Clinical and Professional Services | Psychotherapy and Psycholegal Therapy
Individual Therapy
Individual therapy is a joint process between a therapist and a child, adolescent, or adult. It is a safe, confidential space where clients can address longstanding or situational issues interfering with their quality of life in one or more areas with a trusted, objective mental health professional. Appointments are 50 minutes and typically occur weekly, biweekly, or monthly, depending on case acuity and client preferences. A client’s stage of life, presenting problems, and interpersonal preferences inform treatment planning and interventions. Dr. Villines views the therapist-client relationship as paramount to treatment and client progress. Her goal is to provide an atmosphere of unconditional positive regard, warmth, empathy, and support, while at the same time challenging thoughts, behaviors, and interaction/communication patterns that negatively impact one’s functioning.
Family Therapy
Family and couples therapy comprises individual and joint sessions, with sessions ranging from 60 to 120 minutes. Family and couples therapy assists individual members in understanding self, others, and self in relation to others, which enables growth, healing, repair, and health in relationships.
Common presenting problems include unhealthy communication and interaction patterns, increased conflict, deceit and betrayal, addiction, sexual issues, parenting philosophy differences, infertility, parent-child problems, tense sibling dynamics, extended family challenges, interpersonal/domestic violence, and grief, to name a few.
Court-Ordered or Legally Involved Therapy
Psycholegal therapy differs from non-legal therapy in that therapy may be involuntary, and one’s private health information may be less protected. Dr. Villines provides detailed information to all legally involved clients about the limits to their confidentiality and is transparent about situations where she is legally bound to release confidential patient information. Dr. Villines is experienced in working within the legal system and is committed to providing ‘best practice’ empirically validated treatments to address the unique issues legally involved clients face. While Dr. Villines treats legally involved clients, she is not an officer of the court, and her foremost priority and role is that of a psychologist. She is committed to collaborating with attorneys, social services, and additional psycholegal professionals as indicated to advocate for and support her clients’ best interests.
Additional Psycholegal Services
Dr. Villines provides parent coaching and reunification therapy (when clinically indicated), incorporating recommendations from AFCC, APSAC, and The Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT), as well as up-to-date data on best practice interventions in such cases. In addition, complicated legal cases frequently co-occur with abuse, violence, trauma, and mental health difficulties, resulting in individuals experiencing trauma reactions and/or retraumatization when navigating legal processes. Dr. Villines assists clients in understanding systems, preparing for anxiety/trauma-inducing communications and meetings inherent in legal cases, and implements a trauma-informed, strengths-based approach to helping clients ready themselves for testimony.