Attainable Solutions was organized by a group of experienced treatment providers who wanted to provide services that are tailored to the needs of their clients.
Our objective is to provide high quality services to diverse populations and assist people in reaching their goals. This can be done through individual, family, couples or group therapy. Additionally we provide sex therapy, hypnotherapy and psycho-educational classes.
Psychological testing is available to help identify learning problems (ADHD, learning disabilities), eligibility for gifted education, and to help clarify problem areas and treatment needs.
Daytime, evening and weekend appointments are available and some insurance is accepted at our Tampa and Brandon locations. Call (813) 933-1425 today to schedule a appointment!
Counseling/Therapy
What is counseling?
Counseling is for people of all ages who want to improve their quality of life. It is a safe environment where one can openly express one's self and be heard. You will meet with a licensed therapist for 50-90 minutes during which you can:
- Work towards personal growth
- Reduce emotional distress
Is therapy right for me?
Seeking out therapy is an individual choice. There are many reasons why people come to therapy. Sometimes it is to deal with long-standing psychological issues, or problems with anxiety or depression. Other times it is in response to unexpected changes in one's life such as a divorce or work transition. Many seek the advice of a therapist as they pursue their own personal exploration and growth. Working with a therapist can help provide insight, support, and new strategies for all types of life challenges. Therapy can help address many types of issues including depression, anxiety, conflict, grief, stress management, body-image issues, and general life transitions. Therapy is right for anyone who is interested in getting the most out of their life by taking responsibility, creating greater self-awareness, and working towards change in their lives.
What can I expect in a therapy session?
Every therapy session is unique and caters to each individual and their specific goals. During therapy sessions it is standard to talk about the primary issues and concerns in your life. It is common to schedule a series of weekly sessions, where each session lasts 50 minutes. Sometimes, individuals who are going through a particularly difficult challenge may request more time per session or more than one session per week. Therapy can be short-term, focusing on a specific issue or longer-term, addressing more complex issues or ongoing personal growth. There may be times when you are asked to take certain actions outside of the therapy sessions, such as reading a relevant book or keeping records to track certain behaviors. Between sessions it is important to process what has been discussed and integrate it into your life. For therapy to be most effective you must be an active participant, both during and between the sessions.
What benefits can I expect from working with a therapist?
Therapy can provide insight and new perspectives into life's challenges and can help create solutions to difficult problems. Many people find that working with a therapist can enhance personal development, improve relationships and family dynamics, and can ease the challenges of daily life. Sometimes, just having someone there to listen is helpful. Overall, people in therapy tend to have lower levels of anxiety and stress, decreased conflict, and improved quality of life. Some of the benefits available from therapy include:
- Developing new skills for handling stress and anxiety
- Modifying unhealthy behavior and long-standing patterns
- Attaining insight into personal patterns and behavior
- Increasing confidence, peace, vitality, and well-being
- Improving ways to manage anger, depression and moods
- Discovering new ways to solve problems
- Navigating life's obstacles more effectively
- Improving listening and communication skills
- Enhancing the overall quality of life
Is therapy confidential?
In general, the law protects the confidentiality of all communications between a client and a psychotherapist. As such, information is not disclosed without written permission of the client unless the following occurs:
- If the therapist suspects child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse, the therapist is required by law to immediately report to the appropriate authorities.
- If a client is threatening to harm self or others.
Sex Therapy
What is sex therapy?
Sex therapy is a specialized form of therapy that focuses on talking about sexual concerns or issues. It is a solution focused therapy designed to reach goals that are established by those seeking services. The sessions take place in a safe and comfortable environment, where individuals or couples are encouraged to openly express themselves. Sex therapy involves talking and listening, sexual education, and problem solving. At no time does it involve clients performing sexual acts in front of the therapist or sexual contact between the therapist and clients.
What is a sex therapist/sexologist?
A sex therapist is a licensed therapist who has specialized training in sexology (the science of sexual behavior) and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual issues/concerns. A licensed therapist must meet the State of Florida requirements (additional education/training and supervision) to be called a sex therapist. A sexologist is a clinician that holds a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in the field of Sexology (the study of human sexuality).
Who attends sex therapy?
Sex therapy is for people of all ages, gender, and sexual orientation, who have sexual concerns or want to improve their quality of life by dealing with sexual issues. Sex therapy is for individuals or couples.
Coaching
What is coaching and how is it different from psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy very often results in significant relief from mental health problems, such as feelings of anxiety, depression, and interpersonal conflicts. It is a process that begins with carefully assessing the presenting issues or problems to identify the steps toward resolving key issues. Therapy often goes into depth about various issues and usually focuses on dealing with the past. The therapy seeks to uncover the "why" to issues/problems.
Coaching is a distinct profession that helps clients solve problems, reach goals, design a plan of action and make decisions. It helps clients identify what is important to them and helps them align their thoughts, words, and actions accordingly. Coaching is more action-oriented and focuses on the present and the future. It helps clients determine their own answers.
