Psychology is the study of human behavior, mental processes, and how they are affected and/or affect an individuals or group’s physical state, mental state, and external environment.

Psychologist is a generic term that refers to a person who has trained in one of the many fields of psychology. A psychologist is a scientist and/or clinician who studies the human mind and human behavior.

Clinical psychology, educational , school psychology, and forensic psychology are often the most recognized fields. In addition to these there are many other general and specialty areas.

Over the past few years the problems have had a wide range but the majority would be depression and its effects, stress and anxiety, problems with eating and weight as well as relationship problems and addictions.

We specialize in clinical psychology , we provide psychotherapy, counseling, and coaching with a concentration on areas including:

• Combating stress as well as depression and anxiety

• Overcoming panic attacks and other emotional problems

• Handling male sexual concerns and female sexual concerns as well as fetishes

• Dealing with addictions

• Resolving fears and phobias and obsessive-compulsive behavior

• Providing communication skills

• Resolving co-dependent and marriage and family conflict

• Behavioral and adjustment problems

• Eating and food problems and weight concerns

• Improving self-confidence

• Relationship issues

• Infertility and adoption

We also have the holistic healing and alternate healing modalities available with us. We help people to get over their issues by understanding the core of the problem and heal it rather than fixing it.

Psychologists and psychiatrists both provide treatment to individuals with emotional problems. Psychology is both a profession and an independent scientific discipline. Psychiatry is a specialization within the field of medicine. Typically, a psychologist will have a Master or Doctorate degree and a psychiatrist will have a Medical degree. Psychologists help people control and change their behavior as a primary method of treating problems. Psychiatrists prescribe medication as a primary means of changing people’s behavior. Both psychologists and psychiatrists assume that complex emotional problems are likely to be the result of both biological and psychological causes.

I am Psychologist with a Doctorate Degree in psychology. I earned my Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degrees in the fields of psychology with its emphasis on psychology, human behavior, and the treatment of psychological problems. A psychiatrist is a M.D. or a D.O. who has earned a Doctorate in Medicine and then taken some specialized training in mental health issues.

While selecting a psychologist is similar to selecting any other professional, the relationship you will have with the psychologist is very personal. I advise you to check the psychologist’s credentials, including both training and experience. Make sure to talk to the psychologist directly before making an appointment. Ask questions about the services that will be provided, so you will not get something different from what you expected. See how comfortable you feel when you are talking with the psychologist.

Major organizations are the American Psychological Association (APA), the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), the British Psychological Society (BPS), and the American Psychiatric Association. The page Psych Associations lists every state psychological association and many national and international organizations.

The standard procedure is for the mental health professional to conduct one or more interviews with the client and the psychologist may also have the client complete one or more psychological test(s). A diagnosis is then made from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR)

The term mental illness is, historically, a medical term implying problems that may require medical treatment. The term mental illness can be used in reference to those psychological behavioral problems such as schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, possibly bi-polar disorder, sometimes severe depression, and occasionally severe personality disturbances.

Some people have a false impression that psychologists only treat mentally ill individuals, and if you just have a problem with anxiety, an addiction, or “everyday problems” you should see someone else. As a consequence, some people may contact counselors, with much less training than a licensed psychologist, when they need help to resolve a psychological problem.

Rather than being concerned about the label, ask yourself if you have a problem that you are not able to deal with effectively. A psychologist can help you identify the thoughts, feelings and behaviors that are creating problems in your life and can help you resolve these problems.

In reality there is little difference. However, technically counseling is generally seen as more short term in nature and psychotherapy is viewed as more long term treatment. Counseling is for life adjustment problems while psychotherapy is for psychiatric or psychological disorders. Counselors are frequently less trained that psychotherapists and in many states counselors do not have to be licensed. Note that many health insurance companies provide insurance reimbursement for “psychotherapy” but not for “counseling.”

It is not possible to answer this question without considering the person and the nature of the problem. There are many approaches (or schools of) psychotherapy. The most frequently being cognitive therapy, behavior therapy, reality therapy and psychodynamic therapy. The frequency of psychotherapy appointments depends somewhat on the theoretical approach of the therapist and on the nature and severity of the problem. Frequency typically varies from 1-3 sessions per week, with the average being once per week. The length of treatment sessions varies with each therapist but is usually between 30-45 minutes long (mine are 60 minutes).

The length of treatment depends upon several variable including the nature and severity of the problem, the treatment goals selected, and the approach of the therapist. A national research study found that 50% of psychotherapy clients had made improvement within 8 sessions of therapy, and 75% showed improvement after 6 months of therapy. However, remember that improvement is not the same as successfully completing treatment. More serious problems, including recurring chronic depression, substance abuse, personality problems, and ongoing stress responses often require treatment for longer than 6 months.