Individual Therapy

This is the most common type of mental health treatment. It is usually recommended when it is determined that the client's problems are primarily due to an internal state of mind rather than outside causes. The focus in individual therapy is on better understanding the thoughts, feelings, and attitudes that create negative self esteem and present obstacles to having a more healthy and productive life. We explore the past for the roots of the problems, but we put more emphasis on the client's current life difficulties.

Many therapists believe that they should be as "neutral" as possible when providing individual therapy. This means that they maintain a personal distance, do not disclose their personal feelings or attitudes, and are reluctant to offer opinions and advice. We at Networks believe that, in most cases, clients feel more at ease when the individual therapist is less formal and witholding. Our therapists always mainatain an appropriate and professional demeanor, but this does not mean that they cannot act naturally, express caring when needed, and offer opinions and suggestions when these may be helpful to the client.

We at Networks also believe that most people do NOT want long term therapy without producing tangible results. We work with you in developing goals for positive changes in your life, and we match our treatment approach to help you achieve your goals.

    Couples Therapy

When the primary problems are to do with a significant relationship, then couples therapy is usually the preferred mode of treatment. It may involve a married couple, a committed unmarried couple, and pre-marital counseling. The staff at Networks is trained to work with couples representative of the diversity of our society, including gay and lesbian partners, and couples with different ethnic and cultural identities. Non-intimate dyadic (two person) relationships can also benefit from therapy, for example two siblings, two close friends or two business partners. Our approach in couples work facilitates improved communication and conflict resolution. When a client is being seen for individual therapy, it is often helpful to involve a partner in some couple sessions as well, particularly as part of the initial evaluation. During the course of individual therapy, when the focus is on a current relationship, it can also be helpful to include the client's partner in some sessions.

    Family Therapy

When the primary problems are to do with conflictual family relationships, family therapy is often the treatment of choice. The difficulties may be between a married couple and their extended family, such as in-laws, siblings, and so on. The most common reason for family therapy is the presence of unresolved conflicts between parents and children. These relationships can be extremely complex. For example, one parent may be more aligned with a particular child against the partner and the other children. Family therapy takes great skill. The Directors of Networks are leaders in this field and they have selected and trained staff who are themselves expert family therapists.

    Child/Adolescent Therapy

When one child in a family is having significant problems or symptoms, we may recommend individual therapy for that child. We work with children from age five through adolescence. With younger children the therapy is often based on a mix of talk therapy and play therapy. With older children and adolescents the emphasis is on talk therapy. At Networks we have staff members who are experienced in working with this age group. Because of the strong Family Therapy perspective at Networks, we usually include family members (parents, siblings) in the treatment process. We also collaborate with school systems because of our belief that we can do our best work by understanding and working with all the components of a child's world.

    Group Therapy

Many clients do well in group treatment. At Networks we offer groups for children and adults. Group therapy can be the choice of treatment or it can be done in conjunction with individual or couples therapy. It is generally most helpful for clients experiencing such relationship problems as loneliness, choosing inappropriate friends and lovers, and having interpersonal conflicts with peers and authority figures in work or school settings. The groups provide a safe and supportive environment for openness and sharing of personal thoughts and feelings.