Livingrite’s Women’s Health Team provides individual’s with the opportunity to obtain specialized individual treatment in the areas of:
Our Team Specialists (please see our Specialists bios below) have extensive training, supervision, and experience in providing evidence based interventions to address your specific needs. Services are delivered in a private office setting on an outpatient basis. We provide evidence-based treatments including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Psychodynamic Therapy, and Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT). Interested in setting up an appointment with one of our specialists? Click here to set up an appointment.
The Women’s Health Specialty Team Lead is Kristi Brower, PsyD.
Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence
LivingRite’s Women’s Health Team sub-specialty in Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence provides individuals the opportunity to obtain specialized, individualized therapeutic services in the areas of:
Domestic Violence is physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse inflicted by an intimate partner or family member and crosses all class, racial, and educational lines. Those who have experienced domestic violence may suffer devastating effects including physical pain, loss of self-esteem, forced dependency, anxiety, terror, or depression. In addition to create an atmosphere of fear at home, domestic violence may also increase tension outside of the home, affecting one’s ability to function in the workplace, school, or outside relationships with family and friends. Sexual Violence includes sexual harassment, sexual abuse or sexual assault that can be inflicted by an intimate partner, family member, acquaintance or stranger. Sexual violence also crosses all class, racial, and educational likes. Those who have experienced sexual violence may suffer devastating emotional effects such as depression, anxiety, and low self-worth, guilt and traumatic memories. In addition, life after sexual violence can be disrupted and coping with the effects can be difficult without support.
Beginning therapeutic services after having experienced domestic and sexual violence can be both scary and overwhelming. At LivingRite, our trained specialist will work at your pace while helping you to process your emotions and reactions related to domestic and sexual violence, provide education to build a better understanding, help to develop healthy coping strategies, and provide support in the healing process.
Issues Related to Pregnancy are very vast and might include but are not limited to: mental health changes including post-partum depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, traumatic birth; inter-relational stress including changes in relationship dynamics, changes in marriage or partnership, adjustment to parenting and infant bonding, changes in familial relationships and friendships; and physical health difficulties including, but not limited to, miscarriage, fertility issues, and physical recovery from birth.
Many women experience the “Baby Blues,” a normal emotional and psychological reaction after having a baby. However, up to one in ten can develop post-partum clinical depression and many others develop clincal anxiety disorders. Yet often times these symptoms go unreported and without help or guidance due to stigma, fear, and just not knowing where to turn. Being depressed and/or anxious after having a child can be confusing and for some even cause guilt. We are here to help! LivingRite’s Women’s Health Team is passionate about providing needed support by means of education, empowerment, linking you with needed resources, improving mental health, determining a routine that facilitates and maintains both mental and physical health, and creating a helpful support system.
Health Psychology is a field of study that focuses on how physical health problems affect the human psyche and how personality influences one’s health. Health Psychologists work towards promoting health through behavioral change and preventing/reducing illness by focusing on education related to nutrition, exercise, stress-management and total body wellness. Practitioners emphasize education as a large part of illness prevention, as many people do not recognize the risk to illness present in their lives or they are unable to implement the knowledge that they have received during medical consultations.. Most health psychologists are trained to work with most medical conditions, diseases, and disorders.
Areas of emphasis in the psychological management of chronic pain are usually on the effects of stress, loss, anxiety, depression, trauma, and other life circumstances that effect that disease, disorder, or pain condition. Most health psychologists usually work with patients individually; however, they are also trained in understanding the psyche of the caregivers and family member’s of the person that is ill. Health Psychologists believe that medical problems and psychological wellbeing are closely linked and that understanding this interaction is vital to helping individuals navigate through and adjust to their health related experiences.
Why Seek Treatment?
Our Team’s sub-specialties cover an array of life stressors, changes, circumstances, and transitions in life. While many of these experiences can and do affect men, the Women’s Health team’s goal is to provide treatment with strong consideration of the unique biological and socio-cultural experiences of women. Treatment with a mental health profession can alleviate symptoms and help individual’s improve quality of life.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is a form of psychotherapy that places emphasis on maladaptive patterns in thoughts and actions that serve to maintain anxiety, depression, anger, and negative mood. The practices within CBT utilized in the Women’s Health Team are evidence-based techniques that aim to provide relief and recovery in all our sub-specialties.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT is another form of evidence-based treatment that brings focus to our interpretation of events and circumstances and allows for us to practice awareness and letting go of control and avoidance to better serve ourselves and our relationships, typically resulting in a more self-compassionate style and flexible attitude towards life. These practices and techniques are helpful in all of the Women’s Health Team’s sub-specialties.
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT): IPT serves to resolve issues within relationships and focuses on roles and expectations (both our own and others’). This therapy is helpful for resolving interpersonal conflicts, setting boundaries and expectations, and managing stress from relationship issues. It also helps to identify our support system and how to utilize it.
Psychodynamic Therapy: Psychodynamic therapy focuses on gaining insight through looking at an individual’s self-awareness and how their past experiences and beliefs of themselves, beliefs of others, and beliefs of the world around them influence mental health and their interpretation of events and circumstances.
Client-Centered Therapy: Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes providing unconditional positive regard for an individual and highlights discrepancies between a client’s view and beliefs of herself and the experiences she has had. The supportive role a therapist has in Client-Centered Therapy allows for an individual to feel safe to make the changes necessary towards recovery and healing.
***Please note that treatment methods availability varies across clinicians. If you have a special treatment method request, please let us know when making your first appointment.
What can I Expect?
Treatment will begin by meeting your therapist and having an assessment of symptoms and struggles to better understand how your life is being impacted and what treatment will be best for you. Together with your therapist you will create a treatment plan, identifying goals that will lead to recovery. Education will be an ongoing piece of treatment and your therapist will help guide you in implementing what you learn in session to outside of session. Your therapist will check in with you regularly to assess progress and any treatment changes necessary.
Kristi is trained in several therapeutic orientations including Psychodynamic, Eclectic, and EMDR in order to customize her treatment approach which increases her ability to achieve a positive outcome for her clients..
Erica’s therapeutic approach is integrative, using Emotion-Focused, Cognitive-Behavioral, Experiential, and Psychodynamic therapies. She believes in building a trusting and supportive therapeutic relationship.
