“Life is difficult” – Let’s get that truth out there so we don’t have unrealistic expectations about this human experience we are all having.  Life’s difficulties, its pain points, are often connected to relationship. Past or present, in the context of marriage and relationships, family, work, or culture – it’s our relationships that wound us, and it is primarily through relationships that we heal.

The core relationship we consider is that of your relationship with your self – the self that developed and has been sustained through what you’ve come to believe about life. This self has been profoundly influenced and impacted by the myriad of relationships that you’ve had or are in currently. We look at all those relationships to discern whether you’ve come to believe a lie, a half-truth, or the dignified and core truth about yourself.  The counseling relationship, to the degree a therapist has done the work him or herself, can provide a corrective relational experience and enable a move toward wholeness.

Healthy relationships are foundational constructs for creating healthy individuals and thus healthy societies – we focus on creating strong relationships. Since marriage and committed relationships are essential toward this endeavor – we have marriage and couples counseling as 1 of 3 main areas of focus at Stronghouse Counseling.

In the context of couples counseling – we provide parenting support and acknowledge it as part and parcel to aiding in an individual’s development. Sometimes parenting is addressed in the context of couples counseling, and sometimes it is addressed in a separate format – most often through a parent coaching consultation. Much of counseling, and societal structures in general, are reactionary rather than preventative. We seek to be preventative at the relational, pre-marriage, and marriage level.

If you are a single parent – we want to come alongside you and support you with the same principles that we use in parent coaching with couples. Single parenthood and or co-parenting can be challenging. We seek to encourage and support you in navigating child-rearing in either situation.

We also focus on anxiety and depression in our practice – the other two key areas and the two most common mental health issues manifesting in society today. Anxiety and depression are normal to human existence, and much of the time “simply” an area of growth that needs to occur. We don’t look at anxiety or depression as an enemy, but as a source of vital information to be used and advance one’s life. We don’t pathologize you – we aim to strengthen and empower you.

We believe that truth is the ultimate value and something to be sought after with one’s fullness of being. Truth seeking is a cornerstone for Stronghouse Counseling and a way of engaging and facilitating the therapeutic process. As such, Stronghouse therapists are forthright in their thoughts, feelings, and opinions as it relates to the therapeutic relationship and as clinically appropriate and supportive to client well-being. We strongly encourage clients to participate in the truth-seeking process.

Our clients come to us to help them resolve and heal conflicts in their relationship with self and others – to learn how to communicate effectively, live with less regrets ,and look back on their lives with pride.

Many of our clients have had success in specific areas of life – financial and career wise perhaps ,yet are struggling to have the same successes in other equally important areas.  Some come with concerns that life has lost its luster and they’re beginning to wonder if there is something more to this life.

Clients tend to come to us via word of mouth and often report they sense our warmth, trustworthiness, competency, passion, and dare we say- love. They come to us because we are a specialty service and have specialized training. Client’s report feeling like they are in good hands – not only due to our training background, yet also the personal experiences we have that enhance and support that training. We practice what we teach and do so with humility and respect to those we serve.

Our clients are predominately pre-marriage and married couples, as well as individuals desiring to live their best life. We meet with persons struggling with anxiety, depression, stage of life, and meaning related issues. Angie predominately works with women 18 and older struggling with anxiety. She will meet with younger clients, couples, and offer parent coaching on a case-by-case basis. Matt works with couples primarily and also works with adults 18 years of age and older in the areas of depression, anxiety, and life stage issues. He will also meet with younger clients and offer parent coaching on a case-by-case basis. Our contracted therapists have their own areas of specialty - please see the clinician bio section to find out more about them.

You try to go to sleep at night, but the worried thoughts just keep coming. Throughout the day an endless stream of thoughts seems to steal the moment. Your mind jumps from one thing to the next. As soon as you solve one problem another one pops quickly into your head. You feel distracted, irritable, exhausted. Your mind feels like a worry factory. This causes you to be short with your kids, perform poorly at work, or just generally feel like you are not thriving but merely surviving. Why can’t I just stop thinking about all these things? Why does my brain tend to torture me with these catastrophic thoughts?

These feelings can be overwhelming - so overwhelming that they can send an alarm to your fight or flight system, flipping you over into a full-blown panic attack. This experience can feel very intense – making you sweat, shake, feel numb or tingly, and feel like you are in danger that something really bad is about to happen. You might say to yourself, “I feel like I might be going crazy” or “I feel like I’m having an out of body experience “(called de-realization or de-personalization). Heightened experiences like this can stop you from doing things you really would like to do – like flying, driving, going to game or concert, or even something as simple as going to the grocery store.

So, what can be done about anxiety and panic? The great news is, anxiety and panic are highly treatable. Treatment for daily or general anxiety usually comes in the form of increasing the ability to kick in the calming response (parasympathetic nervous system) which is the opposite of where anxiety lives in the body. This includes looking at thought processes, learning calming techniques like meditation, prayer, mindfulness, relaxation, re-breathing, grounding and more. These and other techniques form a toolbox to keep daily anxiety at a reasonable level. If daily anxiety is kept lower, you are less likely to flip over into more acute anxiety which can lead to a panic attack.

