Are you a new parent? Do you feel like you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing? You are joining a most new parents around the world in this struggle – welcome!

Regardless of what your own family was like growing up, how many parenting classes you’ve taken, how many books you’ve read or how much support you have – the transition to parenthood can be difficult.

As a new parent, you’re faced with the newness and confusion of taking care of your infant while you’re also trying to adapt to a life with much less sleep, no time for yourself anymore, possible increased frustration and conflict with your partner or others in your life, and feeling behind (and maybe even incompetent) in areas of your life that used to feel seamless and simple.

Therapy can help you learn how to cope with such a major transition in your life that inherently comes with infinite unknowns, fears, and concerns, along with all the joy.

The LGBTQ+ community consists of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (or questioning) individuals. Although society is growing increasingly supportive of LGBTQ+, these individuals still face unique challenges that can negatively impact their mental health and overall wellbeing.

Evidence based treatment in conjunction with supportive therapeutic allies as treaters can be very effective and helpful with issues like deciding how and when to come out, managing family conflict, dealing with discrimination, and managing mental illness and suicidal ideation. Evidence is showing that individuals in the LGBTQ+ community are three times more likely to experience a mental health condition and 2.5 times more likely to develop depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

JEM’s supportive and qualified therapists help our LGBTQ+ clients work through their unique challenges and experiences by creating a safe space to explore their presenting issues, join together in alliance in treatment planning and implementation toward healing and clarity about future goals so our LGBTQ+ clients can navigate their worlds successfully and confidently.

When we lose a loved one, the pain we experience can feel unbearable. This experience is one of the most distressing and, unfortunately, most common experiences people face. Most people experiencing normal grief and bereavement have a period of sorrow, numbness, and even guilt and anger. Gradually these feelings ease, and it’s possible to accept loss and move forward.

For some people, feelings of loss are debilitating and don’t improve even after time passes. This is known as complicated grief, sometimes called persistent complex bereavement disorder. In complicated grief, painful emotions are so long lasting and severe that you have trouble recovering from the loss and resuming your own life.

Different people follow different paths through the grieving experience. The order and timing of these phases may vary from person to person:

1. Accepting the reality of your loss
2. Allowing yourself to experience the pain of your loss
3. Adjusting to a new reality in which the deceased is no longer present
4. Having other relationships

These differences are normal. But if you’re unable to move through these stages more than a year after the death of a loved one, you may have complicated grief. If so, seek treatment. It can help you come to terms with your loss and reclaim a sense of acceptance and peace.

During the first few months after a loss, many signs and symptoms of normal grief are the same as those of complicated grief. However, while normal grief symptoms gradually start to fade over time, those of complicated grief linger or get worse. Complicated grief is like being in an ongoing, heightened state of mourning that keeps you from healing.

Some Symptoms of Grief and Loss are:

• Intense sorrow, pain and rumination over the loss of your loved one
• Focus on little else but your loved one’s death
• Extreme focus on reminders of the loved one or excessive avoidance of reminders
• Intense and persistent longing or pining for the deceased
• Problems accepting the death
• Numbness or detachment
• Bitterness about your loss
• Feeling that life holds no meaning or purpose
• Lack of trust in others
• Inability to enjoy life or think back on positive experiences with your loved one

Complicated grief also may be indicated if you continue to:

• Have trouble carrying out normal routines
• Isolate from others and withdraw from social activities
• Experience depression, deep sadness, guilt or self-blame
• Believe that you did something wrong or could have prevented the death
• Feel life isn’t worth living without your loved one
• Wish you had died along with your loved one

If you have thoughts of suicide
If you’re thinking about suicide, call 911 or your local emergency services number or call a suicide hotline number. In the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to reach a trained counselor right away.

There are a variety of reasons for seeking out a therapist to work through infertility challenges. It may be that your doctor recommends you to see a counselor before certain treatments or before having repeated fertility treatments.

For LGBTQ couples, counseling can help you consider your options for building a family and how different choices might affect your relationship. While you may not be facing a medical diagnosis of infertility, a counselor can help you with the process of assisted reproduction or adoption.

The emotional pain women experience when going through infertility can be severe and traumatic. Coping with infertility is hard, and seeking out therapeutic support is natural and appropriate. Seeing a therapist could help you cope with the emotional struggle of infertility.

If infertility is taking over most of your thoughts and activities, it is negatively impacting your relationship, you are at a loss for what to do next, you are considering giving up the dream of having children or you would simply like support to get through the intensive emotions you may be experiencing it may be time to seek therapeutic support.

You don’t have to go through infertility alone. We are here to support you.

