Play Therapy is useful for children who require counseling. Children do not have the verbal skills or emotional intellect that adults do when explaining what is going on in their lives. Children talk by playing. I provide certain toys so a child is able to come in and express whatever emotions they are experiencing. By observing the child at play, therapists are able to understand the child's world and help them make sense of that world. I understand that play is a child's language and toys are their words. I practice child centered play therapy where children are allowed to direct their play in a safe and accepting environment.
For residents of Louisiana and Texas, I am certified to conduct online counseling sessions. My certification meets the current Louisiana state requirements, promulgated in accordance with R.S. 37:1101-1123 and promulgated by the Department of Health, Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners, LR 45:438 (March 2019). My sessions are conducted through VPCare360, which is a video link that I will email to clients 5-10 minutes prior to their session. I will also email clients the necessary forms to fill out prior to our sessions.
I am licensed as an LPC in both Louisiana and Texas, so I can conduct teletherapy sessions in both states.
I get many calls from frustrated parents dealing with the pre-teen and teenage years. Their kids may be experiencing any number of situations from family difficulties, peer pressure at school, eating disorders, cutting behaviors, skipping school, failing grades, sexual activity, or other stressful situation. I have many years of experience in working with adolescents and teenagers and am here to help.
Research has demonstrated that using animals as "co-therapists" may be of assistance to counselors in working with withdrawn or non-communicative clients. Animals have been found to lower anxiety and motivate participation in therapy with individuals or groups of any age. Animals can help facilitate a trusting bond between the therapist and client. For some clients, talking to the animal is easier than talking to the therapist about difficult issues. Animals can help clients get in touch with feelings by offering nurturing and unconditional acceptance. Animals have been known to help in the following areas: Improve socialization and communication; reduce isolation, boredom and loneliness; brighten affect and mood; reduce depression; improve memory and recall; improve self-esteem; improve cooperation and problem-solving ability; improve concentration and attention, increase engagement; decrease manipulative behaviors; improve verbalizations of feelings; reduce anxiety; reduce abusive behavior; improve ability to trust; learn appropriate touch.
Sally has a Certified Pet Partners Therapy dog named Cooper that she works with. Cooper comes to her office most days; but on his off time, he travels around the community bringing joy and happiness to others.
He loves children and adults alike. He is a very intelligent and compassionate co-therapist.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a form of acupressure that utilizes various meridian points on the body to bring about change. It can be taught during the first session and used at home as often as is desired to alleviate many emotional and physical symptoms such as: anxiety, panic attacks, stress, fears/phobias, anger issues, traumatic memories, relationship issues, and many others. It is easily learned by anyone and self-applied; there are no drugs or equipment involved, no touching of the body by the therapist (clients use this on themselves), and the effects can be rapid and long lasting.
I believe that God is the creator of our minds and bodies. We know that our minds can be the source of illness and pain and I believe that our minds can also be the source of health and healing.
Meeting one-on-one with people is what I specialize in. So much of our communication with others is spent either on the phone, emailing, or texting and it's difficult to find someone who will sit down and listen to us when we really need to talk. I am here to not only listen to your concerns, but also give you Godly wisdom based on my training and years of experience. The Bible encourages us to share one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2) and it is my privilege to share and help you unload your burdens.
While Sally works with many children, one of the things she specializes in is working alongside parents as they navigate the stages of child rearing. Parents are welcomed to schedule counseling sessions to offer support and guidance during difficult times in the lives of their kids to restore balance to the family.