Melissa Berschauer

I’m excited to be able to offer clients who have been through a trauma, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).  EMDR is a type of therapy that was originally discovered over 20 years ago for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for combat veterans.  As more research was conducted, it became apparent that EMDR was effective for many different types of trauma, not just PTSD. As it turns out, trauma is not a one size fits all type of thing.  There are big “T” traumas and little “t” traumas.  The big “T” traumas are usually what come to mind when we think of PTSD: combat war, child abuse and severe neglect, assault, life threatening events, serious injury, and sexual abuse.  However, little “t” trauma can leave lasting effects causing significant emotional damage:  emotional abuse, overly critical parent, bullying, body image criticism, illness, death of a loved one or pet, loss of a significant relationship or difficult breakup, to name a few. What big “T” trauma and little “t” trauma have in common is how the brain processed and stored the information.  When something traumatic happens, it appears to get locked in the nervous system.  The traumatic event contains the original “snap shot in time” with the same sounds, smells, thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations, as real as the day they were first experienced.  EMDR works by allowing the brain to reprocess the trauma so that the trauma becomes a past memory and not a current and ongoing event. If you are experiencing symptoms from the past, in the present, EMDR might be the right type of treatment for you. Some symptoms might include: Addictive Behaviors Anger Issues Anxiety and Panic Body Image Issues Critical Voice in Head Depression Eating Disorders Grief Low Self-Esteem/Self Worth Relationship Issues Reliving the memory through flashbacks or nightmares Let’s talk.  During our sessions we will decide together if EMDR might be the appropriate treatment for your concerns.  You don’t have to be a prisoner of your past.

If you are contemplating seeking counseling, provided below are some “Frequently Asked Questions” regarding what to expect from your counseling therapy sessions. Q. How do I choose a therapist? A. Every counselor has his or her own unique style and personality that will affect how you feel about therapy. Feeling comfortable with your therapist and being a “good match,” like any relationship, is one of the biggest factors when considering a therapist. Q. What is the first session like? A. The first session is a very important session. It gives you the opportunity to meet me to decide if I am someone you feel comfortable with and could see yourself talking with about your life. It’s also an important session for me because I get to find out your reason for seeking counseling and how I will be able to help. Together we will come up with a “game plan” of goals you would like to accomplish. Q. Do I have to have a mental health disorder to work with a psychotherapist? A. No. Although I do work with clients with an identified clinical diagnosis or someone experiencing a crisis, I also work with many individuals who are interested in self-improvement and personal growth, or someone who feels unable to deal with a personal difficulty. Q. What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)? A. CBT is a treatment style (theoretical orientation in psychology terms), that emphasizes the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. CBT focuses on teaching specific coping skills to help clients relieve issues as anxiety, depression, panic attacks, self-esteem and self confidence building, stress management, interpersonal relationships, anger management, substance overuse, to name a few uses. Q. How many sessions does counseling usually take to see improvement? A. This really depends on the specific situation. Some clients start feeling better right away; while others may take longer in order to maintain their improvements. In order to get the most out of therapy, it’s important to be consistent with your attendance, make a conscientious effort to work on improvements outside of therapy sessions, and really be able to identify what your expectations are for an outcome. Q. Is what is shared confidential? A. Yes, by law what we talk about is completely confidential. However, there are a couple of legal exceptions that require me to breach confidentiality: a) suspected child or dependent elder abuse; b) immediate threat of harm to oneself or another person. Q. Do you do telephone sessions? A. Yes. I am licensed to practice in the State of California and do offer tele-sessions to clients residing all over California. There are instances where phone sessions are a great option, especially for those who move out of the area and wish to keep working together, as well as for business travelers, and stay at home moms. However, there are some types of issues that are better suited to a face-to-face environment. Please note, phone sessions are limited to individuals only, and not couples. Q. What types of clients do you work with? A. Practicing in Orange County I have the opportunity to work with people from all walks of life. I enjoy working with a diverse group of people of varied social status, ethnicity, culture, gender, faith, sexual preference and education level. Q. Do you accept insurance? A. No, I do not accept insurance, but I am able to offer lower private pay rates to clients. I also accept all major credit cards, cash, and checks. Q. What area do you serve? A. Clients come from all over Orange County: Aliso Viejo, Capistrano Beach, Corona del Mar, Coto de Caza, Dana Point, Foothill Ranch, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Talega, Trabuco Canyon, Tustin.

