Mental Health Counseling
Mental Health Counseling
• Mental Health care supports both mental and physical well-being for optimal health and productivity. Using a collaborative, comprehensive treatment approach that considers psychological, social, environmental and biological factors, our goal is to empower people to improve their ability to function with life circumstances and situations.
Mental health screening, assessments, and therapy is available to people struggling with issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship problems, life-skills development, substance abuse, behavioral diagnoses, post-traumatic stress, grief, and the challenges of acute or chronic health conditions.
Treatment services include individual and group therapy, marriage and family therapy, and crisis intervention services.
To contact an HSNT mental health counselor, please call (940) 381-1501.
Social worker and licensed marriage and family therapist, Louise Weston-Ferrill, was recently featured in the North Texas Child Magazine. She offers the follow warning signs to parents about what to be aware of with their child’s coach or any other adult with whom they come in frequent contact.
Excerpts from "The Worst Day of My Son's Life in the North Texas Child Magazine, January 2012 edition:
Does the adult make your child feel like that adult is needed for that child to be successful; for example, the child needs that specific coach’s help to make a select team?
Does the adult spend time with you as a parent to earn your trust – hanging out, dropping by your house, bringing your child’s jacket that she left at practice? “All of those things seem very innocent, and in a single incident, they probably are,” Weston-Ferrill says. “But if there is a preponderance of it, if the coach is becoming a personal friend, that might be a problem.”
Does the adult act differently with your child when they are in front of others, being more demanding or less demanding than the adult is with other children?
Does the adult try to control your child’s behavior off the field?
Does the adult try to separate your child from his teammates or other friends who would be considered a source of support?
Does the adult spent more time with your child than the other children in the group? “That’s part of the grooming behavior,” Weston-Ferrill says. “Are they talking with them before or after the game, trying to be alone with her, that sort of thing.”
Does the adult give your child gifts or tell her not to talk about their time together?
Does the adult text, call or email your child? Even when your child is a teenager, all communication should involve the adult, who should be copied on all written communication.
Be sure the adult and organization follow the rule of two adults with one child. Most organizations have a rule preventing an adult from being alone with a child, as experts say it should be.
To read the full article Click here .
