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Light of Life Counseling Services, LLC
Light of Life Counseling Services, LLC
Counseling ~ Supervision ~ Speaking

What to Expect

Therapy Expectations & Resources

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How does therapy with Crystal work?

I’m not a “talk to you on my couch for years” kind of therapist. I’m a work with you if you’re motivated to do the work, kind of therapist. I want you to experience lifelong change and happiness. I want you to learn how to help yourself so you can do it without me. I want you to get back to being the safe, healthy, happy you so you can do the things you enjoy (do you remember them?).


Instead of just treating the symptoms, I want to find and sort out what caused them in the first place (and what keeps them going) so we can make sure they don’t return (think sneezing due to a plant allergen, if we figure out and remove the plant from your garden, then the sneezing stops and doesn’t return). I want you to live your best life, sneeze free!


Therapy involves:

Weekly 50-minute sessions so we can create positive momentum to keep building off of

Allowing yourself to be open and honest with yourself

Investing in yourself by actually practicing the skills we review when we’re not together

Understanding that what you’ve done isn’t “wrong” or “disgraceful” while learning new ways to cope

Making incremental but lasting changes to how you live and respond to your thoughts, feelings and environment

Accepting yourself to find relief and transcend your whole self, so you can live, laugh, and love (again)

By the end of therapy, you will…

Know you aren’t alone and are good enough

Be able to manage your emotions in new, positive ways

Develop and maintain mutually beneficial relationships

Live in self-control, not illness-control

Learn to live in self-love and worth

In our 50-minute session, we will:

Explore your strengths, stressors, and resources
Establish what is and is not working for you currently (your habits of thinking, feeling, and doing)

See how your past is affecting your present interactions and responses

Use different therapeutic techniques to work through your reactions
Find new ways of responding (again, thinking, feeling, and doing) to stressors as they arise for the future

Life may continue to be stressful and throw you curveballs, let’s get you ready to manage it easily and effectively. I know you can do it!


Let me help you Reignite the Light in Your Life.
Schedule Your FREE 15 Minute Consultation Now!

Therapy for How Long?

In order to make the most progress in your recovery, I only meet with clients on a regular weekly basis at least for the first 4 months. On average, clients who are committed to working hard, take about 40-50 weekly sessions before they switch to maintenance phase (every other week, once a month, etc.) or graduation from therapy.


Research has shown that meeting less frequently is generally not as effective and in fact more costly in terms of overall time, energy, and money.


When sessions are spread out, they become more of a summary of what’s happened, rather than working on the core issues of what you came for.


I want to help you reach your goals as quickly and effectively as possible. Let’s work together to direct your resources only where they’re needed and helpful.


I only work with clients who are ready to get in the dirt and forge a new path because they’re worth it! That might not be what you’re looking for right now, and that’s okay. I’d be happy to connect you with another therapist who may be a better fit at this time.

Ready to Reignite the Light in Your Life?

Schedule Your FREE 15 Minute Consultation Now!

Counseling Services

Light of Life Counseling Services, LLC offers a wide range of counseling services to meet yours or your loved ones needs.

Consultation

Free consultation to determine if we are a good match for your mental health needs.


Individual Counseling

One-on-one time to focus on your personal goals with your counselor.

Group Counseling

Meet others who are experiencing similar difficulties and learn together and from each other. 

​Couples Counseling

Counseling for relationships. Love, respect, and trust is at the core of all relationships - no matter who is in them. Work to build or repair these relationship foundations.

Family Counseling

Counseling as a family unit. We respect that all families look different and communication is key. Learn or practice boundaries and communication skills to repair or blend your family.

Psychiatric Evaluation and  Medication Management

Services coming soon - Check back often!

Desperate for Calm

    With the use of tools to address your thoughts, feelings and actions, we can work together to resolve what’s keeping you stuck in these sad, stress filled days so that you can regain control and move towards the life you’ve always dreamed of.


    If you are looking for a quick fix, I am not the therapist for you. Yes, I will teach you ways to calm yourself but so that we can work on the roots of what is causing and continuing your anxiety and depression. I know that feeding the “quick fix” monster your anxiety seeks will only make things worse for you in the long run. It would be like sprinkling water on a withering plant, just enough to perk it back up for a few days but then it would wither again.


    But, if you are wanting to create lasting change, a life where you can live, laugh, and love yourself to go for your dreams, I want to help you build the underground, constant watering system so the roots are always addressed. Get ready, and bring your gardening gloves, because we’re going to get deep into the dirt and grow that lasting, glorious you I know you can be!


For more information on any of the below conditions, visit the National Institute of Mental Health. 
Schedule Your FREE 15 Minute Consultation Now!

