SPENCER MACDONALD THERAPY AND COUNSELING SERVICES
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"Be mindful of what's not working,
and then let it go..."

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Family and Teen

I practice a time-limited type of therapy that focuses on building connection between family members. This approach is particularly useful with adolescents who are much more dependent on having quality interactions with their caregivers in order to feel healthy, happy and satisfied with their lives. In 8-12 sessions, I will meet with parents and their kids together and separately to help improve communication and increase openness, transparency and connection. I also provide individual counseling to teens. 

Trauma Treatment

I've worked for several years in an in-patient facility that treats adolescents for mental health and addiction.  Nearly every resident that I've treated has experienced some trauma that resulted from divorce, physical/sexual/verbal abuse, abandonment, bullying or death of a loved one.  These events lay the framework for anxiety and depression issues that teens and adults cope with by using drugs, alcohol, video games, sex, self-harm or relationships.  I've been trained in and practice Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children (TF-CBT), Cognitive Processing and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.

Addiction and Substance Abuse

Underneath any person's unhealthy behavior or coping is pain.  I believe human beings are built to thrive but are redirected by things outside of their control (rejection, abandonment, neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, etc.).  In counseling, I help men identify the reasons for their reliance on substances to avoid pain, learn new ways of coping and help them develop a plan for the life they want to live.  

Boys and Men

Our culture litters men with overt and covert messages about what masculinity means. It begins at birth and wraps itself around them like a snake, refusing to let go. As a result, men grow up focused on a narrow and limited view of how to measure themselves that emphasizes physical strength, financial success, and emotional control.  

The reality is that men feel a great deal. Instead of trying to avoid, suppress or deny feelings, more men would reach greater heights and tap into more of their potential if they learned to embrace their vulnerability and sensitivity. My experience with these same struggles inspires me to help men learn the skills of building emotional awareness and resiliency that makes will them better sons, husbands, and fathers.
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