Medical Services and Programs - Psychotherapy - Cognitive Behavioral

SPECIALISTS IN WOMEN'S HEALTH AND MEDICAL PSYCHIATRY

	SERVICES & PROGRAMS

	Treatment Modalities: Individual Psychotherapy is a treatment modality where a patient and a therapist talk together on a regular basis, looking at feelings and thoughts that are causing symptoms or problems in the patient’s life. During the treatment, the patient and therapist may explore historic and current relationships, transitions, phases of life issues and stressors. The treatment consists of using this information to understand ineffective or problem patterns of emotional and behavioral response and changing them for the better. First Time Moms Over 40 Support Group provides support, resources/psychoeducation, camaraderie and a sense of belonging to first time mothers aged 40+. The group includes women who have had their first child by the age of 40+, within the past two years. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or CBT is a present-focused, relatively short –term psychotherapy. It has been empirically validated to treat a variety of psychological problems including depression, anxiety, phobias, obsessions, and eating disorders. The focus of the therapy is on your thoughts (i.e., “cognitions”), behavior, and emotions. Though your early childhood experiences may help explain the origin of your present problems, CBT focuses on how you are thinking, behaving, and communicating today. It is a collaborative approach to therapy where together with your therapist you will develop a list of targeted problems for intervention which you will work toward improving in session and through homework outside of session. Homework may include things like keeping track of your thoughts, moods and behaviors, scheduling and completing activities, challenging negative thoughts, practicing relaxing breathing (i.e., diaphragmatic breathing), changing how you interact with others or other individualized assignments. Research has shown that patients who do their homework achieve faster improvements and are better able to maintain their gains. Medication Management is provided by a medical doctor and is focused on the alleviation of biologically based psychiatric symptoms that interfere with functioning. After an individualized medication evaluation, the doctor will prescribe appropriate medication(s), review and monitor the therapeutic effects and possible side effects. The doctor may also order appropriate laboratory tests and/or refer a client to other specialists for further medical evaluation and/or treatment. Medication management is often conducted in conjunction with psychotherapy, provided either by the treating psychiatrist or by another mental health expert, in close collaboration with the prescribing physician. Couples Therapy: Couples seek help for any number of reasons and at any point in their relationship. Just like individuals, couples can run into trouble for a host of reasons and couples therapy can assist in helping sort through all sorts of difficulties. Sometimes couples therapy is short term and focused around specific issues, such as learning better communication strategies, adjusting to a life change (getting engaged, marriage, job changes, parenthood, moving) and at other times marital therapy is a longer term process within which couples explore complicated and painful issues which are interfering with marital stability. It is not unusual for couples to undergo enormous stress around the birth of a child and it is not unusual, here at Wellsprings, for couples to seek help due to the various issues that can arise in conjunction with that. Also, if a mother has experienced a post partum depression, her partner often needs help and support understanding what happened, what to expect going forward and how to support their partner. Sometimes couples therapy is sought in addition to individual therapy for one or both partners and sometimes it is the only source of intervention. The particular set of issues each person in the couple is dealing with dictates the most appropriate course of action.

One East Erie Street, Suite 355 I Chicago, IL 60611 I 312.573.0900

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