While there are common themes among people with disordered eating every individual is unique. The JEM clinicians offer personalized approaches and treatment plans for all ED clients.  After our comprehensive assessment and clarification of your treatment goals, we outline a unique treatment plan for you.

Whether you are struggling with disordered eating, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, rumination or avoidant/restrictive eating disorders, our first-line interventions are often the evidence-based treatment models developed specifically for eating issues. The treatments we use most in our adult patients are Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-E) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Eating Disorders (DBT-ED).  Treatment is a collaborative process, driven by the client with the therapist serving as a supportive, empathic, and informed partner.

Most eating disorders involve focusing too much on your weight, body shape and food, leading to dangerous eating behaviors. These behaviors can significantly impact your body’s ability to get appropriate nutrition. Eating disorders can harm the heart, digestive system, bones, and teeth and mouth, and lead to other diseases.

Eating disorders often develop in the teen and young adult years, although they can develop at other ages. With treatment, you can return to healthier eating habits and sometimes reverse serious complications caused by the eating disorder.

Helping a loved one to receive treatment

Some people with eating disorders may not think they need treatment. If you’re worried about a loved one, you can open the door by expressing concern and a desire to listen.  If they are willing to hearing about how a therapist can support them toward healing and recovery, that is the best next step.

Be alert for red flags that may indicate an eating disorder.  They include:

• Skipping meals or making excuses for not eating
• Adopting an overly restrictive vegetarian diet
• Excessive focus on healthy eating
• Making own meals rather than eating what the family eats
• Withdrawing from normal social activities
• Persistent worry or complaining about being fat and talk of losing weight
• Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws
• Repeatedly eating large amounts of sweets or high-fat foods
• Use of dietary supplements, laxatives or herbal products for weight loss
• Excessive exercise
• Calluses on the knuckles from inducing vomiting
• Problems with loss of tooth enamel that may be a sign of repeated vomiting
• Leaving during meals to use the toilet
• Eating much more food in a meal or snack than is considered normal
• Expressing depression, disgust, shame or guilt about eating habits
• Eating in secret

Addiction is a complex disease that can affect many areas of a person’s life.  Addiction requires individualized treatments and modalities that address the symptoms and underlying causes of the disease, as well as the consequences that substance use has on different areas of a person’s life. This includes their ability to socialize, their physical and mental health, and consequences at work, home, school, or with the law. There are many types of therapy available to effectively treat addiction.

Causes and Risk Factors for Addiction

There are a variety of causes and risk factors that can contribute to the development of a substance use disorder. These may include:

• Genetics, such as a family history of substance abuse.
• Starting substance use at an early age.
• Easy access to drugs or alcohol, especially at a young age.
• Exposure to heavy advertising of substances (like alcohol).
• A current mental health diagnosis.
• Low parental monitoring.
• A high amount of family conflict.
• A history of abuse or neglect.
• Family conflict or violence.

Through therapy, counseling, rehab, and other treatment modalities, the core reasoning for development of addiction can be discussed and coping mechanism and healing can commence. Because addiction impacts everyone differently, the course to addiction recovery can be different for each person.

Behavioral therapies are perhaps the most commonly utilized types of treatment for addiction that is frequently used during substance rehabilitation. A general behavioral therapeutic approach has been adapted into a variety of effective techniques.  Following your comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment, your therapist will go over treatment options with you to determine the best fit for your recovery plan.

Committing your life to another person is sometimes both an exciting and anxiety-provoking decision. To solidify the relationship, you already have and make sure that you are anticipating any and all potential stumbling blocks in your ongoing commitment to one another, it can be helpful to seek out professional therapeutic support. Through learning more about common pitfalls people encounter in long-term relationships and practicing healthy communication skills and conflict resolution techniques, you can provide yourself and your partner the best chance for the happy, life-long commitment for which you each hope.  We look forward to supporting you and your partner toward establishing the strongest foundation possible as you enter into an exciting time in your lives.

The family is the most important connection that humans have. However, it is natural for all families to experience troubles, stress or conflict. In order to maintain the health of the family, it’s important to understand and identify the needs of each individual member and balance those needs with the well-being of the entire family unit. Family therapy is a unique form of therapy that can help with identifying those needs, improving communication among family members and improving empathy and connection.  A therapist can be a great resource for families who are looking for a new way to re-connect or repair from conflict.

What are the Reasons Your Family May Benefit from Family Therapy?

As you make this important decision to seek outside support, here are some reasons that indicate that your family may benefit from counseling.

The Blended Family

A blended family is when two separate family units decide to become one.
These types of families can be difficult to navigate, especially when there are other parents from previous relationships still involved in the children’s lives. The step-parent role can be full of ongoing negotiations. Whatever role you play in the family, the shared goal is probably to have a harmonious family unit where all members feel heard and honored. Family counseling can support this goal.

