My top 3 tips on how to find the best counselor for you when starting trauma therapy in Florida

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Finding the Help You Need: Counseling in Florida for Trauma, PTSD, Anxiety, & Depression

As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida I specialize in helping both men and women who have had something bad happen to them in the past. Many of my clients have trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and depression issues and have been dealing with their problems for a long time.  Some of my clients have never told anyone about their trauma, hiding their issues from their family and friends for years.  They feel deep shame and embarrassment but know that they need help to live the life they really want. Once you do decide to start trauma therapy it can be difficult to find the right counselor. Here are my top three tips on how to find the best counselor for you. 

Tip One

Look for a counselor with the education and experience to provide trauma therapy. Just like doctors, many counselors specialize in the type of problems they help people with. Would you want your primary care doctor to do your heart surgery? Probably not. By finding a counselor that specializes in trauma therapy you will know that you have a counselor that understands the unique difficulties that you are experiencing.

Quiet Water Counseling of Florida offers free consultations so that you can find the best EMDR Therapist in Florida for you.

Tip Two

You need to not only find someone that has the experience and training to help you tackle your problems, you also need someone who you feel comfortable talking with.  Research shows that the relationship you have with your counselor will be one of the most important factors in you getting the help you need. Because of this I offer free 20-minute consultations so you can make sure that I am the right counselor for you.  I also offer convenient online appointments so you can do trauma therapy online in Florida, and also easy scheduling with most appointments booked at the same day and time each week to make scheduling easier. I recommend that you choose at least two different therapists in Florida and have consultations with both and see which one you connect with the best. I want you to find the best therapist for you, even if that is not me.

Tip Three

Think about your schedule. When starting trauma counseling it is very important that you attend all your scheduled sessions. Missing sessions will only delay you getting the help you need. If you know you are super busy every Wednesday don’t schedule sessions on that day. Pick a day and time that is convenient for you. Because I know how important trauma counseling is, and because I know how busy people can be, I offer trauma therapy online in Florida. I even offer online EMDR therapy in Florida (EMDR is a specialized type of therapy specifically for trauma). I find that when people have easy access to trauma therapy they are more likely to attend their scheduled sessions and start feeling better faster.

Quiet Water Counseling of Florida offers trauma therapy online in Florida to help make appointments more convenient for your schedule.

Ready to get started?

I offer online counseling throughout Florida, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home while still getting the help you need. Click below to schedule a free 20-minute consultation and find out how I can help you start living the life you want.

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Kellie Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Florida EMDR therapist providing trauma therapy online throughout Florida.

About the Author:

Kellie Brown - Licensed Mental Health Counselor providing Trauma Therapy in Florida

Besides being a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida and Nationally Board Certified Counselor, Kellie Brown is also a Certified EMDR therapist and specializes in providing trauma therapy for her clients in Florida. She knows how hard starting counseling can be but she also knows how much counseling can help change a person’s life for the better. She loves helping people get to the root of the problem so that they can make big changes in their lives and start living the life that they really want.

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When you come from a hard/difficult life you have two choices

Video of Kellie Brown, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Nationally Board Certified Counselor, and Owner of Quiet Water Counseling discussing how people who come from difficult situations can overcome the past and live their best life filled with hope and positivity.

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Talk to a counselor to help overcome the past

When you come from a hard/difficult life you have two choices. You can either keep on that hard/difficult path and continue living like that or you can do everything in your power to change the course of your life and to live the life you once only dreamt about. My clients are people who have chosen Option 2 and don’t ever want to go back to living that hard/difficult life that they once had. My clients have put in the hard work to get to where they want to be in life personally, professionally, and financially but oftentimes the road that they have had to walk to get to where you are today has been filled with hardships. When you have had to fight your way out of a difficult or hard life situation it can leave scars. Talking to a counselor can help you to put the past behind you so you can focus on all the positive things in your life that you have worked so hard for.

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About the Author

Kellie Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified in EMDR. She provides online counseling throughout Florida.

Kellie Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida as well as a Nationally Board Certified Counselor. She is a Certified EMDR therapist and specializes in providing trauma informed care for her clients in Florida. She loves helping people to make big changes in their lives so that they can start living the life that they really want.

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Ready to get started?

I offer online counseling throughout Florida, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home while still getting the help you need. Click below to schedule a free 20-minute consultation and find out how I can help you start living the life you want.

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What is the first counseling session like?

Video of Kellie Brown, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Nationally Board Certified Counselor, and Owner of Quiet Water Counseling & Rene Morago, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Owner of Morago Counseling Services.  Listen as we discuss what a typical first counseling session is like.

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What is the first counseling session like?

So you decided to take a leap of faith and sign up for counseling. What is next?

