Elizabeth Taylor Counseling
Restoring Hope in Mental and Emotional Wellness
Becoming irritable, feeling as if you are 'snapping', problems sleeping, worrying and overthinking... just a few of the symptoms that you may be living with causing you to feel stuck. Stress and anxiety may have gotten to the point to where you don't even feel like yourself anymore. You may have even experienced a panic attack with no idea what led to it. You may feel stuck in a cycle of lashing out at those closest to you and then feeling guilty, only making the anxiety worse. You may have lost hope in ever finding relief from these symptoms.
I want to help you find peace again, and it is possible! As a licensed mental health counselor, I am trained in EMDR, ERP, and DBT. I treat trauma, OCD, and anxiety disorders. I am a Christian and, for those who prefer, I can bring a Biblical perspective into the therapy space as well. My services are fully virtual.
Feel free to read more about my specific therapy techniques below. Please visit the "Insurance" tab to find out how to verify your insurance. If you would like to schedule a free 15-minute telephone consultation, please click the button below.
“Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength”
William James
In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8
What To Expect During Your First Session
Our first session will be spent gathering background information and learning more about what brought you to therapy and how my services may help you reach your goals. If, after this initial appointment, you feel that my services will be a good fit for you, we will schedule our next session. It is important to remember that therapy is not a "quick fix", but it is an investment that will require effort and may feel difficult at times. However, it is an investment that can help you on your journey to reaching your personal mental and emotional health goals and in finding freedom from your symptoms. My specific therapeutic approaches are described below.
Trauma/Distressing Memories
EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a form of therapy using bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, to help your brain tap into its own self-healing properties and reprocess distressing memories and facilitate healing. EMDR provides a safe environment to process distressing memories as it does not involve an active retelling of specific details. We often underestimate how much trauma and distress (even during early childhood) can impact the way our brain functions. Individuals often find relief from symptoms, including anxiety, anger, irritability, and depression, after engaging in EMDR and allowing their brain the chance to rewire itself in a healthier way and heal from past trauma.
Emotion Regulation
I also provide support for those looking for healthier coping skills or help with emotion regulation skills and may not necessarily need long-term, in depth care. I have training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Both of these techniques that can help you learn to regulate difficult emotions and feel better equipped to manage everyday stressors.
OCD/Anxiety Disorders
I am trained in ERP, Exposure and Response Prevention therapy. This type of therapy is considered a gold standard treatment for OCD and phobias. It also has shown success in the treatment of anxiety disorders that may not necessarily be related to trauma. ERP is efficient in treating OCD as it does not focus on avoiding or necessarily even challenging obsessive thoughts. OCD does not typically respond to rational thought and reasoning. Instead, ERP focuses on gradual exposure to situations that may trigger obsessive thoughts while encouraging you to refrain from responding with your typical mental and/or behavioral compulsions. In doing so, this will help your brain habituate, or "get used to" obsessive, distressing thoughts without feeling the overwhelming need that it MUST engage in compulsive behavior. Emphasis is also placed on learning to tolerate uncertainty and discomfort, which is why it is also extremely helpful for many forms of anxiety. Although this type of treatment is challenging and may temporarily elevate distress and anxiety, research has shown it is one of the most efficient ways to provide relief from the debilitating symptoms of OCD and anxiety.
Faith-Based
I am a Christian. I am active in my church and my faith is the center of my life. If you would like to incorporate Scripture and biblical principles into your treatment, please let me know. We can apply therapeutic approaches through a biblical lens as we process your past experiences and work toward a better future. Please click below to access my Christian blog.