Individual Therapy
One of the most important factors for therapy to be successful is finding a therapist that is a right fit for you. At the first intake call or email, the intake coordinator will work to get you scheduled with the therapist that has the appropriate skills and experience
Your First Therapy Session
In the first session, you will meet with your therapist, either in person or virtually over a Telehealth platform, to discuss the current difficulties in your life. An overview of contributing factors in your life will also be assessed through conversational questions.
There is not an expectation that you need to address every difficult aspect of your life in the first session. For many people, this may be too overwhelming and not helpful. It is perfectly ok to make general statements such as “those are my family issues” or “that was a traumatic time”.
In Person or Virtual Appointments
Therapy appointments generally last for an hour and meet routinely once a week. You and your therapist can discuss what is the best schedule for you and your situation. Appointments are available Monday - Saturday in the morning, during the daytime, and in the evening.
How is a therapist going to help?
Talk therapy initially can be helpful as an avenue to receive support from a trained professional. Therapists listen with compassion and curiosity as you begin to sort out what isn’t going well. Life’s difficulties can be complex, and a structured conversation with a therapist can help you untangle these complexities to allow for the beginning stages of understanding what is going on, what has gone wrong, and also what can be done to start making improvements.
DISCLAIMER: All information below is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to be used for self-diagnosis or to instruct anyone on how to proceed with their mental healthcare. A mental health diagnosis can only be identified by a trained professional that facilitates a proper assessment. Please speak to your healthcare professionals prior to making any changes.
Depression & Mood Disorders
Many symptoms of depression are a normal and expected part of our emotional experiences in life. Everyone, at some point, experiences sadness, frustration or irritability, emotional fatigue, lack of interest or motivation, and periods of tearfulness or crying. It’s when many of these symptoms are experienced consistently over specific periods of time is when a diagnosis of depression may be present.
Mood Disorders in the DSM-V is a categorization that include a range of depression related diagnoses, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and Bipolar Disorder. A full assessment with a therapist will help you identify what type of depression, if any, that you are experiencing.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is defined as seasonal depression influenced by the lack of total daily sunlight. This can have biological effects, such as lower levels of vitamin D, as well as psychological effects from possibly a reduction in socialization or physical activity.
Bipolar Disorder is defined as having the experience of alternating between periods of depression and mania. Mania can be experienced as periods of being very “up” with a drastic reduced need for sleep, drastic reduction in appetite, the experience of thoughts moving faster than can be communicated, and at times hyper-impulsivity.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is a normal part of life, and at times, can be very useful. Experiencing anxiety about an upcoming work deadline helps keep you focused and motivated. If you are standing on the edge a cliff and looking down, the natural anxiety you experience may keep you alive through fear alertness. At times anxiety can be confusing too. Often we can feel anxious about situations where we are also excited such as a first date or a job interview.
Anxiety can be limiting and problematic when it is consuming, persistent, is experienced as unbearable, and/or when it becomes so intense that it results in a panic attack. Most people have physical experiences of anxiety such as upset stomach and digestive issues, tightness in chest, shallow breathing, headaches and fatigue, excessive sweating, and jaw clenching to just name a few.
Depending on someone’s specific symptoms and experiences, a therapist can help identify what type of anxiety is being experienced, if any, and can start to formulate an approach to work towards reducing or eliminating the effects of anxiety.
It is very common for someone to find themselves in their doctor’s office or ER with physical complaints and the medical professionals identifying anxiety as the cause and not some underlying medical diagnosis. Also, anxiety can be caused by a medical issue such as untreated diabetes, thyroid imbalances, and/or substance intoxication or withdrawal.
Even if you do not believe a mental health assessment is right for you, it is very important for you to regularly be assessed by your primary care physician for health maintenance and assessment of any physical complaints that you may have
Have Questions?
Self-diagnosis is not helpful. Hopefully this is page is informative, but if you have questions, you can reach out to our intake department without making a commitment to starting therapy. All communication is confidential.
Probelms in Relationships
Relationships are complicated, and sometimes the most important relationships in our lives can be the most challenging. Meaningful relationships with a partner, spouse, friends, family members and co-workers can all contribute to a balanced and fulfilled life. We can become emotional exhausted when these relationships are in turmoil or consistently causing chaos in our lives. Individual therapy can help you to understand how to navigate the relationships in your life, help you to understand your role in these dynamics, and also help you identify which actions are needed to help you regain a a sense of balance and control.
ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
A person diagnosed with ADHD has differences in brain development and brain activity that affect attention, the ability to sit still and self-control. ADHD can affect a child at school, at home, and in friendships. Children or adults with a diagnosis of ADHD show a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interfere with functioning or development.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is an outdated term but is commonly used to describe symptoms of inattention, distractibility, and poor working memory.
The diagnostic criteria for an attention deficit disorder has evolved over time to also include a category hyperactivity-impulsivity.
Medication is not the only method of treatment for ADHD. Psychiatrists typically will recommend neuropsychological testing to receive an accurate diagnosis prior to prescribing medication. Dr. Tony Fletcher facilitates neuropsychological testing at our office.
A full mental health assessment needs to be completed to accurately asses if problems occurring are a result of ADHD symptoms or other contributing factors. Depending on the presenting symptoms, ADHD can be effectively treated in individual therapy through psychodynamic therapy and/or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and PTSD-C
Reading about trauma and/or symptoms of PTSD can be emotionally triggering. Please keep this in mind as you are reading. This section will highlight symptoms of PTSD in an effort to briefly educate anyone who may be needing this information.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Symptoms may be experienced directly after the event, but more often, symptoms of PTSD are experienced months or even years after a traumatic event.
PTSD symptoms are generally grouped into four types: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions.
Often people will experience difficult to understand emotional reactivity, describe “losing time” or “feeling frozen”, reports of “feeling crazy”, and/or reported body numbness.
These symptoms cause significant problems in social or work situations and in relationships. They can also interfere with your ability to manage time effectively, complete tasks or follow through with commitments.
Complex PTSD (PTSD-C) is caused by prolonged and chronic trauma. PTSD is described in research literature as having the same diagnostic criteria of PTSD with the added experience of more than one traumatic event. Anyone who has experienced repeated traumatic events may have difficulties with a negative self-image, emotional dysfunction and/or difficulties with trust in relationships.
Getting Started
To schedule an appointment call us at:
(312) 360-1983
You may also use the form to start the intake process or answer any questions. An intake coordinator will return your call within 24 hours.
We have appointments available 6 days a week (Monday - Saturday) in the AM and PM
At Higgins & Carter LLC, we accept most major insurance providers. Please contact us to inquire about coverage.
