Products and Services

COUNSELING AND Psychological SERVICES
PSSA offers a wide variety of approaches to dealing with the full range of adjustment problems, from traditional individual counseling to group, family, and marital approaches, as well as alternative treatments for behavioral health problems. .

Individual therapy, couples counseling, group therapy and family therapy are all available, depending upon the nature of the presenting problem and personal preferences. All are provided with the utmost attention to maintaining confidentiality and respect for the
individual(s) seeking help.

Clinical Hypnosis, Biofeedback, EMDR and Sex Therapy are available for those with specific disorders which have been found to be most responsive to these specialized forms of clinical treatment. Compulsive disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma management and erectile dysfunction are examples of the types of problems that are best suited to these treatment approaches.

PSSA is also a provider of services to those who have experienced sexual trauma. We are one of the original contract providers for the State of Florida, offering individual, group and family support services for cases of incest within our catchment area since 1986. In addition, we offer treatment for both juvenile and adult sex offenders.

• back to top

BUSINESS SERVICES
The greatest challenges in business today revolve around basic employee issues – selection, retention, productivity and satisfaction. For the past 20 years, PSSA has brought on-site training and consultation services to local and regional agencies and corporations, focusing on the “people part” of business.

Our services include:
Staff screening and selection
Human relations training
Team Building
Management training / consultation
Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

We can provide training and consultation services at your worksite or at a remote location where staff members are insulated from the distractions of daily business demands. These can range from a three-hour presentation to a three-day retreat, depending on budgetary considerations and the needs of the organization.

Several members of our staff have received training in business consultation at National Training Laboratories and have provided organizational development programs to local, state and national agencies. Our clients include law firms, non-profit organizations, civic groups and numerous corporate agencies.

• back to top

Personal/Family Health Services

Individual Counseling / Psychotherapy
Couples – Marriage Counseling
Family Therapy
Clinical Hypnosis
Anger Management Group Treatment
Intellectual/Personality Assessment
Support Groups for Chemical Dependency
Sexual Dysfunction
Adoption Readiness Assessment
Parenting Consultation

• back to top

FORENSIC SERVICES
Psychological services that relate to court proceeding are known as forensic services. Members of our staff have been recognized as experts in this specialty area statewide for over 25 years. As such, we have been called upon to provide training at the Florida Judges College, The Guardian Ad Litem Program, Department of Children’s Services and State as well as Federal Probation Offices.

CIVIL COURT

Child Custody/Visitation Evaluations
Forensic experts are frequently hired to consult in cases of divorce when there is a dispute over primary custody of the child(ren) or questions about the advisability of increasing or decreasing visitation with the non-custodial parent.

Similarly, we may be called upon to provide a Parenting Assessment when the state is considering Termination of Parental Rights following allegations of neglect or abuse.

Competency Assessments
At times when an individual’s ability to make rational decisions regarding his/her personal affairs is questioned, a competency assessment may be ordered by the court. While geriatric cases are the most common, others may include individuals with brain injury or other serious medical conditions which have affected their cognitive abilities, including alcoholism and drug addiction.

Anyone can petition the court to have an individual evaluated. All that is required is an affidavit that specifies the person’s problematic behaviors and a supporting witness who shares the belief that the individual may be incompetent.

Mental or Emotional Damages
In cases in which a person claims mental or emotional damages due to injury by another party, he or she may seek an assessment from a mental health professional to document the extent of injury, the prognosis and anticipated need for future treatment. Workers compensation claims and accident injuries are the most common of these types of assessments.

Civil Commitment
In Florida, it is possible to have someone civilly committed to a hospital or treatment center if they are determined to: 1) Suffer from some form of mental illness (or drug addiction) and 2) Be considered to be dangerous to self or others. Florida statutes outlining these procedures are known as the Baker Act and the Myers Act.

While state or county doctors are responsible for conducting the initial assessments, an individual has the right to request an independent assessment by his/her own expert.

CRIMINAL COURT

Competency and Sanity Assessments
In the criminal courts, forensic experts are most commonly called upon to render an opinion as to an individual’s competency to stand trial and/or his or her sanity at the time of arrest. The expert may be appointed by the court or hired independently and confidentially by the defense attorney prior to offering an insanity plea.

The mere fact that a person suffers from some form of psychiatric illness is not sufficient to meet the burden of proof that he or she was “insane” at the time that a crime was committed. Insanity is a legal term that refers to an individual’s ability to form criminal intent. To meet that standard, it must be determined that due to the person’s abnormal mental condition, he or she was unable to think rationally or to understand the wrongfulness of his/her actions.

Mitigation of Sentence
In some criminal cases, where guilt has been established, it may be useful to the defense to hire an expert to offer an opinion as to why the court should consider a lesser sentence. This type of consultation is most common in murder trials or when the defendant is facing many years of possible confinement and has a rationale as to why he or she deserves special consideration in sentencing. A history of spousal abuse is an example.

• back to top

CHILDREN’S SERVICES
“Our future will one day be in the hands of our children…”

Evaluation/Diagnosis
• Gifted Testing
• ADD/ADHD Assessment
• Learning Disability Evaluations
• Emotional and Behavioral Problems
• Substance Abuse
• Social Maladjustment

Treatment Services
• Individual and Group Counseling
• Family Counseling
• Substance Abuse Counseling
• On-Site Urine Screening
• Juvenile Sexual Problems
• Trauma Victim Services
• Corrective Training Programs
• Anger Management
• Behavior Control

Self-Improvement Programs
• Confidence Building
• Leadership Training
• Building Self-Esteem
• Mind/Body Work for Teens
• Career Assessment and Life Planning
• Children’s Divorce Adjustment Group
• College Preparation & Search

• back to top

Many children struggle with learning in the traditional classroom setting. Psychological assessment can be helpful in understanding your child’s intellectual strengths and weaknesses and helping you understand the best way to help your child learn. Recommendations can be made for creating a holistic plan for promoting your child’s overall academic success as well as social-emotional growth and development.