Many of my clients start with a free 20-minute consultation session. When you schedule this my computer system automatically sends over some paperwork to fill out before we meet. This paperwork helps me to get an idea on how I can best help you. As with doctors, counselors also specialize in the types of problems and issues they help with. For example, I see adult clients for individual therapy. So if someone is looking for marriage counseling, I would want to know early on so I could refer them to a marriage counselor.

During the first meeting, that 20-minute free consultation, you get an opportunity to ask any questions you have and basically see if you feel comfortable enough to start counseling. Counseling is a huge commitment and I want to make sure that all my clients feel comfortable moving forward. Often times at the end of that consultation we set up that first full counseling session at a time that works best for you. I really try to see my clients on the same day and time every week because I have found that having a consistent routine helps people the best.

After you schedule the first full counseling session I normally send over more paperwork so I can get a better picture of what is going on. It can seem like a lot when you get it, but all of it is very important because it helps me narrow down exactly what we need to work on and where we need to focus in order to help you reach your goals. Before your first counseling session it is very common to be nervous. If you have any questions just ask, that is what I am here for.

During that very first full counseling session we review everything that you shared and go over what your goals are for your future. I really try to focus on what is going right in your life, so we can build upon that, instead of just focusing on the negative. That being said, I do want to know how hard things are so I know where to focus our efforts. Often times at this point people are very worried about telling me ALL the tough stuff, and aren’t ready to go into ALL the details. That is okay. As long as I can get a general idea of what the problem is, we can save the really hard/embarrassing stuff for another day because there are lots of other things we can start to work on to help you to feel better in the meantime.

Starting counseling is a huge step and you should be proud of yourself for even thinking about doing this. If you ever have any questions please reach out to me. My email is hello@QuietWaterCounseling.com and it is my pleasure to help however I can.

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About the Author

Kellie Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified in EMDR. She provides online counseling throughout Florida.

Kellie Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida as well as a Nationally Board Certified Counselor. She is a Certified EMDR therapist and specializes in providing trauma informed care for her clients in Florida. She knows that starting counseling is a huge step but that it can be life changing. She loves seeing her clients succeed with their goals and living their best lives.

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Ready to get started?

I offer online counseling throughout Florida, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home while still getting the help you need. Click below to schedule a free 20-minute consultation and find out how I can help you start living the life you want.

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Nervous To Start Counseling?

Video of Kellie Brown, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Nationally Board Certified Counselor, and Owner of Quiet Water Counseling of Florida & Rene Morago, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Owner of Morago Counseling Services of Florida.  Listen as we discuss how some people might be nervous to start counseling.

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Many People Are Nervous To Start Counseling

Being nervous, or anxious, or apprehensive to start counseling is very common. Come on, let us be real, this is a huge step for you. You have probably have been dealing with this stuff for a long time. You are used to holding everything in. Not letting the secret out. Not sharing those deep feelings.

You might be worried about what will happen if you do say out loud everything that has been bothering you. What if you open pandora’s box, and can’t handle any of the hard stuff that comes out? Feeling that way is very common too. One of the first things we will do together is go over all the different ways you use to cope with some of those hard feelings. I help you build up your positive coping skills so you know that you can handle the tough stuff. Just like building a house with a strong foundation. You need a solid foundation to help you get through the hard stuff that has been holding you back.

Two Things I Want You To Know If You Are Nervous To Start Counseling

#1 We go at your pace. If you want to tell me every single thing the first time we talk, that is totally fine. But if you want to just talk about some, not all, of the stuff, that is okay too. I know it is not easy to open up to anyone, much less a complete stranger. It takes time, and that is okay.

#2 There is hope. I know that you are going through a lot right now but I also know that healing is very possible. I have sooo much hope for you! I see people at the worst times of their lives, but I also see how much counseling can help, and I very much want to help you however I can.

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Ready to get started?

I offer online counseling throughout Florida, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home while still getting the help you need. Click below to schedule a free 20-minute consultation and find out how I can help you start living the life you want.

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Kellie Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida. Certified in EMDR and providing online counseling throughout Florida she focuses on helping people heal from trauma.

About the Author - Kellie Brown - A Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida

As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Florida, Kellie Brown knows that many people are nervous to start counseling. However she also knows that starting counseling can be the first step to living your best life. Certified in EMDR Counseling and providing online therapy throughout Florida, she wants getting the help you need to be as easy as possible. So schedule today and start finding out how online counseling in Florida can help you reach your goals.

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Being Cheated On - How online counseling in Florida can help

Being Cheated On

Love, trust, and respect are all good things that go into a great relationship. Sure all relationships have problems, but overall you know you can count on your other half to be there for you when things are tough. As the months and years go by, your partner becomes more and more important to you, more important to your life. So when a partner is unfaithful, it strikes you at the center of your soul and hurts so deep you feel like you might never heal. Being cheated on is one of the worst things imaginable in a relationship. All the safety you once felt with your partner, gone in a second. You can’t even think straight.

Many men find that online counseling in Florida can help them after they have been cheated on by their girlfriend or wife.