Conditions & Difficulties Treated

Anorexia

An eating disorder characterized by restriction of food intake leading to low body weight, typically accompanied by intense fear of gaining weight and disturbed perception of body weight and image
​
​​Symptoms

  • Extreme weight loss or not making expected developmental weight gains
  • Thin appearance
  • Severely restricting food intake through dieting or fasting
  • Preoccupation with food, which sometimes includes cooking elaborate meals for others but not eating them
  • Frequently skipping meals or refusing to eat
  • Denial of hunger or making excuses for not eating
  • Eating only a few certain "safe" foods, usually those low in fat and calories
  • Adopting rigid meal or eating rituals, such as spitting food out after chewing
  • Not wanting to eat in public
  • Lying about how much food has been eaten
  • Fear of gaining weight that may include repeated weighing or measuring the body
  • Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws
  • Complaining about being fat or having parts of the body that are fat
  • Covering up in layers of clothing
  • Fatigue/ Insomnia
  • Dizziness or fainting
  • Absence of menstruation
  • Irregular heart rhythms
Anxiety

A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.
​​
​Symptoms

  •    Sleepless Nights… Worried Days…

    • You wish you could just sleep through one night… make it though one day without feeling exhausted… fall asleep when your head hits the pillow with a smile on your face like they do in the movies…

    • You wish you could quite your mind… end the tornado of thoughts that spins in your brain like the Wizard of Oz, picking up every thought you didn’t even remember or realize you had.         

    • What you perceive others to think or feel about you influences what you do and say. You focus on what they might think or judge you on. You fear what might come up that you didn’t prepare or rehearse a response for.

    • Racing Thoughts
      • “What did they think when I did/said that?”
      • “What if I say the wrong thing and upset them?”
      • “Will I ever fall asleep?”
  • Rapid Heart
    • You’re tired of feeling nervous, restless or tense when you have to be around a lot of people. You might have a sense of impending danger, panic or doom when others think everything is fine. You feel constant worry about what might or will happen, to yourself or your kids or someone you care about.
    • Then out of nowhere, it happens… Your heart beats faster, starts to pound out of your chest. You breath becomes faster, shorter. You start to sweat, your hands tremble, you might even start to see that black tunnel of fear that you know means you are going to fall over or throw up.
Binge Eating

An eating disorder in which a person consumes large quantities of food in a short period of time.
​​
​Symptoms

  • Eating unusually large amounts of food in a specific amount of time, such as over a two-hour period
  • Feeling that your eating behavior is out of control
  • Eating even when you're full or not hungry
  • Eating rapidly during binge episodes
  • Eating until you're uncomfortably full
  • Frequently eating alone or in secret
  • Feeling depressed, disgusted, ashamed, guilty or upset about your eating
  • Frequently dieting, possibly without weight loss
Borderline Personality Disorder

A personality disorder characterized by severe mood swings, impulsive behavior, and difficulty forming stable personal relationships.
​​
​Symptoms

  • Intense fear of abandonment, even going to extreme measures to avoid real or imagined separation or rejection
  • Pattern of unstable intense relationships, such as idealizing someone one moment and then suddenly believing the person doesn't care enough or is cruel
  • Rapid changes in self-identity and self-image that include shifting goals and values, and seeing yourself as bad or as if you don't exist at all
  • Periods of stress-related paranoia and loss of contact with reality, lasting from a few minutes to a few hours
  • Impulsive and risky behavior, such as gambling, reckless driving, unsafe sex, spending sprees, binge eating or drug abuse, or sabotaging success by suddenly quitting a good job or ending a positive relationship
  • Suicidal threats or behavior or self-injury, often in response to fear of separation or rejection
  • Wide mood swings lasting from a few hours to a few days, which can include intense happiness, irritability, shame or anxiety
  • Ongoing feelings of emptiness
  • Inappropriate, intense anger, such as frequently losing your temper, being sarcastic or bitter, or having physical fights
Bulimia

An eating disorder characterized by regular, often secretive bouts of overeating followed by self-induced vomiting or purging, strict dieting, or extreme exercise, associated with persistent and excessive concern with body weight.
​
​Symptoms

  • Preoccupation with body shape and weight
  • Living in fear of gaining weight
  • Repeated episodes of eating abnormally large amounts of food in one sitting
  • Feeling a loss of control during bingeing — like you can't stop eating or can't control what you eat
  • Forcing yourself to vomit or exercising too much to keep from gaining weight after bingeing
  • Using laxatives, diuretics or enemas after eating when they're not needed
  • Fasting, restricting calories or avoiding certain foods between binges
  • Using dietary supplements or herbal products excessively for weight loss
Depression

Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act, including feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed; and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems, including a decrease your ability to function at work and at home.​
​
​Symptoms

  • Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
  • Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
  • Feelings of irritability, frustration, or restlessness
  • Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
  • Decreased energy, fatigue, or feeling slowed down
  • Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
  • Difficulty sleeping, waking early in the morning, or oversleeping
  • Changes in appetite or unplanned weight changes
  • Physical aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not have a clear physical cause and do not go away with treatment
  • Thoughts of death or suicide or suicide attempts
Orthorexia