Our assessments address not only the specific school-related problems but also related home-based and family challenges that may affect a child’s academic performance. Additionally, assessments may be required to obtain certain accommodations such as: extended time on standardized tests, accommodations in the classroom, and placement in specialized educational settings.

These assessments we routinely do include:

• Gifted / IQ Assessment

• Learning Disability Assessment

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Assessment

• Career Assessment

 

• back to top

GERIATRIC SERVICES
Older adults must face many of the stressors common to younger adults. In addition, they frequently must learn to cope with special problems associated with aging, such as failing health, chronic pain, loss of friends and family, loss of self-esteem previously derived from work or other activities, etc. Considering the myriad problems facing older adults, it is easy to see how they may be especially vulnerable to mental and emotional problems.

Failing health, loss of friends and family, chronic pain and diminished  self-esteem increasingly challenge each of us as we grow older…

• Assessment/Diagnosis/Treatment
• Organic Disorders
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Adjustment Disorders
• Addictive Disorders
• Competency Evaluations, Hospital and Nursing Home Visits

…but despite the inevitability of these problems for those who outlive their contemporaries, life can continue to be satisfying and invigorating.

• back to top

WOMEN’S ISSUES
Today many women are faced with overwhelming demands from family, work, community and their own expectations. When health, relationships or emotional well-being is involved, it may be time to seek help from a counselor. The counseling relationship is one that can provide support, insight and skills that lead to a more balanced and fulfilling life.

• Post-partum Depression
• Marriage
• Divorce
• Step-Family
• Parenting
• Career Issues
• Communication
• Conflict Resolution
• Sexual Issues
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Infertility
• Adoption
• Miscarriage
• Pregnancy
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Hypertension
• Eating Disorders
• Self-Esteem
• Elderly Parents
• Life Transitions

• back to top

ADULT SERVICES
Clinical Programs
Personal, interpersonal, family and job-related problems can sometimes render an otherwise well-adjusted person completely off balance emotionally. They can rob you of your peace of mind, awaken you in the middle of the night and literally wreck your health. Yet, with professional help, most self-defeating attitudes and negative behavior patterns can be overcome in a reasonably short period of time.

Individual/Group Counseling
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Social Isolation
• Poor Self-Esteem
• Substance Abuse
• Eating Disorders
• Grief Work
• Stress Reactions
• Career Issues
• Job Stress

Couples/Marital Counseling
• Communication Skills Training
• Conflict Resolution
• Nurturing Intimacy
• Creative Problem Solving
• Sharing a Dream for the Future
• Maintaining the Marital Bond

Family Therapy Services
• Parenting Skills Training
• Parent/Child Communication
• Creating a Healthy Home Atmosphere
• Individuation Issues

• back to top

SEX THERAPY
Some of the more frequently encountered problems in sexual intimacy include lack of sexual desire, sexual arousal problems, male erectile disorders, female orgasmic disorder, and male delayed or premature ejaculation.

Today, Sex Therapists are looking at a fairly quick relief of the client’s
sexual symptom; however they are also concerned with broader objectives that include a couple’s communication and general relationship issues. In all situations Patricia Lewis-Slayton is an empathetic professional experienced in guiding individuals and couples through the difficulties often due in part to the anxieties of daily life, and helping them find their way to a natural stress-free way of achieving the ultimate pleasure of a more satisfying and exciting sex life.

• back to top

HYPNOSIS AND HEALTH
Clinical hypnosis makes use of naturally occurring states to improve health. The human mind can operate on more than one level at the same time. For example, your conscious thoughts can be busy planning your day while your subconscious mind is keeping you safe while driving to work. In this example you may suddenly realize that you’ve driven five miles without consciously attending to driving, and yet you have performed a very complex task safely and effectively.

Most of the time our subconscious mind helps us, as in the driving example above, but there are times when our subconscious can interfere without higher goals. For instance, we may make a decision to quit smoking, to improve our eating habits, or to improve our work or sports performance only to find that subconscious emotions sabotage our good intentions.

A trained clinical Hypnotherapist can help you enter into a state of mind in which you can communicate directly with your subconscious emotions. In this state, even well-established patterns of behavior can be open to change.

Hypnosis used in this way is safe, since the focus is on your personal goals. The Hypnotherapist is guided by your intentions and your values to help you live in a way that is more true to yourself.

Hypnosis is sometimes used as part of psychotherapy for phobias, trauma, recovery, depression and other emotional problems. Many insurance plans will help with payment for this type of therapy. Hypnosis is also used, usually for one to three sessions, for habit change such as stopping smoking or losing weight. Very few insurance plans cover this treatment, but the health and financial benefits usually repay the personal investment very quickly.

Call Psychological Services for more information or to schedule an appointment with a licensed mental health professional that is certified in clinical hypnotherapy.

Health Coach 

Different people define success in different ways.  We believe that success occurs when you reach a goal that you have set for yourself. you strive to reach your goals and ac

Whether your goal is a healthier lifestyle, weight loss, financial freedom, or all of these, we can helphieve success, making Optimal Health a reality with the caring, knowledgeable support of a personal Health Coach.

Life Coach

Life coaches meet one-on-one, either in person or over the phone, with prospective clients. During these sessions, they actively listen to what you are saying, and assist you in expressing what you are feeling and believing.

The life coach will then work with you to find strategies for fulfilling your vision, while also providing honest and constructive feedback about the choices you are making.