Then the anger comes. The questions come. Tossing and turning at night, you can’t sleep. During the day your mind is so caught up in what happened you can’t focus on anything except the pain you feel. What can you do to make it all stop? Should you stay together and try to make it work? Should you leave the relationship and start fresh? Can you ever love again?

Talking to a counselor in Florida can help if you have been cheated on.

If you have kids things are even more complicated. Your kids start asking questions that you don’t know the answers to yourself. They might even start having troubles in school or acting out at home. You hate to see them affected by everything, but you don’t know what to do. You do your best to hold it together when you see them, but you can only pretend so much.

Being cheated on can be a very traumatic experience, Quiet Water Counseling in Florida has EMDR Certified Counselors that can help.

Your family and friends all have opinions, but it is easy to have an opinion when they are not the ones who are going through it. They won’t have to face the consequences of whatever decision you choose.

Having support through this difficult situation is so important. A neutral person who knows how tough being cheated on can be. I focus on helping you, as an individual, work through some of those really tough emotions, so you can think more clearly and make decisions that are going to be best for you long-term. If you choose to leave, focusing on starting a new chapter of your life, and putting the pain behind you. But I also help a lot of people who want to focus on healing from the infidelity, so that they can build a stronger relationship with their partner. Many of my clients see me individually before or while they are in relationship counseling (relationship counseling would be with a different counselor than me). Whatever you decide it is important for you to know that you have support to help you get through this tough stuff so you can get back to living the life you want to live.

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Kellie Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Certified EMDR Counselor in Florida.

About the Author

Kellie Brown - Licensed Mental Health Counselor and EMDR Certified Counselor in Florida

As a Certified EMDR Counselor in Florida and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Kellie Brown, knows that being cheated on is a traumatic event and uses her extensive training to help you start healing as fast as possible. Based in Central Florida but providing online counseling throughout Florida she strives to make getting the help you need as easy as possible.

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Ready To Get Started?

I offer online counseling throughout Florida, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home while still getting the help you need. For several reasons, including your privacy, I do not accept any insurances. Click below to schedule a free 20-minute consultation and find out how I can help you start living the life you want.

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Parenting During COVID-19

Video of Kellie Brown, Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida, Nationally Board Certified Counselor, and Owner of Quiet Water Counseling & Rene Morago, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Owner of Morago Counseling Services.  Listen as we discuss parenting during COVID-19.

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Parenting During COVID-19

Just when you thought that parenting could not get any harder, COVID-19 came. Just staying safe during a pandemic is scary enough. From cleaning supplies being in short supply, to trying to wrangle your kids into masks, things are really tough. At times, especially with social distancing you might feel really alone. But millions of other parents are going through the same exact struggles you are too.

In person school vs. Online only?? This is such a hard decision!!! And there is no right or wrong answer. Every single family and every single child is going to be different. Finding what works best for your family is the most important thing to do. And giving yourself permission to change your mind if you need to will also help.

It should have been called physically distant, not socially distant. Maintaining social connections is imperative for families, both parents and children. Embracing technology can be a lifesaver right now. My toddler now knows how to FaceTime with extended family members and I can tell that this is helping her to maintain those relationships. But this won’t work for every family. Even kids at the same age are going to be reacting differently to this whole situation. Some kids might love that they get to stay home and chill out, others might really miss their friends and the structure that comes with school.

Working from home. At first it seems really nice. No commute, lunch in your own kitchen, and you get to wear your fuzzy socks all day, every day. But working from home brings its own challenges. Especially if your kids are home too, and you are trying to manage childcare with maintaining a job. It can leave many parents feeling alone and frustrated.

Give yourself some grace right now. This is a difficult time for everyone. You are going to have interruptions and distractions, and there will be days that are really hard. And if you do feel that things are getting to be too much, reach out for support, because you are not alone.

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Ready to get started?

I offer online counseling throughout Florida, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home while still getting the help you need. Click below to schedule a free 20-minute consultation and find out how I can help you start living the life you want.

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Kellie Brown is a Certified EMDR Counselor in Florida. She provides online counseling throughout Florida and wants you to get the help you need easily.

About the Author

Kellie Brown - EMDR Certified Counselor in Florida

Besides being a parent herself, Kellie Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and EMDR Counselor in Florida. She is also a Nationally Board Certified and an Addiction Specialist. She knows that during COVID-19 Stress, Anxiety, and Depression are at all time highs. She provides online counseling through out Florida so that her clients can get the help they need easily.

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What is the Baker Act?

The Baker Act is a legal process meant to help people who have a severe mental health issue. This can mean that the person is involuntarily held against their will so that they can be adequately assessed and treated to help ensure their safety. There are many factors that go into the decision to initiate a Baker Act. Talking to a mental health professional can help clarify aspects of your particular situation.

