Dr Catherine Papagiorgio Psy D

Do you feel like you’re not being heard by your partner? Or not appreciated? Is there an issue surrounding a lack of faithfulness, money, being a parent, the in-laws, or work? Or maybe you’d both just love to connect on a deeper level? While we now know that the old myth that “half of all marriages end in divorce” is simply false (the US divorce rate has been falling for decades and current studies estimate it’s closer to only ⅓), it doesn’t mean marriage is getting any easier with time. After all, if we expand this figure to include unhappy de facto relationships and add in the ill-contented twosomes who will never divorce, we can see there are large numbers of seriously annoyed, frustrated, glum people like you who are desperate for a change. But what if you could avoid becoming a statistic? What if you could have the relationship you’ve always craved? If any of these sound like your relationship… You and your spouse don’t communicate honestly or with respect You, or your partner, have had a betrayal of trust You live like roommates rather than lovers You feel isolated and alone You are together only because of your children You’d love a wonderful life together You both genuinely want to improve your relationship …Then couples counseling could be for you. Whether aimed at addressing small issues or dealing with potentially relationship-breaking challenges, therapy can help you each feel valued, heard, and connected. In the non-judgmental, supportive environment we provide, you and your partner’s individual wants and needs are combined with our evidence-based techniques and therapies to build confidence, openness. and respect. We’ll work together to improve your relationship with each other for the long-haul. By encouraging honest, empathetic communication and using strategies and techniques that aid hearing, healing, and clarity, couples counseling becomes an empowering process for both you and your partner. When both partners are provided with the right tools, appropriate approaches, and healthy insights, relationship frustrations often ease or disappear. Problems become manageable, validation & openness increases, and mature communication paves the way for a calmer, happier relationship and the healthiest way forward together. If you would like me to show you how counseling could create lasting, positive change for you and your partner, please contact me today for an appointment.

Does your child have trouble dealing with their emotions? Is their behavior sometimes disruptive to your home life? Have they experienced sudden loss or trauma? As they grow, children and adolescents develop social skills and emotional intelligence. This awareness helps them to develop into healthy, happy, and successful individuals. But some children have trouble processing their emotions and this often leads to behavior that negatively impacts their school life, home life, and overall well-being. Effective Forms of Therapy for Children and Adolescents Therapy offers children and adolescents a safe space to work through their thoughts and emotions. With the help of a specialized therapist, children can resolve problems, modify behaviors, and make positive and lasting changes. The following are a few different types of psychotherapy available to children and families. Each offers unique approaches and techniques to bring about positive outcomes. Sometimes a therapist may choose to use just one specific treatment, and other times he or she may find a combination of various treatments is the best approach. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) CBT helps children to identify harmful thought patterns. Once a child recognizes that their thoughts create their feelings and moods, they can learn to control themselves and their behavior. Research has shown that CBT is highly effective at treating depression and anxiety as well as helping individuals, including children, deal with traumatic experiences. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) ACT helps children and adolescents process their inner emotions. ACT provides context and understanding to emotions that can seem overwhelming. This allows kids to work through emotions and move forward. Family Therapy Family therapy is great for helping families improve communication so they can resolve issues. Sessions can include the entire family, including children, siblings, parents, and grandparents, or just one or two individuals. Who is Therapy Right for? At every age, children can be faced with life’s challenges. The following are some of the events and scenarios that can impact a child’s mental health and well-being: The death of a loved one Bullying Physical or sexual abuse Domestic violence Moving or attending a new school Divorce Social anxiety Depression ADHD Eating disorders Therapy is not a quick fix to a child’s behavioral or emotional issues. It is instead a thoughtful and comprehensive process that provides children with insights and skills so that they may become masters of their thoughts and feelings. This, in essence, is how children develop into happy, healthy, and successful adults. If you would like to explore treatment options for your child, please give my office a call.

