By Dr. Courtney Walraven, Ed.D., LCSW-S As a mom, I know it is hard to witness your child feeling anxious and overwhelmed. Evidence-based inventions for helping children with anxious emotions and OCD include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medications (Ruocco, et al., 2018; Khan, 2019). These may work but also are dependent on the desire of the child to participate in the therapy, and even the desire of parents to utilize any psychiatric medications on their child. Age

By: Adriana Corrales, LPC-Intern Clinically Supervised by Courtney Walraven, LCSW-S While progress has been made to end the stigma towards mental health, witnessing the change is remarkable. Today, it’s not uncommon to hear someone discuss setting boundaries, validating their feelings, and the big one “transgenerational trauma.” Transgenerational trauma is when individuals experience emotional and psychological effects from trauma experienced from previous generations (Marsc

By Dr. Courtney Walraven, Ed.D., LCSW-S Self-destructive and self-harming behaviors are highly correlated with a history of trauma (Ferentz, 2015), and they include suicidal behaviors and thoughts. Sanderson (2013) described self-harm as a secondary response in an attempt to manage the distress of traumatic events. Dr. Gingrich explained trauma that is not fully integrated could create difficulty in behavior, affect, sensory experiences, and cognitions (American Association o

By: Courtney Walraven, MSW, LCSW-S Trauma has several similarities with complex trauma. The diagnostic criteria according to the DSM-5 is the same for symptoms present in traumatic symptoms from a single incident and the symptoms present from complex trauma (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Trauma is a reaction to experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, and it can be a single incident or repeated incidents (Sanderson, 2013). Sanderson (2013) continued to

Acting within my clinical competence as a licensed clinical social worker, and State of Texas Board-approved supervisor (LCSW-S), I am competent and comfortable in the application of several evidence-based psychotherapies. My therapeutic approach stems from training and education in the following: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), dialectical and behavior therapy (DBT), reality therapy, and Rogerian/person-center

According to Yaribeygi et al. (2017), stress is, “Any intrinsic or extrinsic stimulus that evokes a biological response”. Stress is a normal part of life; however, the body’s response to chronic stress can have serious implications for physical, emotional, and mental health. Intentional stress management and skills supporting decreased levels of stress improve quality of life and overall functioning. Stress has negative impacts on the physiological structure of the brass inc

You know your child better than anyone. Yet, sometimes it can be challenging to understand what they’re thinking and why they’re behaving as they do. You rely on past experiences with the child, and some instinct. Like a detective, you notice their patterns, and you try to pick up on any signs or signals if something is wrong. But, it can seem like they are speaking their own language sometimes. Keep reading to learn about some ways your child is communicating with you even w

Therapists want people to feel comfortable asking for help. Helping people is--or at least should be--the reason we’re in the business. One thing I’ve realized, however, is asking for help is something people may need assistance with. People have a lot of reasons they don’t ask for help. Barriers for help-seeking include: fear, resistance to change, limited finances, embarrassment, gender expectations, failed attempts in the past, and more. If you are considering asking for h

I completed my training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) in September of this year. I learned about EMDR through personal research about 3 years ago. I was attempting to identify the best therapeutic modality to treat trauma. Once I learned that guided eye movements had the potential to help process the hardest moments of peoples’ lives, I planned to take the training as soon as possible. Months, and then years passed before I committed to the course. N