Psychotherapy
Bedford Family Therapy is dedicated to treating the family as a system. We believe individuals are interconnected with their families and the larger community. By integrating practice, theory, and evidence-based research, we strive to improve outcomes for individuals and their families who are dealing with emotional, behavioral, and mental health issues. We recognize diversity in our society and embrace a cross-cultural approach in support of the worth and dignity of each individual. Through the use of a collaborative approach, your therapist will help you generate goals for therapy as well as solve problems more effectively.
PSYCHOTHERAPY
We provide family therapy, couples therapy, and individual psychotherapy in an outpatient, office-based setting. We also offer telehealth services as well. Our clinicians meet the highest standards of the profession for education and clinical experience. The therapeutic goal is to help you develop healthier and more satisfying relationships with others as well as yourself. We are committed to a treatment approach in which growth and development are best understood and promoted within the context of family and community relationships. Through the use of a collaborative approach, goals will be established, solutions will be generated, and problems will be solved. We will also help you gain skills in order to better manage and solve problems more effectively in the future.
GOTTMAN METHOD
The Gottman Method for Healthy Relationships is a form of couples-based therapy and education that derives from the relationship research of psychologist John Gottman.
One of the major tenets of the Gottman Method is that couples require five times more positive interactions than negative, as negative emotions, like defensiveness and contempt, hurt a relationship more than positive ones heal.
As a result, the therapy focuses on developing the skills and understanding necessary for partners to maintain fondness and admiration, turn toward each other to get their needs met, and manage conflict. It also focuses on how
couples can react and repair relations when they hurt each other.
The method can be applied to many relationship problems but may be particularly useful for couples who are:
- Stuck in chronic conflict.
- Coping with infidelity
- Struggling with communication
- In a stagnant relationship or emotionally distanced
- Facing difficulties over specific issues, such as money, parenting, or sex
All Gottman Method therapy is based on a couple’s patterns of interacting. Partners learn and implement relationship-building and problem-solving skills together. This method focuses not only on providing practical skills for
managing relationships, but on delivering deeper insight into how the relationship dynamics developed and thus resolved.
EMDR
EMDR is an acronym for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is an innovative form of therapy that links many successful elements of a variety of therapeutic approaches in combination with eye movements. The eye movements help to effectively stimulate the brain’s information processing system in order to access and process traumatic memories thus bringing them to an adaptive resolution.
This therapy can help with both the healing of psychological pain and physical discomfort related to trauma, depression, anxiety and self-esteem issues. It is used to accelerate the treatment of both upsetting past events and present life conditions. Controlled studies of victims of combat, accidents, catastrophic loss, natural disasters and abuse indicate that this innovative method is capable of rapid desensitization of traumatic memories and a significant reduction of painful symptoms including emotional distress, uncomfortable thoughts, flashbacks and nightmares.
For more information about EMDR feel free to visit the EMDR Institute website at http://www.emdr.com
MEDICAL FAMILY THERAPY
As mental health professionals, who have worked in medical settings and have collaborated closely with health care professionals, we have learned that not only does the mind influence the body’s functioning, but the opposite is true as well. There are a variety of conditions in which the body influences the mind in ways that are very significant. It is useful to be aware of how one’s body influences emotional, psychological, and interpersonal functioning.
Biological or physical illnesses are often powerful “family members” that shape the life course of families as much as other factors. By inquiring about what illnesses the individual or their family member has had; what their style of coping is; how they make sense of the experiences and who was most/least involved with the person who is ill; we not only gain an understanding of how the family deals with illness but an understanding of how the family may deal with other forms of adversity as well.
ALCOHOL AND DRUG COUNSELING
An alcohol and drug abuse counselor works with individuals struggling with substance- use as well as family members in which alcohol or substances has been a part of their lives. When individuals struggling with substance or alcohol abuse or addiction seek out therapy, the main purpose is to find the root of the addiction and help progress into sobriety through counseling. To help patients work past the addiction, counselors educate clients about addiction and teach them how to move on through life without substance abuse. They help identify addiction-related behavior patterns and help confront behavioral and emotional issues that may be hindering progress. Through treatment, our licensed alcohol and drug counselors will recommend a way to help lead clients into a sober living lifestyle, fine-tuning the plan for recovery along the way. Drug abuse counselors also help arrange additional mental health treatment and healthcare that may be needed. Some may recommend inpatient care at a substance abuse residential center if they believe it is best for the patient.
An alcohol and drug abuse counselor works with individuals struggling with substance- use as well as family members in which alcohol or substances has been a part of their lives. When individuals struggling with substance or alcohol abuse or addiction seek out therapy, the main purpose is to find the root of the addiction and help progress into sobriety through counseling. To help patients work past the addiction, counselors educate clients about addiction and teach them how to move on through life without substance abuse. They help identify addiction-related behavior patterns and help confront behavioral and emotional issues that may be hindering progress. Through treatment, our licensed alcohol and drug counselors will recommend a way to help lead clients into a sober living lifestyle, fine-tuning the plan for recovery along the way. Drug abuse counselors also help arrange additional mental health treatment and healthcare that may be needed. Some may recommend inpatient care at a substance abuse residential center if they believe it is best for the patient.
HOME-BASED SERVICES
Bedford Family Therapy can provide home-based services to any individuals and families who are interested in such services. The home setting can provide an excellent context to observe family patterns and problems where they usually occur. Furthermore, addressing problems and changing patterns of interactions in the moment can provide families with the guidance and confidence they desire. Home-based services may be necessary throughout treatment or for a one-time assessment. Payment for home-based services is the responsibility of the client and is due at the time of service. Additional factors to consider include therapist availability, location, and clinical need.