Panic attacks themselves require a different treatment. They are best treated through psychoeducation, learning about what’s actually happening in your body, learning to trust your body’s ability to handle panic, and setting up a hierarchy of avoided activities. This is very important to understand when it comes to specific phobias and panic disorder – as panic “begets” itself – meaning, once you have had a panic attack, you remember that feeling and anything that comes close to that feeling can start to become a trigger thus increasing panic. The more we fear and avoid, the more intense the panic becomes and the more narrow our lives become. Get started today to begin the steps toward breaking free from fear and anxiety!

“Life is difficult” – Let’s get that truth out there so we don’t have unrealistic expectations about this human experience we are all having.  Life’s difficulties, its pain points, are often connected to relationship. Past or present, in the context of marriage and relationships, family, work, or culture – it’s our relationships that wound us, and it is primarily through relationships that we heal.

The core relationship we consider is that of your relationship with your self – the self that developed and has been sustained through what you’ve come to believe about life. This self has been profoundly influenced and impacted by the myriad of relationships that you’ve had or are in currently. We look at all those relationships to discern whether you’ve come to believe a lie, a half-truth, or the dignified and core truth about yourself.  The counseling relationship, to the degree a therapist has done the work him or herself, can provide a corrective relational experience and enable a move toward wholeness.

Healthy relationships are foundational constructs for creating healthy individuals and thus healthy societies – we focus on creating strong relationships. Since marriage and committed relationships are essential toward this endeavor – we have marriage and couples counseling as 1 of 3 main areas of focus at Stronghouse Counseling.

In the context of couples counseling – we provide parenting support and acknowledge it as part and parcel to aiding in an individual’s development. Sometimes parenting is addressed in the context of couples counseling, and sometimes it is addressed in a separate format – most often through a parent coaching consultation. Much of counseling, and societal structures in general, are reactionary rather than preventative. We seek to be preventative at the relational, pre-marriage, and marriage level.

If you are a single parent – we want to come alongside you and support you with the same principles that we use in parent coaching with couples. Single parenthood and or co-parenting can be challenging. We seek to encourage and support you in navigating child-rearing in either situation.

We also focus on anxiety and depression in our practice – the other two key areas and the two most common mental health issues manifesting in society today. Anxiety and depression are normal to human existence, and much of the time “simply” an area of growth that needs to occur. We don’t look at anxiety or depression as an enemy, but as a source of vital information to be used and advance one’s life. We don’t pathologize you – we aim to strengthen and empower you.

We believe that truth is the ultimate value and something to be sought after with one’s fullness of being. Truth seeking is a cornerstone for Stronghouse Counseling and a way of engaging and facilitating the therapeutic process. As such, Stronghouse therapists are forthright in their thoughts, feelings, and opinions as it relates to the therapeutic relationship and as clinically appropriate and supportive to client well-being. We strongly encourage clients to participate in the truth-seeking process.

Our clients come to us to help them resolve and heal conflicts in their relationship with self and others – to learn how to communicate effectively, live with less regrets ,and look back on their lives with pride.

Many of our clients have had success in specific areas of life – financial and career wise perhaps ,yet are struggling to have the same successes in other equally important areas.  Some come with concerns that life has lost its luster and they’re beginning to wonder if there is something more to this life.

Clients tend to come to us via word of mouth and often report they sense our warmth, trustworthiness, competency, passion, and dare we say- love. They come to us because we are a specialty service and have specialized training. Client’s report feeling like they are in good hands – not only due to our training background, yet also the personal experiences we have that enhance and support that training. We practice what we teach and do so with humility and respect to those we serve.

Our clients are predominately pre-marriage and married couples, as well as individuals desiring to live their best life. We meet with persons struggling with anxiety, depression, stage of life, and meaning related issues. Angie predominately works with women 18 and older struggling with anxiety. She will meet with younger clients, couples, and offer parent coaching on a case-by-case basis. Matt works with couples primarily and also works with adults 18 years of age and older in the areas of depression, anxiety, and life stage issues. He will also meet with younger clients and offer parent coaching on a case-by-case basis. Our contracted therapists have their own areas of specialty - please see the clinician bio section to find out more about them.

Depression can be debilitating.  It can cause feelings of helplessness, defeat, and despair – at times it can breed thoughts that you don’t want, never dreamed you would or could have, and that can be scary. Intrusive thoughts about one being worthless, life being meaningless, or that nothing will ever change are some of these unsettling thoughts.

The thoughts above are characteristic of a more severe depression. Yet depression can manifest itself in milder forms – milder does not mean free from impact – whether that impact be personal, interpersonal, or related to work, home life, or facing society circumstances. Maybe you find yourself less interested in activities you used to enjoy, have lower energy levels, an increase or decrease in appetite, or are having difficulty concentrating. These symptoms can be more mild or severe depending on the degree of depression. In mild and moderate forms of depression you are able to function, yet you may have lost your motivation and life may have lost its luster.