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Law enforcement officers, mental health professionals, ARNPs, and doctors can initiate a Baker Act. The Baker Act also allows family and friends to petition the court to initiate the act, this is often called an “Ex Parte Baker Act”.

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Your local county clerk of court can help direct you to forms that walk you through the process for your particular county. Some lawyers specialize in helping with this as well.

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In many instances of an Ex Parte Baker Act, law enforcement will be ordered to take the person into custody and transport them to the nearest receiving facility. This can be any time of the day or night.

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The Baker Act is meant to help people with a mental health issue. There is another law that is designed to help people with a substance use issue, that is the Marchman Act. Often times it can be difficult to decide which one might help your loved one. Talking with a counselor can help you with your specific situation. If you have any questions please reach out.

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What is the Marchman Act?

The Marchman Act is a legal process meant to help people who have a severe substance use issue and who are not willing to get the help they need on their own. This can mean that the person is involuntarily held against their will so that they can be adequately assessed, stabilized, and treated for a substance use issue. There are many factors that go into the decision to initiate a Marchman Act. Talking to an addiction specialist can help clarify aspects of your particular situation.

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Law enforcement officers, mental health professionals, ARNPs, doctors, and other addiction specialists can initiate a Marchman Act. The Marchman Act also allows family and friends to petition the court to initiate the act, this is often called an “Ex Parte Marchman Act”.

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Your local county clerk of court can normally help direct you to forms that walk you through the process for your particular county. Some lawyers specialize in helping with this as well.

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In many instances of an Ex Parte Marchman Act, law enforcement will be ordered to take the person into custody and transport them to the nearest receiving facility. This can be any time of the day or night.

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The Marchman Act is meant to help people with a severe substance use issue. There is another law that is designed to help people with a mental health issue, that is the Baker Act. Often times it can be difficult to decide which one might help your loved one. Talking with your local county clerk or court or a counselor can help you with your specific situation. If you have any questions please reach out.

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Ready to get started?

I offer online counseling throughout Florida, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home while still getting the help you need. For several reasons, including your privacy, I do not accept any insurances. Click below to schedule a free 20-minute consultation and find out how I can help you start living the life you want.

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The Mental Impact of COVID-19 on Medical Professionals - Trauma, Anxiety, & Depression

The Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 on Medical Professionals

Our medical staff, doctors, nurses, paramedics, and many others on the front line of this pandemic, are seeing things that many of us will never fully understand.  Life and death daily.  And right now many health care workers might just be worried about if they have the right equipment to protect themselves.  Not to mention being understaffed and overworked.  And not feeling supported from upper management.  Veteran staff might feel burned out and brand new professionals might still be in shock learning about what the job really entails during this difficult time.  

PTSD is very real for medical professionals, so is anxiety and depression. Unfortunately, these things are very common and medical professionals are trained to take care of others before themselves.  So they continue giving, giving, giving.  Pushing their own needs out the window.  Sometimes not even stopping to use the bathroom because they have so much work to do, or a patient that needs them in a rush.  So they continue putting themselves on the bottom of the priority list, and never really addressing the issues that are causing them so much pain.  

But here is the thing.  You can't help your patients unless you help yourself first.  Unchecked mental health issues take a toll, mentally, and physically.  Overtime you become someone that you do not even recognize and that can be really scary, both for you, your loved ones, and your colleagues.  Talking to a counselor can help. You don't have to suffer alone, there is support.

I help adults in Florida who have had something bad happen to them in the past.  Many of my clients have trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and depression issues and have been dealing with their problems for a long time.  Many of my clients have never told anyone about what is going on, hiding their problems from their co-workers, family, and friends for years.  They are deeply concerned about what might happen if someone finds out what they are going through, but they also know that they need some help to live the life they really want. 

Finding the right counselor is very important.  I understand the importance of privacy, especially for people who have a great deal of responsibility on their shoulders, and many eyes on them.  I offer free 20-minute consultations so you can make sure that I am the right counselor for you.  I offer convenient online appointments, and easy scheduling.  If you have any questions please reach out.  I want you to get the help you need.

Ready to get started?

I offer online counseling throughout Florida, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home while still getting the help you need. For several reasons, including your privacy, I do not accept any insurances. I want my clients to get the help they need without being worried about what an insurance company thinks. Click below to schedule a free 20-minute consultation and find out how I can help you start living the life you want.

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Coping with Anxiety & Depression During COVID-19

Video of Kellie Brown, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Nationally Board Certified Counselor, and Owner of Quiet Water Counseling & Rene Morago, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Owner of Morago Counseling Services.  Listen as we discuss coping with anxiety and depression during COVID-19.

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Coping with Anxiety & Depression During COVID-19

When COVID-19 first started, I really thought that it would only last a few months and then everything would go back to normal. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Many people I know have tested positive, and some have even been hospitalized due to this terrible disease. Unfortunately, many people have also lost their lives, or have suffered long term complications as a result of the virus.

