Complementary Elements

Complementary Elements

Your counselor may suggest complementary therapies to enrich your counseling sessions and accelerate your progress.

Art therapy

We learn and we communicate through all of our senses, not through talking and listening alone. People first communicated through simple drawings on the walls of caves before the alphabet was ever developed. Likewise, humans, especially children and adolescents, may be able to express through drawing, painting or sculpting what they cannot communicate in spoken words. Artistic expression has the power to unlock suppressed thoughts and feelings in people of all ages.

Homework assignments

Your counselor may periodically give you homework assignments. These exercises are opportunities for you to practice between sessions what you have discussed in therapy. You will discover how new perspectives, behaviors and attitudes affect you and your relationships with others.

Journaling

Writing is merely talk that is written down, and writing in a journal is never meant to be perfect in spelling, punctuation or grammar. Rather, journaling helps you to find words to express your feelings, record your personal story and learn from it. If you choose, you can take your journal to your therapy sessions to discuss significant entries with your counselor.

Physical wellness

Since our minds and bodies work in unison, your counselor may discuss your physical wellness with you. Exercise can release beneficial hormones, chemical substances called neurotransmitters, which affect mood, sleep and appetite. Your counselor will address concerns with you related to your total well being during the course of your treatment.

Referrals

WWC collaborates with other health care providers, social service agencies and government program administrators in the community. Referrals are made as needs arise, so clients have all the support necessary to achieve their goals.

Testing

When specialized vocational, neurological or psychological testing is needed, your counselor will refer you to the appropriate clinician within or outside of our practice.

Relaxation techniques

Clients learn how to calm anxieties and reduce stress through deep breathing and muscle relaxation. By taking a few minutes to integrate these simple exercises into a hectic schedule, clients can better cope with daily demands and pressures.

Visualization

When experiencing a panic attack or intense physical pain, visualization can restore balance and minimize discomfort. Visualization is mentally picturing yourself in a safe and comfortable environment so that you are distracted from the source of anguish.

Research is always discovering new ways of dealing with mental health concerns. Through continuing education programs, WWC counselors stay abreast of the most recent findings.