Dr. Darlene Powell Garlington

DR. GARLINGTON'S APPROACH

SPECIALIZING IN:

Building Resiliency • Anxiety • Depression • Self-Esteem • Assertiveness

PTSD • Post-Combat Stress • Re-Adjustment Following Military Deployment

Learning Disabilities • Bereavement • Trauma • Women's Empowerment • Couples Counseling

DR. DARLENE'S
Clinical Approach
Is To
Empower You
To Transform
Your Life And

BLOOM AGAIN!

MISSION STATEMENT:

“to empower others to become more self-actualized and to lead fulfilling lives.”

Dr. Garlington provides supportive therapy for:

~ Individuals ~ Couples ~ Young Adults ~ Families ~

Healthy couples and families are functional and lovingly help each other grow and improve. There is no perfect family or perfect relationship. The key to wellness is how you handle problems and support one another. There will inevitably be times when stress, adversity or trauma negatively affects your sense of well being. During these difficult times, it is healthy to seek support and guidance.

Dr. Garlington treats every patient with unconditional positive regard, respect and genuine concern. Her approach is non-judgmental, compassionate and holistic. She assesses and focuses on the unique interaction between the mind, body and spirit. Treatment is individualized with mutually agreed upon and measurable goals. Feedback and specific guidance is part of the therapeutic process, which includes follow-up, progress evaluation and accountability. Psychological evaluations and testing are also available.

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT)

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT), the primary treatment approach utilized for many of Dr. Garlington’s patients, is an evidence-based, psycho-social intervention that focuses on the connection between cognitions/thoughts, feelings and behavior. Changing your thoughts, beliefs and attitudes can help you to regulate your emotions, more effectively manage your feelings and change maladaptive behaviors. It emphasizes the important role of "thinking" in how we feel and what we do. It relates to how our thinking impacts our behavior and our emotions.

CBT is problem-focused and action-oriented. Together, you and Dr. Garlington find ways to address the problem by identifying goals to decrease symptoms, especially related to anxiety and depression, by addressing the underlying causes. CBT is used to help treat a wide range of disorders including: phobias, addiction, depression and anxiety.

COGNITIVE PROCESSING THERAPY (CPT), which focuses on talking/processing the trauma, and PROLONGED EXPOSURE THERAPY (PE), which focuses on reliving the trauma to help alleviate stress, are the two, primary, evidence-based practices best suited for those suffering from PTSD.

HOLISTIC HEALTH

Holistic Health — a nurturing of the Mind, Body and Spirit — is a means to persevere through adversity and strengthen resiliency both as an individual and as a family. The Holistic Approach has long been demonstrated as a successful way to enhance your life through healthier living and taking an active role in your own health. It becomes even more critical when difficult, stressful times arise and it is Dr. Garlington’s very successful approach to helping people move beyond the pain and find joy again.

As individuals, we must focus on the integration of Body, Mind and Spirit in order to be balanced, strong, and to maintain our own good health. We need to perceive ourselves as an integrated system rather than as one or more separate parts (physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional). Our body, mind and spirit are intertwined and cannot be separated. They are aspects of the whole, not separate entities. To affect one level, either positively or negatively, influences our entire being. Only when we are healthy and strong can we face adversity head-on and help lead our loved ones to empowerment and transformation.

HOLISTIC HEALTH WITH DR. GARLINGTON & HER CHILDREN

COMMUNICATION

BASICALLY, THERE ARE 4 STYLES OF COMMUNICATION:

1. PASSIVE – Behavior includes speaking softly with limited eye contact, using submissive body language and allowing others to dominate.
• Doesn't speak up for oneself
• Internalizes feelings
• Submissive
2. AGGRESSIVE – Behavior includes defending oneself in a dominate and offensive, but frequently, inappropriate way.
• Fails to respect other's feelings & thoughts
• Self-centered
• Sarcastic
• Harsh

3. PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE – Behavior includes being indirect in communication. There appears to be no outward issues with others, while anger and frustration are indirectly expressed.

• Resentment and opposition to the demands of other • Procrastination and intentional mistakes in response to

the demands of others

• Cynical, sullen or hostile attitude

• Frequent complaints about feeling under-appreciated or

cheated

4. ASSERTIVE – Behavior includes stating thoughts and feelings in a clear and respectful manner. This is considered the preferred style.

• Direct / open

• Respectful of others

• Willing to compromise

MINDFULNESS

“Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different;

enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will);
being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).”
– James Baraz, Author

MINDFULNESS refers to a psychological quality that involves
focusing on the present and being in the here and now on a moment to
moment basis.

Benefits of Mindfulness Include:

Increased emotional regulation
Increased social skills
Increased ability to orient attention
Increased planning and organization
Increased sense of calm and relaxation
Decreased hyperactivity and impulsivity
Decreased anxiety and depression
Fewer conduct and anger management problems

We often spend too much time regretting the past or worrying about the future. To fully appreciate the gift of life, we must live in the moment. We can neither change the past nor control the future. We tend to dwell on negative memories, ruminate over something we regret and experience intrusive thoughts from the past. Similarly, we become anxious over our fears and uncertainties of what may happen in the future. When we fail to appreciate living in the present, we miss opportunities to relate in genuine and authentic ways.

Research has shown that Mindfulness might benefit other areas of health such as:

Decreasing levels of the stress hormone cortisol
Lessening pain for people with certain chronic conditions
Lowering the risk of depression
Improving sleep

When we focus on our immediate thoughts and feelings, we become more conscious in our awareness and in our ability to regulate our thoughts and feelings. We should not resist thoughts that seem distressing or negative, but rather allow them to pass through, recognizing the emotions they elicit. This

enables us to have greater control over our perceptions and how we experience life.We often spend too much time regretting the past or worrying about the future. To fully appreciate the gift of life, we must live in the moment. We can neither change the past nor control the future. We tend to dwell on negative memories, ruminate over something we regret and experience intrusive thoughts from the past. Similarly, we become anxious over our fears and uncertainties of what may happen in the future. When we fail to appreciate living in the present, we miss opportunities to relate in genuine and authentic ways.

Meditation is a mental discipline by which we attempt to get beyond the conditioned way of thinking and into a deeper state of self awareness. Spending even a few minutes in meditation can restore our calm and inner peace. It's about having a calm state of consciousness and is based on moment-to-moment awareness focusing on breathing and letting go of distractions. It enables us to focus our attention on all of our experiences, both positive and perceived negative. However, it guides us to stay in the moment instead of looking back on the past or worrying about the future.

Mindfulness Exercises:
If you are new to the practice of Mindfulness, one of the most basic mindfulness exercises is focusing on our breath. The great thing about our breath is that it is something that continuously happens, without our interference, and which can connect us with the present moment. As a result, most mindfulness exercises start with focusing on breathing, as well as the physical sensations that accompany breathing (for example, your diaphragm rising and falling, and the feeling of air entering and leaving your body).

DR. GARLINGTON'S APPROACH