Discover how starting family therapy can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
2 therapists available in Bastrop
As a woman, mother, and counselor living in today's modern society, I understand the difficulties of navigating the ever-changing ...
About
As a woman, mother, and counselor living in today's modern society, I understand the difficulties of navigating the ever-changing and challenging world in which we live.
Melissa Stevens is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with over 11 years of experience in the mental health field. She is dedicated and passionate when it comes to helping children, teens, adults, and families work through issues related to self-harm, suicidal tendencies and thoughts, depression, anxiety, grief/loss, trauma, relationship issues, and major life transitions.
Melissa completed her master’s degree in clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has spent most of her career working with adults as they transition through different stages of life, helping to navigate life’s many challenging situations, as well as serving young people aged 6-19 . She is truly passionate about what she does and takes pride in her ability to connect with people on a deeper level. Melissa uses an integrative approach to working with her clients that focuses on using what best suits each client. The modalities she often uses consist of person-centered (PCT, Rogerian) methods, Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), solutions-focused (SFT) therapy, Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT), art and music therapy, relational, faith-based, and family systems therapy (FST).
We could all use someone to help us talk through and navigate these difficult and challenging situations we are often faced with. If you, your child, or your family are ready to move towards a stronger sense of self-actualization and self-determination in a comfortable, safe, and judgment-free zone, schedule your appointment with Melissa today.
Education and training
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We all have a story to tell. Let me be the one to help you navigate through your story, in a therapeutic, compassionate, and empat...
We all have a story to tell. Let me be the one to help you navigate through your story, in a therapeutic, compassionate, and empathetic way.
Valerie Posas, PsyD, is a highly dedicated Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who has over 10 years of extensive experience in counseling people from diverse backgrounds, and in various settings. Dr. Posas is a native of Texas, but she spent 13 years in California and in traveling the world to complete various mental health trainings. She worked for the California Department State Hospital, as a Senior Psychologist Specialist, from 2015-2021. While at the State Hospital, Dr. Posas completed various trainings required for the forensic work setting, including extensive trauma-informed care trainings, and she utilized her trainings to train other staff members about the importance of trauma-informed care. Therefore, Dr. Posas has a great passion for trauma work and helping individuals heal their trauma. Her professional background includes education and clinical experiences that have focused on mental health, behavior, and learning.
Dr. Posas completed her Bachelor of Science (BS) in Communication Studies at the University of Texas. She completed both her Master of Arts (MA) in Psychology, with an emphasis in Child and Adolescent Psychology, and her Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Applied Clinical Psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Prior to making the decision to enter the field of psychology, Dr. Posas completed the Post Baccalaureate course requirements in Special Education and Bilingual Education at the University of Texas-Austin. Although she was initially looking forward to a career in the field of education, Dr. Posas's personal and professional experiences, during that time and prior, led to the desire and ultimately the outcome of furthering her education in the field of psychology.
Dr. Posas specializes in trauma work and her primary goal is to help people heal their bodies, minds, and souls. She is aware of the importance of knowing what trauma is, knowing how trauma impacts individuals differently, knowing about the biological responses to trauma, and knowing how trauma can lead to various behaviors. With a greater understanding of trauma, Dr. Posas approaches each individual client with compassion and empathy, and she takes on a more eclectic approach to therapy, which allows her to utilize various theoretical orientations and techniques to address each individual client’s needs.
You deserve dedicated time with a mental health professional — it can be life-changing.
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My go-to approach for family therapy is to use a structural approach that helps family units disrupt negative behaviors or make changes to the dynamics within a familial relationship. The focus of this work is on changing familial structures rather than individual family members.
I teach the family unit how to identify their interactions, learn to communicate in a more positive way, and establish appropriate boundaries.
I will know that a family is making meaningful progress when they report that the interactions that they have as a unit are more positive and they can show this in session.
Families can practice interacting and communicating in a structured way outside of sessions so that they can make habitual changes.
Families can identify what interactions they would like to change within the family unit in order to be prepared for their first session.
Family therapy helps families resolve conflicts and strengthen their relationships. It is led by qualified mental health professionals like psychologists, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), and licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) who have extensive training in family dynamics and group communication.
Thriveworks family therapists in Bastrop, TX usually begin by asking what everyone’s goals are for family counseling. Family members may need help with very specific issues or with general relationship functioning. But there are three main purposes in family counseling: to educate, to counsel, and to strengthen. Thriveworks also offers online family therapy and in-person services, so you may all meet in an office together or join a video call from your home depending on everyone’s location and availability.
The most effective form of Family therapy will often depend on the family itself, as there are many types of family therapy for therapists to use as they see fit in order to best meet the needs of their clients. However, one of the most commonly used types of family therapy is structural family therapy (SFT). SFT focuses specifically on family dynamics and interactions, looking at how they shape the relationships and structure present in the family. It can be effectively used to treat a variety of concerns.
This answer often looks different to each family that starts family therapy. However, some signs that your family might need to consider family counseling include frequent fights or misunderstandings, constant tension, experiencing loss, behavioral issues, marital issues, divorce, and blended family issues, among others.
In family therapy, therapists will often start by asking questions and assessing individual and family dynamics. From there, they may employ therapeutic techniques such as structured family therapy, CBT, strategic family therapy, and more depending on the present concerns and conflicts. From there, a therapist will work to open lines of communication between family members and facilitate emotional healing and growth.
Family therapy can be incredibly successful, with some studies reporting a success rate of almost 90% for improving participants’ emotional and mental health, and around 66% for improving their physical health.
Thriveworks therapists in Bastrop, TX offer both online family therapy and in-person family therapy. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
Family therapy is usually short term and solution-focused, with most families accomplishing their goals in 12 sessions or fewer. However, it can also last for longer if the probles at hand are more complex — and that’s okay, too.
Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy
Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management
Shown in CT
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