What we know about COVID-19 right now is that physically distancing from others does work. But physically distancing from others is not always practical, or even possible. And physically distancing also known as social distancing comes with its own unique set of problems and difficulties.

Let us take prisoners in solitary confinement for example. There are numerous studies that show that solitary confinement causes anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and even psychosis. Many people and organizations even call solitary confinement unethical and inhumane. Yet we are being asked to socially isolate ourselves to protect ourselves and the community from COVID-19. So it is no wonder that many regular people who are socially distancing are experiencing more anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts than usual.

That is not to say that we all should stop physically distancing from each other, but we do need to be more aware of the dangers of social isolation and take proactive steps to combat the mental health issues that come with that.

Tips to Help with Anxiety & Depression During COVID-19

Maintaining routines is an important aspect of this. It is very easy to let go of yourself when you are home by yourself, but taking that morning shower and getting dressed are not just actions that help us get clean, it also makes us feel better. Maintaining your exercise routine or starting a new exercise routine is a great idea to help too. Getting fresh air everyday is important as well, taking a walk, or even just going onto your porch can help boost your spirits. Our physical and mental health are interconnected and imperative for our overall well-being.

Another thing I want you to remember is to keep being social. The huge holiday get together might not be on the agenda but you can still be social with your friends and family in healthy and safe ways. Using technology is a huge help in this and is worth exploring in order to help you maintain social connections.

The next big thing I want people to keep doing is to keep going to your health care appointments. It might be tempting to put off your annual exam or blood work, but the risks of missing a medical issue are too great. If you are experiencing anxiety or depression, it is always a good idea to let your primary care provider know. Many medical providers can do tele-health appointments, so there is no excuse to not take care of your health.

What I want you to remember from this is that yes, mental health issues like anxiety and depression are very serious issues during COVID-19, but there are lots of very simple things that you can do to help you feel better. If you ever feel that things are getting to be too much, please reach out to a counselor. Sometimes just having someone to talk to can relieve a great deal of stress and weight off your shoulders.

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Ready to get started?

I offer online counseling throughout Florida, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home while still getting the help you need. Click below to schedule a free 20-minute consultation and find out how I can help you start living the life you want.

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What exactly is PTSD?

This is one of the most common questions I get so I wanted to take some time and really explain what Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is. Let us start by going over the events that would qualify as traumatic enough to cause PTSD. They include exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. Pretty straightforward and I think we all can agree those are really bad things. That being said we do know that there are lots of other events that are traumatic and can negatively impact your life but they might not meet the full criteria for PTSD in particular.

After that the next thing to look at is the criteria for how people experienced the traumatic event. Of course that includes if a person directly experienced one of those horrific events, but it also includes witnessing in person the event happening to others, learning that the event occurred to someone close to you, or experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to really horrific details of the traumatic event (think first responders/ doctors/police officers/child welfare workers/ etc.). All this being said, not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will develop PTSD. But it is still important to know the symptoms in case you or someone you know starts having problems.

The next criteria for PTSD include several different intrusive symptoms, for example recurrent distressing memories of what happened, distressing nightmares related to the event, flashbacks to what happened, intense distress when reminded of what happened. The other very common symptom of PTSD includes avoiding anything associated with the traumatic event. With PTSD we can also expect problems with remembering parts of the event, negative beliefs about oneself (for example feeling like you are a bad person), maybe the person feels guilty about what happened. Many times with PTSD there is a huge lack of interest or participation in significant activities, like quitting hobbies, not going out with friends, etc. PTSD can cause feelings of detachment from others, and can also make it really hard to experience positive feelings. Many times with PTSD there is irritable behavior, reckless, maybe even self-destructive behavior. Hypervigilance, being easily started, having problems with concentration, and problems sleeping are also all very common symptoms of PTSD.

After a traumatic event many of these symptoms are very common, but they only meet criteria for PTSD if the problems have been continuing for more than a month and causing significant distress in the person’s life. There are also lots of other factors to consider, like are alcohol or drugs impacting things, or is there another explanation for the symptoms, maybe a medical issue, or another mental health issue like depression. It can be very complicated but if you recognize any of these symptoms yourself, please reach out for help. PTSD is treatable and counseling can help.

Counseling for PTSD in Florida - How Quiet Water Counseling of Florida can help.

Quiet Water Counseling provides online PTSD counseling for both men and women throughout Florida. EMDR counseling for PTSD is a well researched treatment that has helped many other women and men get help from PTSD. You don’t have to suffer from PTSD alone. Online EMDR counseling for PTSD in Florida can help. Follow the buttons below to find out more about counseling for PTSD with Quiet Water Counseling of Florida.

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Ready To Get Started? You deserve online counseling for PTSD in Florida today!

I offer online counseling throughout Florida, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home. Schedule a free 20-minute consultation and find out how I can help you start living the life you want.

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Kellie Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified EMDR Counselor providing online EMDR counseling for PTSD throughout Florida.