What does a coach do?
Coaches encourage clients to set goals they truly want and they ask them to do more than they may have done on their own. They help clients focus in order to produce results more quickly and they provide clients with the tools, support, and structure to accomplish more.
How long does coaching last?
Usually, it can take up to three sessions to get to change and feel progress. However, the length of time varies. We recommend that you commit to a minimum of working with your coach for a six month period. You will get the most dramatic results from coaching if you show up on time, take your coaching seriously, apply the coaching suggestions that are offered and do the home assignments that are recommended.
Do you accept insurance for coaching?
Unfortunately, insurance does not cover coaching services. The cost per session is determined individually by the coaches at Attainable Solutions. A sliding scale, based on the client's needs, is available only after the first session, upon request.
Hypnotherapy
What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a state of inner absorption, concentration and focused attention. It is like using a magnifying glass to focus the rays of the sun and make them more powerful. Similarly, when our minds are concentrated and focused, we are able to use our minds more powerfully. Because hypnosis allows people to use more of their potential, learning self-hypnosis is the ultimate act of self-control.
How does hypnosis affect a person?
While there is general agreement that certain effects of hypnosis exist, there are differences of opinion within the research and clinical communities about how hypnosis works. Some researchers believe that hypnosis can be used by individuals to the degree they possess a hypnotic trait, much as they have traits associated with height, body size, hair color, etc. Other professionals who study and use hypnosis believe there are strong cognitive and interpersonal components that affect an individual's response to hypnotic environments and suggestions.
Recent research supports the view that hypnotic communication and suggestions effectively change aspects of the person's physiological and neurological functions.
How can hypnosis help a person?
Practitioners use clinical hypnosis in three main ways. First, they encourage the use of imagination. Mental imagery is very powerful, especially in a focused state of attention. The mind seems capable of using imagery, even if it is only symbolic, to assist us in bringing about the things we are imagining. For example, a patient with ulcerative colitis may be asked to imagine what his/her distressed colon looks like. If she imagines it as being like a tunnel, with very red, inflamed walls that are rough in texture, the patient may be encouraged in hypnosis (and in self-hypnosis) to imagine the image changing to a healthy one.
A second basic hypnotic method is to present ideas of suggestions to the patient. In a state of concentrated attention, ideas and suggestions that are compatible with what the patient wants seem to have a more powerful impact on the mind.
Finally, hypnosis may be used for unconscious exploration, to better understand underlying motivations or identify whether past events or experiences are associated with causing a problem. Hypnosis avoids the critical censor of the conscious mind, which often defeats what we know to be in our best interests. The effectiveness of hypnosis appears to lie in the way in which it bypasses the critical observation and interference of the conscious mind, allowing the client's intentions for change to take effect.
Do all people benefit from hypnosis?
Some individuals seem to have higher natural hypnotic talent or potential that may allow them to benefit more readily from hypnosis. It is important to keep in mind that hypnosis is like any other therapeutic modality: it is of major benefit to some patients with some problems, and it is helpful with many other patients, but individual responses vary.
Can a person be made to do something they would not normally want to do when hypnotized?
People often fear that being hypnotized will make them lose control, surrender their will, and result in their being dominated, but a hypnotic state is not the same thing as gullibility or weakness. Many people base their assumptions about hypnotism on stage acts but fail to take into account that stage hypnotists screen their volunteers to select those who are cooperative, with possible exhibitionist tendencies, as well as responsive to hypnosis. Stage acts help create a myth about hypnosis which discourages people from seeking legitimate hypnotherapy.
In hypnosis, the patient is not under the control of the therapist. Hypnosis is not something imposed on people, but something they do for themselves. A hypnotherapist simply serves as a facilitator to guide them.
Does a person remember what took place when in hypnosis?
Another myth about hypnosis is that people lose consciousness and have amnesia. A small percentage of subjects, who go into very deep levels of trance will fit this stereotype and have spontaneous amnesia. The majority of people remember everything that occurs in hypnosis. This is beneficial, because the most of what we want to accomplish in hypnosis may be done in a medium dept trance, where people tend to remember everything.
When will hypnosis be beneficial?
We believe that hypnosis will be optimally effective when the patient is highly motivated to overcome a problem and when the hypnotherapist is well trained in both hypnosis and in general considerations relating to the treatment of the particular problem. Some individuals seem to have higher native hypnotic talent and capacity that may allow them to benefit more readily from hypnosis.
It is improtant to keep in mind that hypnosis is like any other therapeutic modality: it is of major benefit to some patients with some problems, and it is helpful with many other patients, but it can fail, just like any other clinical method. For this reason, we emphasize that we are not "hypnotists," but health care professionals who use hypnosis along with other tools of our professions.
Adapted from information provided on the website of the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis (www.asch.net)