Are there tensions within your family? Do you feel like you’re not being heard? Are there significant underlying issues between your family members that need to be addressed? Or are intergenerational differences making it hard to connect? Even if you all grew up in the same household, you and your family members can be very different people. Large age gaps, natural differences in personalities, contrasting values or beliefs, and much more can lead to conflicts at home between loved ones. And with even more young people continuing to live in their family home after they reach adulthood, more and more families (over 18% of the US population) are now living in “multi-generational” homes. In these families, people of very different ages and generations have to learn to co-exist. Each of these challenges and living arrangements can result in disagreements, disengagement, and even serious conflict. You can improve your relationships, creating authentic communication and respect to begin to heal past or current emotional wounds. You and each member of your family could feel validated, heard, and better understood. So if these sound like you… There is a lack of honest or respectful communication within the family You feel disconnected, angry, or upset about family members’ behaviors You or other family members feel isolated and alone There are feelings of judgement or dismissive acts You’d like each member to better understand others’ opinions and thoughts You’d love to strengthen family bonds and build self-esteem You each genuinely want to respectfully resolve conflict and improve your relationships …Then family counseling may offer the ideal path. Whether aimed at addressing small issues or dealing with potentially relationship-breaking challenges, family therapy can help each person feel valued and connected to the rest of their family unit. Family counseling also offers evidence-based, compassionate support when coping with changes to the family unit due to divorce, blending families, children leaving home, or death. In our practice we provide a non-judgmental, supportive environment to meet your family’s needs. We combined evidence-based techniques and therapies to foster confidence, openness, and respect, and help your family work together to improve relationships with each other and themselves. By encouraging honest, empathetic communication and implementing family friendly strategies that aid hearing, healing, and greater clarity, family counseling becomes an empowering process. We can provide you with the right tools, appropriate approaches and healthy insights. Client frustrations often ease or disappear, problems become manageable, validation and openness increases, and healthy communication paves the way for calmer, happier relationships and a healthy way forward. If you’d like us to show you how counseling could help your family find new peace, please contact us today for an appointment.

Are you feeling profound sadness after the death of a loved one? Experiencing excessive guilt about something left unsaid or undone? Maybe you’re gripped with fear? Caught in a cycle of anxiety, helplessness, or panic? Or having trouble resuming a normal life with grief and pain as your constant companions? Maybe you’d like professional support through a period of mourning? Grief is a natural human response to loss, but that doesn’t mean bereavement of a loved one isn’t an intense and at times desolate experience. While painful experiences are normal during this time, your emotions may feel trapped on a non-stop rollercoaster, with downs and deeper downs interspersed with periods of brief respite. Loss is a very personal journey, with some finding it more difficult than others. While grieving for the same person can often foster compassion and connection among family and friends, it’s also common for the grieving to struggle with anger, conflict, a lack of understanding, or an inability to fully share your feelings with others. Grief and bereavement counseling offers a non judgmental, safe space for you to work through any issues you are unable to with others. Grief and bereavement counseling can provide you a much-needed safe space to work through your struggles with a caring, nonjudgmental professional. We focus on helping people feel better and learn to cope with their grieving experience. We can help you learn to express and come to terms with the broad range of emotions involved in the grieving process, from those that you may expect — sadness, loneliness, exhaustion – to those that come as a surprise, such as relief, anger, and a sense of confusion. We offer a variety of therapeutic approaches to best support you and work with you as an equal collaborator to empower and engage your healing. We focus on helping people feel better as they learn to cope with their grieving experience. You’ll learn to express and come to terms with the broad range of emotions involved in the grieving process, from those that you may expect – such as sadness, loneliness, or exhaustion – to those that come as a surprise – such as relief, anger, or an overall sense of confusion. There are a variety of therapeutic approaches available to support you as you work with us as an equal collaborator to empower your healing journey. So if these describe you… You’re struggling to come to terms with a loss You feel overwhelmed with grief, fear, despair, or worry Your faith seems shattered and you feel abandoned at your time of greatest need You feel alone as everyone else seems to have moved on without you You want to live a happier, more connected life You’d like professional support to better cope through the grieving process …Then grief and bereavement counseling may offer the support, guidance, and expert care you need. In our grief and bereavement counseling we work with you toward lessening the pain so you can function well in your post-loss life. We listen with empathy, discuss ways to deal with unhelpful and unhealthy thoughts and behaviors, and teach you techniques to manage distress and enable you to move forward. If you’d like me to show you how, please contact me today for an appointment.