Am•biv•a•lent:  Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone. We can become ambivalent about many things in life.  However, one of the more distressing things to become ambivalent about is your relationship with your spouse or dating partner.  When an individual or couple feels conflicted or unsure if they wish to stay in their relationship, discernment counseling can help provide clarity. Discernment counseling is a way to help you evaluate your relationship, looking at both the strengths as well as struggles so that decisions about the relationship can be made with confidence.  Successful discernment counseling allows for you to walk away from counseling knowing you are doing the right thing, whether “the right thing” is staying in the relationship and working on improvement, or ending the relationship with confidence. Discernment counseling is not the same as couples counseling.  In couples counseling, the goal is to solve a problem, change a behavior, or learn new skills to stay together that will enhance the relationship.  In discernment counseling, the goal is figure out if the relationship is worth continuing. For those who have completed discernment counseling, the overwhelming response has been one of gratitude for the clarity it has given.  If you are thinking about it even a little bit, this might be the right kind of counseling for you.    

You toss, you turn, you can’t fall asleep, or you wake up too early.  “I just want to get some sleep,” you think.  To many, sleep becomes an illustrious myth – a battle at bedtime.  Insomnia is an all too common problem for many people each night.  In our ever changing, fast-paced lifestyle, it’s no wonder we can’t turn our brains off at night. “I wake up every night at 3 a.m. and my brain kicks into high gear going over my “To Do List” for the upcoming day,” said a client recently.  If your brain is waking you up trying to solve the world’s problems at 3 a.m. let’s go over some tips to remember when it comes to sleep so you can practice good “sleep hygiene.” 1.  Start with clean sheets – I know this sounds silly, but it’s true.  Who doesn’t appreciate the scent and feel of fresh clean sheets, and clean sheets can actually improve your quality of sleep. 2.  Adopt a sleep ritual – a warm bath, drinking herbal tea, light reading, changing into comfortable clothing, and/or meditation or yoga, can all signal your brain that it’s time to wind down for the day and get ready for bedtime. 3.  Power down – Get off the internet, social media, texting, managing email, or working at least an hour before bedtime.  These types of activities stimulate our brain and keep our mind active; your brain needs time to quiet down. 4.  Dim the house lights – We start to produce serotonin, the sleep hormone, when it gets dark.  Turning down the lights in the evening can signal the brain to start producing serotonin.  If you want to stay awake, bright lights certainly help. 5.  Don’t go to bed angry – this old saying is true if you want a good night’s sleep.  Save troubling conversations for any other time of the day except bedtime. 6.  Write it down – If you have lots of things on your mind, get them out of your head and on paper.  If you wake up in the middle of the night with more thoughts, add them to your list and go back to sleep.  You won’t have to worry that you will forget because they will be there for you on paper in the morning. 7.  Your bed is for sleeping…(and sex), only.  It’s not a good idea to work on your computer, listen to the radio, read, or watch stimulating TV in bed. 8.  Keep it cool, quiet, and dark – The right temperature, even on the cooler side, can increase your quality of sleep.  If you wish, sleep with earplugs and/or a sleep mask for added sensory restriction. 9.  Avoid heavy meals and alcohol too close to bedtime – Our bodies work overtime digesting food, and indigestion is more common when we are “stuffed.”  Alcohol may initially induce sleepiness, but will cause more disturbed sleep throughout the night. 10.  Moderate exercise – Daily exercise or even taking a brisk walk, can help you sleep better at night. If you are still having trouble with sleep after practicing these tips, your brain might be trying to tell you that your stress level is too high or you have some unresolved deeper troubles that need some working out.  Sleep disturbances can also be a sign of anxiety or depression.  Likewise, lack of sleep can exacerbate these symptoms sometimes making mole hills feel like mountains. I wish you all a good night’s sleep.

Welcome to the “Mental Notes” blog, home of helpful articles and other healthy minded reads. Stay tuned for the first post coming soon, then come back often for regular updates and expert articles. Thanks for stopping by!