Parenting can be one of the most challenging task a person will ever undertake.  Couple the already difficult task of parenting with a child who is struggling with grief, anxiety, depression, sexual abuse, addiction or behavioral problems and it is overwhelming.  Kids are often dealing with similar stressors as adults including divorce, grief, addiction, and crime.  

Counseling with children and adolescents will often require the parents involvement.  Although some children can benefit from individual therapy, parental or other adult caregiver involvement in the process can be the key to long term success.  Parents have a significant impact on their children’s lives and will be there after the therapist is gone.  
For this reason parents and/or other adult caregivers will often be invited in to sessions and may even be asked to participate in individual sessions with the therapist.  Read more about child and adolescent counseling.

According to the latest statistics provided by the Institute of Psychology nearly 50% of first marriages end in divorce and that percentage rises for second (63%) and third (75%) marriages.  The decision to seek marital therapy often comes at a difficult and sensitive time in a couple's relationship.   A couple may be struggling with the stress of raising children, infidelity, substance abuse, or basic difficulties with communication.  

The first one to two sessions with your therapist will be spent collecting information, identifying goals, and gaining a better understanding of the dynamics of the relationship.  The therapist may wish to meet with both members of the relationship concurrently or may ask each partner to attend individual sessions.  The therapist will also likely assign "homework" to the couple to be done outside of sessions.   Working with a therapist will assist you in learning the skills to improve your relationship including improving communication, identifying problem solving skills, and learning ways to discuss differences in a fair and calm way.  Through therapy each partner will think about and analyze both the good and bad parts of your relationship as you pinpoint and better understand the sources of conflict. Read more about marriage counseling.

It is through our family that we first develop how we view our self, others and the world.  As children look to their parents they learn what it means to be a woman, a man, a mother, a father, etc.  The family is the primary influence and system through which all else develops.  The relationships that are established within a family are a vital determinate of psychological health.

Family’s today are faced with a number of stressors including divorce and remarriage, depression, sexual abuse, substance abuse, and simply balancing the stress of life with the time that a family needs to connect.  Family counseling is designed to assist family’s in identifying the sources of conflict and learning healthy ways to solve problems and communicate.  Read more about family counseling.

As we grow older we experience an entirely new set of challenges.  Our bodies may not work as well as they used to and often times we must learn to live in intermittent or even constant pain.  We may begin to loose our independence and be forced to depend on our children or others to help us complete even the most basic tasks.  Our golden years can be a very lonely and challenging time.  Statistics indicate that depression is one of the most common illnesses that we struggle with as we get older.  The National Institute of Mental Health suggests that over 80% of individuals begin to feel better after engaging in counseling with a professional.

Counseling can help individuals struggling with a wide array of difficulties ranging from dealing with physical pain to the loss of a spouse.  Sometimes just having another person to talk with about our biggest fears, our regrets, or goals for the future can be helpful.  Talking to a professional about personal issues can be difficult and scary.  It is important to remember that all information that you share with a counselor is confidential and will remain private.  Read more about geriatric counseling.

Hypnosis is a natural state of mind that most of us experience on a daily basis.  This phenomenon is something that most of us utilize naturally without even realizing it.   You may be skeptical of the use of hypnosis, or that you experience a form of it on most days. It is what happens when we stop intentionally analyzing things and just let go.  Hypnosis is a way to allow our conscious, subconscious, and unconscious minds to work together as one and allows us to become the person we want to be. 

It is likely that each of you encounter experiences similar to hypnosis almost daily.   You may experience this while driving or reading a magazine.  Maybe you have found yourself getting lost in a movie, a good book, or another life experience.  For example, many of us have had driving experiences in which we spaced out for a few miles without recalling the scenery we’ve passed.  Others may have experienced reading a book or magazine in which they realize that they are at the bottom of a page, but did not recall reading the previous lines or paragraphs.  Read more about hypnosis.

The Aberdeen Group offers a wide range of testing and assessment services.  Psychological testing is used for a wide range of services to learn specific information about a person including their strengths and weaknesses.  Psychological assessment can be used to predict future behavior as well as to inform others of how one might function and of what supports might be most useful to a person.

There are basically three aspects to psychological testing.  Firstly, the psychologist completing the assessment will complete a clinical interview.  The clinical interview is a one to two hour session during which a basic history is gathered to assist the psychologist in better understanding the person being assessed.  Read more about assessment.

Our philosophy is based on the work of Alfred Adler and Rudolph Dreikurs, two of the most influential Austrian psychiatrists of the 20th century.  They believed that misbehaving children were really discouraged children who had mistaken ideas about how to “belong” and feel important.  Based on this primary assumption, we teach an approach to discipline that addresses the child’s belief as well as the behavior.  

Caregivers learn a positive way to teach children without punishment. Our approach is different from the counting, sticker charts and grounding that many parents and teachers have found to be frustrating, time-consuming and, ultimately, ineffectual.   Read more about parent study groups.

The Aberdeen Group offers seminars and workshops to those who are interested.  Our psychologists are specially trained and certified in a number of areas.  Schools, employers, day care centers, parent support groups, and other entities are among a few  populations who we have done presentations for in the past.  Groups may wish to learn more information about a particular topic or simply engage in a team building exercise to increase morale or communication.

For a list of potential topics that can be presented on please see below.  To book a seminar or workshop for your group please contact our office.  Read more about seminars & workshops.