When you’re angry, do you start name-calling? Do you get angry when someone wants you to open up and share your feelings? Do you lack patience? Are your family members or kids afraid to talk to you?No one wants to admit they get angry, especially when it gets out of control and hurts the ones we love.If you answered yes to any of the above questions, it may be time to consider anger management therapy. Anger Management has proven to be effective for the following types of individuals: Violent offenders People who display bullying behaviors People affected by behavioral changes associated with traumatic brain injury People who experience behavioral changes associated with post-traumatic stress People experiencing substance dependency or undergoing recovery People with cognitive or mental health issues that make it difficult to control anger Anger issues aren’t uncommon and the first step towards change is an admittance of the problem. Learning to stop isn’t as simple as some may think, but together we can come up with a game plan tailored exclusively to you. If you or someone you know is experiencing anger management issues, contact me today.

Do you worry about work constantly when you’re at home, or feel anxious and tense even about small events? Is your mind riddled with a powerless sense of imminent danger, a place where rising panic can be difficult to quell? Does your apprehension make it tricky to get on with regular life and enjoy each day? These signs and symptoms are common in those suffering from a medical condition called anxiety disorder. While difficult anxiety symptoms can affect many aspects of your life, there is hope for a calm and serene horizon. I’ve been supporting clients with anxiety disorder for years. The evidence-based therapy I provide often enables clients to laugh freely, relax fully, and ground themselves in the face of fear. I can show you how to worry less about your future and enjoy each day right now. It’s important to know you are not alone. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 40 million adults, or 18% of Americans, experience an anxiety disorder. The good news? There is help. Anxiety is not your fault or caused by anything you have or haven’t done. Like many other illnesses, effective treatments exist to halt the suffering and reconnect you with a happier, healthier life. So, if you frequently experience… Constant feelings of dread A pounding heart, the racing heightened by the slightest of frights Anticipating the worst, regardless of evidence – Physical symptoms like headaches, sweating, shakes and jumpiness, trouble concentrating, a frequent need to urinate and stomach uneasiness Or if you often think… “It’s safer to stay at home.” “But what if…” “I can’t breath / do this / relax / stop / switch off!” “They or I could be in danger!” …Then I’m glad you are reading this. My proven steps and therapy methods can bring you remarkable relief. While I know this condition can come with a stigma that may have stopped you from seeking the care you need, your life can and should get better. If you’d like me to show you how, please contact me today for an appointment. Therapy for Depression Do you feel heavy with despair, struggling each day to keep your head just above the darkness and dread? Does it take every ounce of energy to stay afloat? Or are you feeling overwhelmed by feelings of helplessness and hopelessness? If this sounds familiar, I want you to know you are not alone and there is help. While it may seem difficult to find your way back to hope and happiness, I’ve been helping clients to personally do just that for years. To experience the joy of warm sunshine on their face, to reconnect with estranged loved ones, and to re-engage with a meaningful life. Just like other chronic illnesses, depression is not your fault, it’s nothing you’ve caused. And also like many other illnesses, effective treatments exist to help ease and eliminate the struggles you face. So if you’ve said or thought these things a lot recently… – “I’m too tired to try.” – “I don’t want to leave home.” – “I don’t care anymore.” – “Why am I always crying?” – “I don’t even know who I am any more.” Or even… “I wish I wasn’t here.” …There are proven steps and therapies that have been shown to result in remarkable relief. To bring you hope, help and a way forward. If you’d like to take the first steps to start feeling better, please contact me today for an appointment.