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Carolyn Dunn
MFT
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Terri Haley
MFT
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Candace Holly
MFT
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Joy Kendall
MFT Intern
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Bill Krulish
MFT
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Gary Moline
MFT
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Popie Stafford
MFT
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Leona Smith
MFT
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Laurel Marlink Quast, LCSW
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Kirsti Perry
LCSW
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Uriah Guilford
MFT
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Focus of Practice
Throughout graduate school and later, I completed
internships working with children and families. Working with severely
emotionally disturbed children and children of abuse were two of the
areas I found most heartbreaking and most enlightening as I continued
this study. I have also completed an intensive training program in
Filial Therapy (emphasizing child development) which teaches caregivers
how to create a more therapeutic atmosphere for their children and
adolescents.
Couples and individuals struggling with conflict management, balancing authority, resolving
grief,
(including death, divorce and separation); managing and resolving
anger, due to infidelity and other betrayal or perceived betrayal
issues; coping with and relieving stress, and other relationship and
personal problems, continue also to provide interest and challenge in
my part of this helping profession.
Educational Background:
1965 BA Education, Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma
1982 MA Counseling Education, California State University, Bakersfield, California
Continuing Education
Each year Marriage, Family Therapists are
required to fulfill 18 units of Continuing Professional Education,
which has provided the opportunity to complete advance training in all
areas of this work.
Professional Experience:
1985 Began Practicum and Internship
Severely Emotionally Disturbed (SED) children, Kern Co. Mental Health
Group Therapy--Schizophrenic adults
Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychotherapy at LaCresta Foundation, Bakersfield, CA.
1989 Marriage Family Therapist licensure
6 years: Bakersfield, CA.--Aslan Center
Shared daily radio program on mental health issues for 2 years
Supervised MFT Interns for 3 years
1996 to present, Santa Rosa, CA.--Private Practice
Christian Counseling Center and Christian Counseling
Associates
Professional Speaking Experience:
A breadth of experience speaking to gatherings of educators,
parents, fellow Christians and other groups include many topics related
to this profession including:
- School Problems, When to Step In
- Four Steps Toward Conflict Resolution in Your Marriage
- Communicating Effectively With Your Child, When to Talk, When to Listen
- Strengthening Your Child's Sense of Self
- Limit-Setting: A Privilege That Feels Like a Task
- I Didn't Divorce My Children, Why Are They So Angry?
- Help! My Teenager's Smoking Pot!
- Detecting Child Abuse, Physical or Sexual in the Very Young Child
- Providing Security By Setting Firm Limits
- Fair Fighting for a Healthier Marriage
- Drugs, Sex and the Truth!
- The Loss of Your Loved One: Stages of Grieving and Coping-and Getting Through Them
- Recognizing Developmental Guidelines When Parenting Your Child
- We Married For Better or Worse--but Not for This!
Philosophy:
Just as I believe the power of healing is God-given in physical illness
and the physician or other medical professional is used as an aid in
that, emotional healing is also there for us and we as therapists and
other mental health professionals are simply there as facilitators.
PAIN of any kind--physical or emotional--triggers a natural,
instinctive motive to halt the discomfort and restore a more positive,
comfortable state. Our built-in psychological defense mechanisms
are designed to ward off painful feelings such as depression and
anxiety. Left to its own devices, our mind will reflexively fight
depressed feeling and reestablish our mental equilibrium, unless there
is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Unfortunately the mind,
left to its own devices, is not always clear on which patterns of
thought and behavior are most effective when we are depressed or
anxious.
Thoughts create emotions: Proverbs 23:7 tells us that, “as
a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” And Jeremiah gives us
a written record that clearly illustrates this principle. In
Lamentations 3, Jeremiah is depressed. In verse 18, he thinks
about his misery and feels hopeless; in verse
24, he says “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will hope in Him.” His thoughts create his emotions!
Thoughts affect our behavior: Much of our personality is made up of the
way we think of life. For many, it is an ongoing
experience. For example shyness is based on a belief
system. The person behaves as a shy person because her behavior
is controlled by the belief that she’s shy! The core statement in
her thoughts is “I can’t do that because I’m
shy.” Our thoughts--our self-talk--working through our
emotions, are a major determiner of our behavior.
Our perceived center of control affects our behavior: It is not
what is occurring in our lives that affects our behavior, as much as
what we believe about what is occurring that matters. If we focus
on the facts related to an out-of-control world, we will behave in a
certain manner. If we focus on a world under the control of an
all-powerful God, we will behave in a different way.
We think irrationally: We build this discouraging spiral.
If our thoughts affect our behavior, and if it is our perceived center
of control that also affects our behavior, and if we tend to think
irrationally, what chance do we have to regain control of ourselves and
our emotions?
We create change in our lives by gaining control of our thoughts:
The Apostle Paul understood this. In several places he reminds us
that the hard work of self-control begins in our minds. Every
thought that enters our mind is to be examined in the light of
Philippians 4:8. We are urged to think about whatever is true,
honorable, just, pure, lovely, or gracious. “…if
there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think
about these things.” And the promise is that
“….the God of peace will be with you”. (verse
9)
Guard you mind! Watch what you think! Don’t allow anything
that doesn’t measure up to this criteria to enter your mind.
We experience self-control by controlling our thinking.
That is done by capturing every thought that enters our minds, and
examining it to see it if is worthy of finding a place in our belief
system. If it fails the test, argue with it, debate and dispute
the irrationality, and then get rid of it quickly.
In Romans 12;2, Paul continues with this idea. First he warns us
to “not be conformed to this world”. Don’t get
caught in the trap of irrational thinking. Don’t accept the
false idea that your emotions, feelings, and behavior are controlled by
the events in your life. REJECT THAT
MYTH!
Instead, Paul tell us to “be transformed by the renewal of our
minds”. He says you can be changed. And the key to
transformation is in the renewing of your mind! Change your
thoughts and you change your life!
Professional Affiliations:
- CAMFT - (California Association for Marriage and Family Therapists)
- RECAMFT - (Redwood Empire chapter of CAMFT)
- SCACC - Sonoma County Association of Christian Counselors
- CAPS - Christian Association for Psychological Studies
- AACC - American Association of Christian Counselors
Biographical Information
My experiences as an individual
growing up, in the midst of a large extended family, with faith and
understanding of a loving God; as a teacher of elementary children; as
a wife who was blessed with a patient husband; as a parent
(understanding the joys and challenges of that responsibility); as a
grandparent who mostly receives the benefits; and as a therapist, has,
I believe, strengthened my commitment to helping families grow stronger
and healthier. |
