“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.”
– Joseph Campbell
ABOUT THERAPY
While everyone’s circumstances are unique, individuals often seek therapy when they are feeling overwhelmed by certain stressors in their lives, they are feeling stuck in a difficult situation or relationship, or they have trouble fully enjoying the present because of pain from the past or worry about the future. Usually, realizing a need for change begins with noticing that day-to-day functioning is becoming more difficult or you are feeling more distressed than normal.
KNOW YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Whatever you are dealing with at this time, you do not have to go through it alone. An experienced therapist can help you understand the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and explore your beliefs about yourself, others in your life, and your worldview.
FIND HOPE THROUGH HEALING
Therapy offers a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can begin to heal from past wounds that keep you from moving forward. This can be accomplished by uncovering barriers to change so it is easier to trust and be guided by your own wisdom. Therapy can promote connection and personal growth by fostering healthy relationships, accepting unpleasant emotions, developing self-awareness, and cultivating a real sense of hope that we can turn our negative experiences into positive change and transformation.
DISCOVER YOUR GREATEST SELF
It is not enough to only work through our problems and struggles …in order to thrive, we also need to identify and leverage our innate strengths so we can fully engage in life and have the courage to be the person we really want to be.
IMPACT OF COVID ON MENTAL HEALTH
The negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and well-being are substantial. Individuals are experiencing elevated rates of stress, fear, anxiety, and substance abuse. The population is also facing widespread loneliness, which is associated with increased depression and suicidal ideation. Most everyone knows of someone who has been infected from COVID-19 or has died from it and, because of this, family members, friends, and survivors are confronted with emotional pain related to grief and bereavement that may prolong and compound existing mental health conditions. The pandemic has also resulted in significant economic effects (including loss of income, high rates of unemployment, business closures, evictions, depletion of personal savings, loss of health insurance) all of which have a negative impact on mental health. It is crucial that individuals address these psychological impacts through counseling or mental health services to minimize long-term complications that may result from these current pandemic circumstances.
Meet our Counselor
Gerardo is an El Paso native and disabled Navy Veteran. During his time with the armed forces, Armando learned skills as a jet mechanic and interned at the drug/alcohol unit with the U.S. Army. As a Licensed Professional Counselor with the State of Texas, Armando used his certification in a variety of environments. He has experience as a former educator, school counselor, prison therapist, and women’s inpatient therapist for drugs/alcohol and sexual trauma. He has an understanding that life events can be overbearing to manage. Being mentally, physically, and spiritually in tuned with ourselves on a daily basis can help us prevent stressful situations . He believes we all need help during happy and difficult times, and he’s proud to be able to do that at Amistad.
Call Us Today!
(915)298-1194
WHAT TYPE OF ISSUES CAN BE ADDRESSED?
Individual Therapy:
- Reducing anxiety or depression
- Healing from past trauma
- Addressing grief or bereavement
- Managing anger or stress
- Exploring attachment issues
- Addressing problematic substance use
- Resolving difficult family of origin experiences
- Exploring interpersonal or relational patterns
- Improving body image or self-esteem
- Finding more meaning in life
Family Therapy:
- Understanding impact of trauma on children
- Managing children’s behaviors
- Developing healthy communication and boundary-setting
- Implementing positive discipline and empathic parenting
- Resolving family conflict
Couples Therapy:
- Improving communication and building trust with partner
- Addressing intimacy or infidelity issues
- Understanding impact of past trauma or attachment issues
- Managing impact of life stressors on relationship
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THERAPY?
Therapy is usually indicated for those who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition such as Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Research shows that therapy is more effective than medication alone and many people with mental health conditions benefit from a combination of therapy and medication.
However, you do not have to have a mental health diagnosis to benefit from therapy. More and more people are finding their way to therapy to address common concerns like relationship problems, work- or school-related stress, life transitions and so on. These types of problems are very often difficult to navigate on your own and you may find it helpful to have the guidance and support of a mental health professional during these challenging times.
There are many reasons why people may decide not to reach out for support. Sometimes they believe they deserve to be unhappy or sometimes they wait to see if things will improve on their own. The truth is that most life challenges tend to get more ingrained or may worsen if you do nothing to address them.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT?
You can expect to meet with your therapist for 50 minutes. You will likely begin with weekly sessions until you reach a point where you are able to maintain behavioral or emotional stability that is in line with your treatment goals. At that point, you and your therapist may decide to decrease the frequency of your visits.
Our therapist is passionate about normalizing therapy for those who are new to it to help you feel comfortable and less anxious about this new experience.
Therapy sessions are also offered in-person provided that proper safety procedures are followed to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection. Both in-person clients and the therapist will be expected to wear their face coverings throughout the entire session.
Telehealth is also being offered as an option for therapy sessions to keep everyone, especially those who may be more vulnerable, safe and healthy. Telehealth is available for anyone who resides in Texas.