About the Author

Kellie Brown Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida

Kellie Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified EMDR Counselor in Florida, she is trained in providing PTSD Counseling for both men and women. She knows that getting counseling for PTSD can help turn a person’s life around. She is based in Central Florida but provides online counseling for PTSD, including online EMDR Counseling throughout Florida.

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But I Didn’t Fight Back - Fight, Flight, or Freeze During a Sexual Assault

First, let us think about the basics. A sexual assault is very scary and traumatic event. So scary another part of your brain takes over and starts making decisions. Think Discovery Channel, Animal Kingdom part of your brain. In a way this is good, it is the part of you that knows how to survive… did survive. In a very scary situation a person has very limited options on what to do. Fight, Flight, or Freeze. And your brain has to make this decision in a split second.

Fighting, if the attacker was larger, or had any type of physical advantage, may not always make sense. Flight, really how fast can a person run, and would it make sense to take that chance? So the last option is freeze.

To explain, have you ever seen a opossum play dead? They freeze in survival mode. Story about me - I use to have this huge German Shepard (the sweetest dog in the world but she did not look it) and one night I let her out in the back yard to use the bathroom. I went back a few minutes later to let her inside and she trots into the house with this opossum in her mouth!!!! I made her take it outside and drop it out there, and I felt soooo bad thinking that she had killed it. I watched as it lay there but I couldn’t see any blood at all. Five minutes later that thing jumped up and scampered off, having survived the whole ordeal. Opossums know they can’t run or fight well, especially a huge dog, so they play dead until the threat passes.

Just like the opossum, you saw a huge threat, and your brain and body took over making the decision to freeze in order to survive. But even though you “survived” does not mean that you were not harmed physically and emotionally. A sexual assault affects a person in a magnitude of different ways and it is important that you get the help and support you need to not only “survive” but thrive in your life moving forward.

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Why You Can't Remember All The Details Of A Traumatic Event

Many people find it difficult to remember all the different aspects of a terrible and traumatic event. Some people might think that if an event that horrific happened, then it has to be remembered by the person, all of it, every single detail, but that is not accurate. In fact not remembering all the details of a traumatic event is very common.

Your brain is accustomed to remembering stuff during the course of the day, what road to turn on, or how to make your favorite coffee. But when a traumatic event occurs your brain goes into survival mode and starts storing and remembering things differently than normal. This might mean that certain aspects of the event are way more intense than others. Bits and pieces of memories might come through while other parts are very fuzzy or blank. And it could also mean that you can’t remember large parts of what happened. Your brain was not just trying to help you survive. It was and is still trying to protect you from a lot of those terrible memories.

Some people are happy that they are not able to remember everything that happened but for some people it is very scary and unsettling. Many times a person can go a long time without new memories coming up, and then all of a sudden they start remembering things and it can be very overwhelming.

Remember when I said that your brain wants to help you, and protect you? Well a huge part of that, is your brain wants to help you heal. Even though you might not be able to remember everything, it still happened and your brain knows that something isn’t connecting right. This is when a lot of people might experience nightmares, problems concentrating, or flashbacks. Your brain is trying to make sense of a terrible situation.

Even though all of this can be very overwhelming I want you to know that you are not alone. Even if you don’t remember what happened, counseling can still help you process those feelings that are coming up for you. Whether it happened recently or many many years ago getting help after a terrible event can make a huge difference in your life and how you feel.

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Online Counseling & Why You Should Try It

Video of Kellie Brown, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Nationally Board Certified Counselor, and Owner of Quiet Water Counseling & Rene Morago, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Owner of Morago Counseling Services.  Listen as we discuss online counseling and why we love it.

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Online Counseling & Why I Love It

Many people first think about counseling they picture going into an office and sitting on a couch while they talk with a counselor in person. However, due to COVID-19 things have changed and many more counselors are offering online counseling only, this includes me. This is a little bit about online counseling and why I love it.

One of the biggest worries people have when they think of online counseling is that they don’t feel tech savvy enough to even try it and they worry that logging on might be complicated or confusing. I am not the most tech savvy person by any stretch of the imagination, so I wanted to make sure I had a system that was easy to use, (and I went through several different ones). I settled on a system that has strong security that meets the requirements of the HIPAA. It is called Doxy (here is a link to my online waiting room and you can go see it yourself if you would like…..). I really like that you don’t have to download anything to use Doxy, you just click a button and get taken automatically to my online waiting room and you can use it on a computer or phone. This makes getting to counseling appointments very easy.

Not having to drive to appointments is one of the great things about online counseling. It is ideal for people who have very busy schedules, live far, or who might be well known and do not want to be seen going to a counselor’s office. It also allows me to help people outside my geographical area, so I can help even more people versus an office alone.

