RANGE OF SERVICES

• Counseling & Psychological Services

• Career Counseling

• Psychiatric Services

• Consultation and Second Opinion Services

• Testing and Neuropsychological Evaluation Services

• Educational Classes and Workshops

• Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services

• Sleep Disorders Program

Counseling and Psychological Services in New Hampshire

The Counseling Center provides psychological and counseling services for children, adolescents and adults for all types of presenting mental health issues or problems. Our staff of 20 providers has a diverse range of training and expertise, with specialties in all areas of psychological and mental health practice. We offer individual , family , couples, and group counseling and therapy. A partial list of all the types of  we address are listed below.

Psychiatric Services

The Counseling Center currently has seven Psychiatrists and two Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners to assist with psychiatric evaluations and when indicated, to prescribe medication for a variety of mental health conditions. Psychiatrists at The Counseling Center focus exclusively on outpatient psychopharmacology, and work closely and in conjunction with psychologists and therapists to coordinate care and resolve psychological symptoms in as expedient a way as possible.

In addition to routine psychiatric care, Stephen Ellen, M.D., and Allan Mendell, M.D., have an interest and specialty in providing outpatient detox services for substance abuse clients. In conjunction with our Licensed and Drug Abuse Counselor, and our psychologists with specialization in substance abuse treatment, effective management of substance dependency and abuse is achieved through both psychiatric care and outpatient substance abuse counseling.

Testing and Neuropsychological Evaluation Services

The majority of the psychologists at The Counseling Center are trained in psychological testing for most mental health related conditions. Catherine Monaco, Ph.D., is the Clinical Director of The Counseling Center's Neuropsychology Evaluation service, and she specializes in child and adult neuropsychological assessment. Jason Fogler, Ph.D.specializes in child and adult neuropsychological evaluation with an emphasis on the differential diagnosis of complex and overlapping clinical conditions (e.g., co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury). And Susan McLaughlin-Beltz, Ph.D. specializes in child neuropsychological evaluations. The neuropsychological evaluation program provides comprehensive assessment of a variety of presenting neuropsychological issues. A partial list of psychological and neuropsychological issues commonly addressed through testing are listed below.

For clients traveling distances to obtain psychological or neuropsychological testing, arrangements can be made to complete testing in one day to facilitate access to services from broader geographic distances.

Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services

The Counseling Center maintains an outpatient treatment track for alcohol and substance abuse problems. The primary goal of this program is to assist clients to achieve abstinence from addiction, both physical and psychological, and to make the necessary motivational, life style and social changes to maintain sobriety and absence of relapse. Both psychologists with specialty training in alcohol and substance abuse treatment, and our licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor, provide individual treatment to help initiate abstinence, and upon a brief period of sobriety, group therapy with a focus on relapse prevention. Stephen Ellen, M.D., Allan Mendell, M.D., and Pamela Kenworthy, M.D. provide outpatient detox services when needed, and is well versed in treating both chemical dependency and psychiatric illnesses which often co-occur.

Career Counseling

The Counseling Center has developed a career and vocational counseling service, including the administration of career interest and assessment inventories to help individuals establish a clear match between their personal and work related interests and the types of careers and jobs which will lead to personal satisfaction. Like other psychological services, initial appointments are scheduled with Lori Lawson, Ph.D. There are multiple components to this program, with the Phase I consisting of the administration of career interest inventories and up to three invididual appointments to clarify and identify the nature of professional and career interests. Once new careers or professional interests are established, additional assistance is provided, if requested, for help with everything from resume writing to interview techniques, along with making healthy job acceptance decisions after a position has been offered.

Consultation and Second Opinion Services

Given the significant differences in both the training and treatment approaches of many mental health professionals, second opinion consultations for psychotherapy, psychiatric medications, and psychological testing and evaluations are quite common. The Counseling Center provides second opinions regarding psychotherapy and psychiatric medications via direct interviews in our office, or via record reviews and telephone contact with clients. Review of psychological testing reports and evaluations, particularly in the areas of Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder assessment, are quite common because these evaluations are so critical to accurate treatment planning for adults and children. Given the limited financial resources of some school districts nationally, due to limited funding to provide adequate services, parents often seek second opinion consultations regarding testing completed by school districts in order to ensure that their children are getting a thorough evaluation and comprehensive services from school districts.

Review of records and testing evaluations can be done for individuals locally, nationally, or internationally via U.S. Mail, E-Mail, or Fax.

Educational Classes and Workshops

The Counseling Center provides the following community education classes and workshops: Stress Management, Parenting Classes (including the Active Parenting Today Series), Parenting of Teens, Coping with Chronic Pain, Coping with Divorce, Helping Children With Homework, Coping With A Family Member’s Alcohol or Drug Use, Enhancing Intimacy and Improving Conflict Resolution for Relationships, Resolving Painful Childhood Experiences, Managing ADHD for Parents, and Advocating In The Schools For Your LD or Other Coded Child.

Sleep Disorders Program

The Counseling Center's Sleep Disorders Program is led by Stephen C. Ellen, MD, Medical Director and Clinical Director of this program. Dr. Ellen's clinical practice at The Counseling Center of Nashua focuses on the diagnosis and management of sleep-related clinical conditions, including circadian rhythm disorders. Dr. Ellen is a national speaker on sleep disorders for a variety of pharmaceutical companies, and he brings national expertise on sleep disorders to The Counseling Center's local sleep program. His specialty includes the clinical assessment, polysomnographic evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders including insomnias, disorders of excessive sleepiness (e.g. narcolepsy), sleep related breathing disorders (such as obstructive sleep apnea), parasomnias, REM behavior disorder, circadian rhythm disorders, sleep related movement disorders including restless leg syndrome (RLS), periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), and other conditions pertaining to the sleep-wake cycle. Polysomnography (PSG) sleep studies are provided in partnership with St. Joseph's hospital in Nashua, N.H. when indicated during diagnostic workups. His special interest is in the pharmacology of energy and fatigue dysfunction related to sleep disorders, psychiatric illness and medical co-morbidities. Dr. Ellen and The Counseling Center's eight other Adult Board Certified Psychiatrists provide treatment for co-occurring psychiatric disorders, such as major depression, bipolar spectrum disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD, OCD, psychotic disorders, eating disorders, PTSD, and substance abuse disorders. The Sleep Disorders Program also provides sleep disorder focused cognitive behavioral therapy provided by doctoral level psychologists with training in behavioral medicine.

Employee Assistance Programs

The Counseling Center of Nashua has a number of providers trained in delivering EAP services to organizations and employees. The agency currently maintains approximately 8 contracts with national EAP programs to deliver clinical services to referred employees. In addition, The Counseling Center contracts with local businesses to deliver such services to employee groups either on-site or at one of our three practice locations. The most common EAP service provided is the assessment and referral model, which includes up to three employee visits to evaluate the nature of a presenting concern, and to refer, if indicated, to a provider best suited to provide on-going care.

EAP programs at The Counseling Center have clear benefit to companies in terms of reducing absenteeism and lost productivity due to mental health and substance abuse related issues. The Counseling Center's EAP programs also assist with the management of mental health related workers compensation cases, short term disabilities, and return to work issues which the personnel departments of both small and large companies often must contend with without significant experience in mental health related conditions. Other EAP services provided include workshops for stress management, Critical Incident Stress Debriefings, and fitness for duty or risk of dangerousness evaluations.