Regardless of the form of depression – depression is known to share two roots. Most depressions are reactions to some event. Some examples include:  the loss of a loved one, a break-up or divorce, health issues, or the loss of a job. The remainder of depressions are unknown or originate from within and can cycle regularly – these are usually the more severe type and can be genetically predisposed – of a biological nature.

Regardless of the cause – depression is treatable. While medication can be helpful with lessening symptoms – long lasting change is most effectively addressed through the counseling relationship and prescribed coping skills and treatment strategies.  Together we will draw upon foundational and evidence-based therapies to decrease symptoms, elevate your mood, and move you toward fullness of life.

In the picture represented below, the hiker rose above the clouds to behold a spectacular view illuminated by the bright rays of the sun. The view and sun were always there – clear, vivid, brilliant, though seemingly absent due to thick cloud cover at lower elevation.  In the same way, depression can cloud our vision for ourselves – yet if we “climb” therapeutically speaking, and do not quit – we also can, more often than not, transcend our depression and obtain a beatific vision and experience of life.  We can live on the heights. You can rise above depression. Be hopeful, you can do this – let us help.

“Life is difficult” – Let’s get that truth out there so we don’t have unrealistic expectations about this human experience we are all having.  Life’s difficulties, its pain points, are often connected to relationship. Past or present, in the context of marriage and relationships, family, work, or culture – it’s our relationships that wound us, and it is primarily through relationships that we heal.

The core relationship we consider is that of your relationship with your self – the self that developed and has been sustained through what you’ve come to believe about life. This self has been profoundly influenced and impacted by the myriad of relationships that you’ve had or are in currently. We look at all those relationships to discern whether you’ve come to believe a lie, a half-truth, or the dignified and core truth about yourself.  The counseling relationship, to the degree a therapist has done the work him or herself, can provide a corrective relational experience and enable a move toward wholeness.

Healthy relationships are foundational constructs for creating healthy individuals and thus healthy societies – we focus on creating strong relationships. Since marriage and committed relationships are essential toward this endeavor – we have marriage and couples counseling as 1 of 3 main areas of focus at Stronghouse Counseling.

In the context of couples counseling – we provide parenting support and acknowledge it as part and parcel to aiding in an individual’s development. Sometimes parenting is addressed in the context of couples counseling, and sometimes it is addressed in a separate format – most often through a parent coaching consultation. Much of counseling, and societal structures in general, are reactionary rather than preventative. We seek to be preventative at the relational, pre-marriage, and marriage level.

If you are a single parent – we want to come alongside you and support you with the same principles that we use in parent coaching with couples. Single parenthood and or co-parenting can be challenging. We seek to encourage and support you in navigating child-rearing in either situation.

We also focus on anxiety and depression in our practice – the other two key areas and the two most common mental health issues manifesting in society today. Anxiety and depression are normal to human existence, and much of the time “simply” an area of growth that needs to occur. We don’t look at anxiety or depression as an enemy, but as a source of vital information to be used and advance one’s life. We don’t pathologize you – we aim to strengthen and empower you.

We believe that truth is the ultimate value and something to be sought after with one’s fullness of being. Truth seeking is a cornerstone for Stronghouse Counseling and a way of engaging and facilitating the therapeutic process. As such, Stronghouse therapists are forthright in their thoughts, feelings, and opinions as it relates to the therapeutic relationship and as clinically appropriate and supportive to client well-being. We strongly encourage clients to participate in the truth-seeking process.

Our clients come to us to help them resolve and heal conflicts in their relationship with self and others – to learn how to communicate effectively, live with less regrets ,and look back on their lives with pride.

Many of our clients have had success in specific areas of life – financial and career wise perhaps ,yet are struggling to have the same successes in other equally important areas.  Some come with concerns that life has lost its luster and they’re beginning to wonder if there is something more to this life.

Clients tend to come to us via word of mouth and often report they sense our warmth, trustworthiness, competency, passion, and dare we say- love. They come to us because we are a specialty service and have specialized training. Client’s report feeling like they are in good hands – not only due to our training background, yet also the personal experiences we have that enhance and support that training. We practice what we teach and do so with humility and respect to those we serve.

Our clients are predominately pre-marriage and married couples, as well as individuals desiring to live their best life. We meet with persons struggling with anxiety, depression, stage of life, and meaning related issues. Angie predominately works with women 18 and older struggling with anxiety. She will meet with younger clients, couples, and offer parent coaching on a case-by-case basis. Matt works with couples primarily and also works with adults 18 years of age and older in the areas of depression, anxiety, and life stage issues. He will also meet with younger clients and offer parent coaching on a case-by-case basis. Our contracted therapists have their own areas of specialty - please see the clinician bio section to find out more about them.