An eating disorder focused  obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy.​
​Symptoms

  • Compulsive checking of ingredient lists and nutritional labels
  • Increase in concern about the health of ingredients
  • Cutting out an increasing number of food groups (all sugar, all carbs, all dairy, all meat, all animal products)
  • Inability to eat anything but a narrow group of foods that are deemed ‘healthy’ or ‘pure’
  • Unusual interest in the health of what others are eating
  • Spending hours per day thinking about what food might be served at upcoming events
  • Showing high levels of distress when ‘safe’ or ‘healthy’ foods aren’t available
  • Obsessive following of food and ‘healthy lifestyle’ blogs on Twitter and Instagram
  • Body image concerns may or may not be present
Self-Harm

Symptoms

                   


    • Some examples include: 
      • Cutting or piercing the skin
      • Burning
      • Picking at skin
      • Pulling hair out (head, eyebrows, eyelashes, etc.)
      • Head-banging
      • Hitting or punching self or other object
      • Biting
      • Scratching
      • Bruising self or breaking own bones
    • Symptoms and warning signs of self-harm:
      • Scars
      • Wearing long sleeves or pants, even in hot weather
      • Talking about feeling worthless or helpless
      • Fresh cuts, bruises, bite marks, or burns
      • Keeping sharp objects on hand
      • Frequent reports of accidental injury
      • Emotional and behavioral instability and unpredictability
Suicidality

Symptoms

                                                    

    Suicide is not a normal response to stress. Suicidal thoughts or actions are a sign of extreme distress and should not be ignored. If these warning signs apply to you or someone you know, get help as soon as possible, particularly if the behavior is new or has increased recently.If you or your loved one is experiencing active suicidal thoughts, call 911 or 988 and seek IMMEDIATE care at your nearest emergency department.call 911 or 988 and seek IMMEDIATE care at your nearest emergency department.call 911 or 988 and seek IMMEDIATE care at your nearest emergency department.call 911 or 988 and seek IMMEDIATE care at your nearest emergency department.call 911 or 988 and seek IMMEDIATE care at your nearest emergency department.
    • Warning signs that someone may be at immediate risk for attempting suicide include:
      • Talking about wanting to die or wanting to kill themselves
      • Talking about feeling empty or hopeless or having no reason to live
      • Talking about feeling trapped or feeling that there are no solutions
      • Feeling unbearable emotional or physical pain
      • Talking about being a burden to others
      • Withdrawing from family and friends
      • Giving away important possessions
      • Saying goodbye to friends and family
      • Putting affairs in order, such as making a will
      • Taking great risks that could lead to death, such as driving extremely fast
      • Talking or thinking about death often
    • Other serious warning signs that someone may be at risk for attempting suicide include:
      • Displaying extreme mood swings, suddenly changing from very sad to very calm or happy
      • Making a plan or looking for ways to kill themselves, such as searching for lethal methods online, stockpiling pills, or buying a gun
      • Talking about feeling great guilt or shame
      • Using alcohol or drugs more often
      • Acting anxious or agitated
      • Changing eating or sleeping habits
      • Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge

Resources

As part of Light of Life Counseling Services, LLC's commitment to proving its individuals and the community with the highest quality of services, we have compiled a list of resources that may be helpful to you and/or your loved ones. Feel free to browse the links below. 

The following links are not affiliated with Light of Life Counseling Services, LLC and therefore we do not endorse or protest the information that may be provided on any of the sites. Please read and determine what you feel will or will not be useful or helpful to you.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Promotes "understanding and preventing suicide through research, education, and advocacy"

Parents, Friends & Families of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)

Provides support, education, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them

The Trevor Project

Provides suicide and crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth and those who love them

National Eating 

Disorder Association

Promotes disordered eating education, advocacy, and recovery through connection and support options

National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI)

Provides resources and support to those experiencing mental illness and their loved ones.

American Association of Suicidology

Provides resources and information regarding suicide and suicide survivor-ship

HeadsUp (Early Psychosis Support)

Promotes early intervention for psychosis "centered around personalized, accessible, and effective care for all people in Pennsylvania."

Student Mental Health Resources

Provides resources and information on navigating college and college life with mental health and substance use concerns 

Drug Watch

Provides health information guides, research and support on various mental health and medical conditions. 

LGBTQ+ College Student Resource Guide

Provides resources and information on navigating college and college life within the LGBTQ+ community. 

Medication Discount Guide

Provides resources and information on obtaining discounted costs for physical and mental health medications. 

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​Phone

(570) 718 - 8255

Email

information@lightoflifecounselingservices.com

Mail

PO Box 466

Kunkletwon, PA 18058

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