Is anxiety preventing you from doing things that you enjoy? Are social situations extremely difficult for you? Are the effects of stress negatively influencing your life? Anxiety and related symptoms can become unmanageable and begin to affect your daily routines. Working together we can tackle these anxious feelings, find triggers, challenge negative thoughts and replace them with realistic ones. We will work to develop a present awareness that is unhindered by preconception. Using mindfulness and cognitive behavioral techniques we will regain control over your life.
Depression can make it hard to even get out of bed in the morning. It can leave you feeling helpless and unmotivated—I am aware of how it can make the littlest task seem daunting. This is not how you should have to live your life. I will help you challenge these negative thoughts and regain the confidence it takes to chase your dreams. I provide a safe, empathetic, and nonjudgmental environment to discuss these issues and work with you to find healthy coping strategies so that you can enjoy your life again.
I believe that human beings are relational creatures—we exist in relation to those around us. When creating a personalized treatment plan for you, I look at you as a whole—including the relationships you cherish in your life. If you’re struggling with one of your relationships, having trouble communicating effectively, or looking to assert yourself in a certain situation I can help you establish your role in the situation and work on more effective, efficient ways of handling it. Through the therapeutic relationship you will learn skills that you can apply to all areas and relationships in your life. If you are currently, or have been, a victim of domestic violence I can provide a nurturing space to help you repair and gain a better understanding of your worth. I have completed a Domestic Violence Training Program and I utilize the skills learned to help you cope, develop a safety plan, and build up your self esteem so that you can learn to have the healthy relationships in your life that you deserve.
When you lose someone that you love you can feel like the walls are caving in, that there’s little point in anything anymore, and that you’ll never love or feel good again. I’m here to show you this is not true. I can teach you adaptive coping, which involves adjusting to the loss, restoring one’s sense of having a satisfied life, and regaining interest in the future. I provide a space to discuss any and all emotions that come up in this difficult time. I will help you make sense of all feelings and move forward. I am extremely passionate about the field of bereavement counseling and provide a caring, sympathetic support for individuals dealing with all types of loss.
Are you in a stage of transition, or on the verge of making a major life-changing decision? I can help you work through these major changes and regain your confidence to make the decisions needed to advance in your life. Using role playing, analyzing pros and cons, and/or developing healthy decision making skills we can work together to move through any impasse you may face. We will look at all your options and sort through any nervous feelings so that you can have a clear head and pick the best way to proceed.
Is drinking excessively or drug use a problem for you? Are you looking to stop drinking or using drugs, moderate your use, or maintain sobriety? If so I am here to help you live a better life. If you are currently attending AA or NA meetings, individual therapy is a beneficial supplement to help you work through the underlying issues and develop an individualized plan for maintaining abstinence. Using Cognitive Behavioral techniques, which have been scientifically proven to be most effective, I will help you challenge faulty thinking processes, which leads to behavioral change. If your drug or alcohol use is causing trouble in your relationships I can work with you by providing an objective, unbiased perspective to help you analyze your role and improve your quality of relationships.
When asked "Who are you?" do you have an answer? Outside of your various roles, who are you at your core? Have you lost your sense of self in the midst of creating a life or a family? Did you ever get a chance to really figure out what makes you, you? In my years of work I have realized how many people don't fully know or trust themselves. I've seen how much of our identities is formed from society's or other's views of what we "should" like/want/feel. In session we can deconstruct what we learned about ourselves, and figure out what we actually believe to be true about ourselves. I teach clients how to make space for the things they want, the things they enjoy, the situations they feel most comfortable in, and not feel guilty about prioritizing our one true self. Using Mindfulness and Self-Compassion training we can work to identify and be in touch with moments, behaviors, and others who truly allow us to feel comfortable in our own skin.
*The above are some, but not all, of the services I offer. Take a look at the Contact Page to set up an appointment, or to contact me to see if A Better You Counseling Services can help you with the issues you face.
Kelly Shuster, LMHC
222 Middle Country Rd
Smithtown, NY 11787
Copyright © 2017 A Better You Counseling