Erik Mildes, MA, LMHC Licensed Counselor & Approved Supervisor
Approach
We will work together through a process that focuses on your strengths and building skills to successfully master life's challenges. Erik Mildes specializes in family issues, couple counseling, men's issues, child and adolescent therapy, depression, anxiety, stress management, life transition, isolation and loneliness, grief and loss, spiritually and sense of worth.
Family
Therapy
Families in today's culture are facing difficult and damaging
issues everyday. Family therapy can aid in brining the family
back together in a process that helps people feel loved, heard
and understood. We will explore the family unit in a supportive
and nurturing environment meant to stimulate growth, love,
good communication, and compassion in order to better understand
the ways in which family members impact each other.
Child
and Adolescent Therapy
Today's young people are in a world unlike that ever seen
before. They are being influenced by a culture that promotes
stepping out of childhood innocents at far too young of an
age. If you are experiencing a break down in communication
or relationship with your son or daughter or would like for
someone to walk beside them where you have been denied access
then I can be of help. I will walk beside them to help them
understand the issues that they are facing and the emotions
that they are harboring in a healthy and enjoyable way that
incorporates finding their unique voice in a diverse world.
Couple
Counseling
In a time when marriages face a near 50% divorce rate it is
easy to see that something is missing in our attempt to keep
relationships vibrant and growing. I will provide a supportive
and safe environment where couples can feel heard and understood
to find wholeness as a person in order to find wholeness within
the relationship. I will also walk with you and your partner
into often plagued areas of your relationship in a one and
a half hour session giving you vital tools in how keep your
relationship healthy or bring it from the ashes. Often couples
experience an improved sex life, healthier communication,
a deeper level of intimacy with self and partner, a stronger
appreciation for one another, and much more from entering
into couple's counseling.
Men's Issues
The expectation for men to
succeed in life is only dwarfed by the overwhelming possibility
of failure. What is it that we as men are called to? How can
we reach for this higher calling in the face of such oppositions
as pornography, stress, expectation and the threat of failure?
Men are striving for greater accomplishments and are increasing
self-expectations. These expectations, daily demands, and
responsibilities can often lead to feelings of stress, depression,
and loss of self. Together we will address these issues and
discuss effective ways of coping.
Depression
Depression can range from a mild feeling of unhappiness to
debilitating despair. If you are experiencing increased sadness,
decreased interest in activity, negative thinking, change
in sleeping patterns, loss of energy, feelings of guilt, hopelessness,
or difficulties concentrating, then I can come beside you
and be there for you. Let me sit in the dark (grey) moments
of your life with you so together we can experience connection
and see colors again.
Anxiety
Symptoms of anxiety include increased worry, restlessness,
tension, irritability, headaches, abdominal upset, or muscle
tension and can often lead to an inability to do the things
you find important or be around the people you love. Therapy
can aid you in coping more effectively and improve your physical
and emotional well being. We will focus on managing your symptoms
of anxiety through identifying the underlying causes, discussing
techniques of relaxation and anxiety reduction, identifying
thinking patterns leading to increased worry, and increasing
your awareness of the mind / body connection.
Stress
Management
Stress can be related to life events such as financial pressure,
death of a loved one, family conflicts, or work demands. Often
an awareness of personal boundaries may lead to reduce stress
and give you more control over your life. Whether you are
overwhelmed or not challenged enough, professional assistance
can help foster stress tolerance and promote wellness. Together
we will address managing your stress through recognizing the
stressors in your life and learning how to deal with stress
using healthy strategies.
Life
Transition
Life transitions may relate to a loss of a relationship, being
recently laid off, shifts in your life's direction, feeling
stuck or in a rut, wanting to change but don't know how, new
parent/new family/blended family, and many more life issues.
Life transitions occur throughout our lives, but at times
we need additional support and guidance to see us through
these changes. Learn how to grieve and to say goodbye for
what once was in order to vibrantly jump into what is next.
Feeling
alone or Disconnected
Times of feeling disconnected and lonely are often times painful
or even frightening. At times individuals feel alone or insecure
even when they are surrounded by friends or family. Through
increased socialization, having a strong support system, and
awareness of one's relationships with others, an individual
can overcome isolation and begin living a rewarding and fulfilling
life.
Grief
and Loss
Grieving is nature's way of healing a broken heart after experiencing
a significant loss. The art of grieving has been lost to a
need to quickly get on with life that often leave us unhealed
and without contentment. Learn how to grieve again while we
work through changes that may be related to the death of a
loved one, divorce, separation, a move, or the loss of a job.
Give yourself the gift of time while together we honor yourself
and others by allowing you to grieve and recognize the impact
the loss had on your life.
Spirituality
Spiritual concerns are a normal part of life in today's world.
Faith and spirituality are tied to a deeper level of living
in community than many people realize. Many people in today's
world have increasing difficulty with the church and questions
surrounding their faith. These questions can often lead to
resentment and hopelessness of the church and life. Dive into
deeper levels of understanding and intimacy with your relationships
to God and others in your faith community through a look at
your own spirituality and how it has shaped your life.
Sense of Worth
The extent to which we love and respect ourselves has a lot
to do with the how we have seen ourselves through the stories
of our lives. How a person perceives themselves affects their
relationships with their partner, children, family, friends,
and co-workers. Many of our low self-esteem issues are rooted
in our early life experiences, which result in ongoing feelings
of guilt and worthlessness. I will assist you in rebuilding
your sense of worth and finding your true voice in a look
at your story through a new lens that will offer your early
innocents and radiance to shine through struggles and abuse.