Another thing I love about online counseling is that my clients can talk to me wherever they feel most comfortable. Maybe that is cuddled up in their bed snuggling with their dog, outside on their patio, or maybe in their car on their lunch break. It also allows me to provide support to my clients in a wide variety of places. Imagine being nervous at a doctor’s appointment, or having a counseling session right before a big event to help calm your fears.

On top of everything that I have already talked about, research shows (and I find true), that counseling outcomes for online counseling compared to in-person counseling shows that online counseling is just as great or even better then in-person counseling. I find that especially true with people who have had something really bad happen to them in the past, people who have a lot of anxiety, and also people struggling with depression.

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I offer online counseling throughout Florida, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home while still getting the help you need. Click below to schedule a free 20-minute consultation and find out how I can help you start living the life you want.

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Women in Leadership Keeping It All Together While Stressed

Being a woman is tough enough. Being a woman and a leader is even harder. You have stress from all different angles, and you feel a double standard in your life that you know men do not have to deal with. Balancing work and family, all while looking perfect. Sometimes you feel like a pressure cooker about to explode.

You love your job, your career, being a professional. But sometimes you hate it because of the time it takes away from other important things, like your family, your friends, or even just yourself. You give so much to your career, sacrificed so much to get to where you are today.

You might get asked, ‘How do you balance it all’? And you laugh or maybe cry because you haven’t seen a balance in your life in years. But you at least try to do it all. Try to exercise, try to eat healthy, try to keep the house clean, oh and don’t forget about looking all put together the next day, while surviving only on a few hours of sleep. Dry shampoo might as well be your best friend. And we have not even started talking about the pressures of your family yet.

You feel endlessly drained. You have so many great things in your life, but you are too tired or rushed to even enjoy them. Is this what life is supposed to be? You feel the anxiety, depression, or past hurts creeping up, making things even worse. You want things to change. No scratch that. Things need to change.

Imagine taking back control of your life more balance between work and family. More time for yourself. Imagine feeling like YOU again. Get back to the woman you want to be with real confidence and real happiness. So that you can be your very best and live the life you really want.

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Ready To Get Started?

I offer online counseling throughout Florida, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home. Schedule a free 20-minute consultation and find out how I can help you get the help you need.

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PTSD & Men

Many times, when people talk about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), they are talking about women. They might mention a male military veteran with PTSD, but very rarely does society ever talk about other ways in which men can get PTSD. Okay, I get it … who besides counselors even wants to talk about PTSD? It is not a fun topic. But when we don’t talk about something, it leaves many men feeling unheard, and all alone with their pain.

Bad things happen to men too, but our society does not like to talk about it. And most men do not want to talk about it either, so they keep these bad things hidden, locked up tight, like a dark secret. Never telling anyone about the flashbacks that don’t let them rest or the nightmares that steal their sleep. When you do not heal, it hurts, and for men, many times, this hurt is turned into anger. Anger about the past, and rage that the past keeps impacting their present.

Our society also sends this message to men that counseling is for women, it’s for people who cannot help themselves, and for people who are weak. And unfortunately, this leaves men feeling that counseling is not even an option for them. So, they continue to suffer in silence, holding the hurt inside.

But for the men who do choose to confront their demons in counseling, healing is possible. Letting go of some of that pain from the past and finding a new strength inside of you. But to do it, you must reach out for help. You must take that first step. I know it is frightening to try this crazy thing called counseling. And I know that a part of you wants to forget what happened so long ago and bottle it up forever, so you do not have to feel that pain.

But I want you to imagine what it would be like if you could let go of just some of that pain, some of that hurt. I want you to imagine a life where the pain of your past does not define your present, and you can move forward towards the things in life that make you really happy.

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Ready To Get Started With Counseling for PTSD?

I offer online counseling throughout Florida, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home. Schedule a free 20-minute consultation and find out how I can help.

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Kellie Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified EMDR Counselor in Florida. She has experience providing PTSD counseling to both men and women.

About the Author

Kellie Brown Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified EMDR Counselor in Florida

As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified EMDR Counselor in Florida Kellie Brown specializes in providing online EMDR Counseling for both women and men in Florida. She knows that PTSD and trauma comes in many forms and loves helping people to heal from past hurts. Based in Central Florida but providing online EMDR Counseling for PTSD throughout Florida she strives to make counseling easy and accessible to her clients. She wants everyone to get the help they need so if you have a question about online EMDR counseling for PTSD in Florida please reach out.

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All alone at the top

When you are a leader, you have all eyes on you. Whatever you do, whatever you say, you have an audience. Sometimes, you cannot even go to a restaurant without running into someone who knows you professionally. You have to always be “on”, constantly ready to represent your company, your team, your brand. It has taken a long time to get to where you are today, and you do not want to lose it.

But sometimes you just want to go back to when life was simple. When you didn’t have so much stress and so much responsibility. You want to remember what it is like not to have everyone know who you are. Not have to be perfect all the time. You know other people in the same position, other leaders just like you. But you can never really fully let your guard down with anyone. Never fully tell them all your problems.