The Distanced Family 

Have you noticed that your family doesn’t talk anymore? Are your teenagers sitting around the dinner table Tweeting and Tik-Tok-ing rather than telling you about their day? Do you find yourself checking social media to see what your family is up to? Do you know who your husband or kids went to lunch with before they updated their Instagram feed?

The more connected we are to our phones and virtual worlds, the less connected we may be with the people who mean the most to us. Family therapy can help families who aren’t communicating effectively reconnect with each other.

Family in Isolation

As children grow into adolescents and then into teenagers, their needs change as do their preference for privacy. You or your partner may want a day (or weekend) away from the stresses of daily life and parenting.  Taking time for yourselves is natural and healthy.  However, withdrawing from the family, staying in separate rooms for prolonged periods of time or isolating from the family and also friends is a sign of potentially serious issues in members of the family and the family as a whole.

Family therapy can help you reconnect with one another, explore challenges with a family member and provide much needed support to the process of healing. A family therapist will facilitate and support your family in reconnecting.

Family Drama

If you are a parent, you were once a teenager, so you know that the teenage years are full of emotion, confusion and questioning. If your teen is having frequent emotional outbursts and experiencing sustained heightened emotionality, this may be a sign of an underlying issue.

Children that act out often are communicating with us through their behavior. Many people are navigating how to manage and wrangle their emotions until their brains are fully developed around age 22-25 and some continue to struggle afterward.  Family therapy can identify underlying issues in your family which may be causing emotional chaos for your children and family. Therapists will allow all members of the family to express themselves and share thoughts during family therapy in order to create a better connection between all family members.

This group series offers teens a much-needed space to connect with their peers, share their experiences and build their toolbox for managing life, family and relationships.  

These groups are for teens showing signs of impulsivity, critical/negative self-view, depression, anxiety, moodiness or emotional outbursts, socio-political stress, engaging in unhealthy relationships, feeling isolated and showing difficulty connecting with or making friends.  They will learn and practice skills around mindfulness, self-compassion, healthy communication and relationships with peers, grounding techniques to managing anxiety, emotion regulation, managing stress and ultimately building a toolbox of skills to support them in taking care of themselves and connecting with others around them going forward.

Click here to get more information or schedule an intake assessment for group workshops in Houston, Tx, or call us at (832) 568-4681.

In this six-session virtual workshop, we will look at parenting in practice. You will be guided toward connecting with your child(ren) in a new way, “showing up” for them and for yourself, how to slow down in a crucial moment and make an impact, the benefits of saying “YES!” more often and ways to deepen the trust in them and in yourself.

Click here to get more information or schedule an intake assessment for group workshops in Houston, Tx, or call us at (832) 568-4681.

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is an evidence-based experiential modality of psychotherapy utilizing equine (mini horses, ponies, horses and donkeys) therapeutically to support growth, healing and recovery for clients of all ages. EAP is especially effective in treating anxiety disorders, eating disorders, attachment disorders and difficulty in relationships, recovery from substance use disorder, PTSD and depression. At JEM Wellness, we offer individual, family and small group equine-assisted therapy.

Click here to get more information or schedule an intake assessment for group counseling in Houston, Tx, or call us at (832) 568-4681.

This 8-12 week transformational professional coaching program is for professionals who are looking for growth, promotion, or improvement in collegial relationships.  This program is also for entrepreneurs who are starting, building, or scaling their businesses. Coaching can infuse the tools, confidence, and empowerment you need to take your professional life or business to the next level!

Click here to get more information or schedule an intake assessment for our Professional Coaching Program, or call us at (832) 568-4681.

If you find yourself facing a life transition of any kind, (leaving home for the first time, losing a loved one, empty nesters, divorce, marriage, becoming a parent, to name a few) this type of Life Coaching is for you.  You will gain the confidence and tools you need to move through your transition and toward your authentic self once again.

Click here to get more information or schedule an intake assessment for Life Transition Coaching or call us at (832) 568-4681.

Margaret Foss, ACC specializes in LGBTQ+ Life Coaching and will create a unique plan for each of her clients.

Click here to get more information or schedule an intake assessment for LGBTQ+ Life Coaching or call us at (832) 568-4681.

Margaret Foss, ACC specializes in Substance Use/Addiction Recovery Life Coaching and will create a unique plan for each of her clients.

A requirement of 3 months of sobriety is required prior to beginning this program.

Click here to get more information or schedule an intake assessment for Substance Use/Addiction Recovery Life Coaching or call us at (832) 568-4681.