Q&A

Play therapy uses puppets, painting, and other techniques to help people express emotions that are hard to talk about. This therapy is often used with younger children.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is used to help people heal from trauma or emotional distress. It involves recalling a memory and changing how you think about it through eye movements and other sensations based in the brain. Many veterans use it for PTSD. It’s somewhat controversial, although there is research to support it.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is an FDA-approved non-invasive alternative treatment for depression. TMS can help with depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, addiction, and even fibromyalgia. This is usually for people who are not helped by medication or other treatment methods. In a TMS session, a magnetic field generator, or “coil”, is placed near the head of the person receiving the treatment. The coil produces small electric currents in the region of the brain the part of the brain which causes to depression and other mood disorders. This treatment is usually done by, by a licensed clinician, in a 4 to 6 week period. It is covered only by a few insurance companies in CT.

ECT (Electro Convulsive Therapy) is a treatment option in cases like treatment-resistant depression, such as when other methods like medications and therapy have been unsuccessful. There are some possible side effects, like short-term memory loss, but ECT therapy is nothing like what we usually see in TV or movies, and is completely safe. The ECT procedure works by electric currents passing through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. ECT therapy can quickly treat symptoms of certain mental illnesses, such as severe depression, and is administered to patients while they’re under general anesthesia.

Light therapy is used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression that is directly related to the change in seasons and is most commonly found in during the colder months, when time spent outdoors lessens drastically. Light Box Therapy uses artificial light that mimics natural outdoor sunlight and eases the symptoms of SAD. Light boxes can be purchased over the counter, with a prescription and are available in stores or through internet retailers.

Art Therapy is a therapy that helps your mental wellness through artistic self-expression. The process and creation of artwork can help people understand their emotional conflicts, develop social skills, improve self-esteem, manage addictions, reduce anxiety, and restore normal function to their lives.