At times, attending school conferences, IEP meetings, and disciplinary meetings can be overwhelming and intimidating. It can be helpful to have your child's therapist present to act as an advocate for your child, and also to provide a professional opinion from a mental health perspective.

Sometimes it is the case that important details of a family dynamic or situation cannot be fully explained or understood in an office setting, and it is mutually determined between client, family, and therapist that it would be useful to meet in the home setting. Often, there are untapped physical resources in a home being underutilized or not used at all, which are more easily identified with a fresh set of eyes. The in-home consultation can also provide the therapist with a firsthand experience of life in your home and lend an enhanced understanding to the individual's or family's therapy.

Evaluation of prospective adoptive parent readiness/suitability for adoption.

There are times when a one-hour weekly or bi-weekly therapy session simply does not provide the time or attention necessary to address a pressing issue. When clinically appropriate and agreed upon by all parties, the following services are also available:

Extended Sessions: 90 minutes

Intensive Therapy: Typically a 3-4 hour block of time during which an issue can be intensively explored, whether individually, as a family, or a combination of both.

Marathon Therapy: Daily therapy sessions available in a crisis situation, to be utilized until the crisis is resolved.

Public Speaking & Community Education

Jill enjoys sharing her expertise and experience with the community through the following offerings:

• Trainings or workshops for professionals -- in mental health or other workplace settings
• Mental health and psychoeducational groups for students in school settings
• Parent effectiveness training in private and organizational settings
• Classes for others wishing to develop competency in a specific area of wellness or mental health
• Community-based support groups for those struggling with a common mental health issue
• School assemblies

Supervision for Social Workers

Jill is credentialed to provide private clinical supervision for social workers who are seeking to fulfill the requirements for social work licensure in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Confidentiality in Therapy

Healthcare information about you and your mental health is personal and will be protected as such. A record of the care and services you receive will be created. This record is necessary to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. Communication with a therapist or other mental health practitioner is held in confidence and will not be revealed to outside agencies or individuals without your written authorization. Information related to your treatment will never be released or communicated to any third party without your express consent, with the exception of certain situations that are dictated by law (child abuse, imminent threat of danger to yourself or others, court order). In most cases, information released to insurance companies for reimbursement for services will be sent by the client.

The fundamental building blocks of all good therapeutic relationships are trust and open communication. In accordance with privacy laws (HIPAA) and social work values and ethics, information disclosed from client to therapist is privileged. In the case of working with minors, confidentiality will be breached and primary caregivers informed when safety of the minor child is at imminent risk. Minor clients will always be encouraged to disclose such information to their caregivers personally, but in the event that they are unable or unwilling to do so, parents will be provided the essential information by the therapist so they may take necessary precautions and proceed with their child's treatment as clinically indicated.

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