So, when a problem does come up, you feel all alone. You feel this pressure for your life to be perfect, and you know it is not. So, you try to hide those difficult and hard things in your life, try to deal with them on your own. And sometimes that works, but not always, and not now.

Now imagine that you are walking down the beach listening to the waves, and all you can think about is how proud you are for everything you have achieved. You rose from the flames to become even stronger than before, and you realize that you can have it all, at home and work. Life means living to the fullest, and you are not going to let anything stand in your way of real happiness.

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Counseling for Men

As a man you are taught to be tough, be strong, and be brave. Society tells you, don’t be weak, and never fail. You might feel pressure to look a certain way. You might feel the pressure to financially take care of your family. You were told ‘no pain, no gain’, so you keep pushing on, even when it hurts. You might have even gotten the advice to ‘rub some dirt on it’. You were never taught to take care of your inner feelings.

So when you do struggle, its hard, and you might feel like you have no one to talk to. You feel so much pressure inside. Anger, might be the only emotion you can express sometimes, but you feel more than anger inside. You might feel hurt, and sad, and unheard, and all alone.

But the thing is, your life doesn’t have to keep going like this. Being a man doesn’t have to mean holding everything inside all the time. It can mean taking control of your feelings and learning to express them in a positive way so that you can focus on your happiness, your confidence, and your future. So you can be the man you want to be.

Just like your toolbox has many different tools to help you fix things. Counseling can help you add new tools to your toolbox, to help you learn to fix some of the emotions that are inside of you. Just like changing the oil in your car, and checking your tire pressure, talking to a counselor can help you maintain optimum performance of yourself, so you can have the future that you want and deserve.

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Ready To Get Started?

I offer online counseling throughout Florida, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home. Schedule a free 20-minute consultation and find out how I can help.

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Kellie Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified EMDR Counselor that specializes in providing counseling for both women and men in Florida.

About the Author

Kellie Brown

Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified EMDR Counselor in Florida

As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified EMDR counselor in Florida Kellie Brown has experience providing counseling for both women and men. Based in Central Florida but providing online counseling throughout Florida, she wants counseling to be easy and convenient for her clients.

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Needing to Relax? Check these out!!

One of the very first things I suggest to every single one of my clients is to start using guided relaxation exercises. I recommend starting with a very short one and working your way to a longer one as you get better at them. Below are some apps and websites for you to check out. There are so many out there for you to choose from, everyone is different with what they like, find what works for you.

Head Space: https://www.headspace.com/ - You can download the app from the app store, but the website also has tons of great info from articles on how to get better sleep to tacking life goals. At the time of this writing Head Space was free to try for fourteen days, and then charged a fee of $5.99 a month or $69.99 a year.

Calm: https://www.calm.com/ - Again another app you can download. I like the stories that it has that you can play to help you fall asleep. Like headspace you get a free trial period, but Calm’s trial period is shorter at seven days, then you get charged rates of $12.99 a month, $59.99 a year, or $299.99 for a lifetime subscription.

There are a lot of other relaxation apps on the market besides Calm and Head Space (I am not affiliated with any of them), so if you don’t like these don’t worry, you have tons more options out there.

Another one of my go to’s for relaxation exercises is the itunes music store, where they have tons of guided relaxation exercises you can buy, and keep forever.

Something else that I want to share is my favorite free website I send clients to all the time: https://students.dartmouth.edu/wellness-center/wellness-mindfulness/mindfulness-meditation/guided-audio-recordings . It’s a university website that puts out great free info (I did not go to this school), and the audio recordings give you a taste of all different types of relaxation and mindfulness exercises. I found this website at the beginning of my career, and I keep going back to it day after day because I think they have really great info that people can really use.

I hoped you liked exploring some of these great tools to help you relax. I hope you found something that you like, but if you didn’t, just know that there are tons of other options out there, or you can even make your own!! It’s about finding what works best for you. Take care and if you have any questions, just let me know.

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Using alcohol or pills to cope with the past?

It started off as a way to relax, to ease some of the anxiety, some of the tension. But one drink, turned into another one, and another one. You might have even started using pills, taking more and more. Heck, the pills might even be prescribed, but you know you are using too many.

You use to drink for fun, to be social, but now you are drinking or using pills to just get through the day. To cope with the bad feelings, to help you not think about those thoughts that keep you up at night. It’s turned into a crutch and you feel like you need it.

You find yourself not being honest with others about how much you use. Hiding bottles, secretly throwing them away. You don’t want to deal with their negative comments, they don’t understand. Sometimes you try to stop, but it’s hard.

Many people turn to unhealthy behaviors to help them cope with stressful things. Talking to a counselor can help you get back on the right track, and learn new ways to cope and deal with some of the stuff from your past. So you can focus on the good things in your life, and start working towards a new you. Change is possible, but you have to take the first step.

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