San Tan Valley Grief Counseling

2. In life's struggles, sometimes we need a listening and caring ear to help us along the journey. Let me help you: • identify those issues that may be getting in the way of a more rewarding life with fulfilling relationships. • explore and express your feelings so that you can finish unresolved emotions which are holding you back. • gain insight into your situation. • walk with you down the path of emotional and spiritual healing. As a licensed counselor, I can provide you with: • support • encouragement • guidance • tools you need to overcome the obstacles in your way, reach your goals, and strengthen your growth. If you feel like you've reached an impasse in your life and are unable to carry the burden alone, you've come to the right place. Seeking help is the first step towards a healthier, more balanced life. I provide a confidential and non-judgmental setting where you can express yourself freely.

3. associated with such events. Sandy Green, MS, NCC, Sandy Green, MS, NCC, LAC Master of Science in Community Counseling National Certified Counselor Licensed Associate Counselor LAC With compassion and empathy, Sandy will listen and help you gain insight as you explore your feelings, thoughts and behaviors. She will support you through your challenges and encourage you on your journey to healing and personal growth. Sandy has a wide variety of life experiences having served for more than 25 years as a missionary in West Africa. During her time in Africa she has served as a Bible translator, language program administrator, and personnel director. Her experiences with trauma (armed robbery, civil unrest, and civil war while living in Africa), caring for her father who died of cancer, and her husband's miraculous recovery from malaria and near death have given her a heart to help others work through the emotions She is blessed with more than 25 years of marriage and has mentored her children throughout their educational journey in public, private, and homeschool settings. Sandy holds a Bachelor’s degree with triple majors in Elementary Education, Religion, and Art. She has received her Master’s degree in Science in Community Counseling from the University of Phoenix. She is also a member of the American Counseling Association and the American Association of Christian Counselors.

4. Types of Types of Services Providing general and Christian counseling services for a wide range of issues Providing general and Christian counseling services for a wide range of issues: : Services Transitions and life changes Burnout Behavioral issues Compassion fatigue Trauma Anxiety and stress Grief and loss (loss of loved one, job, relationship, pet, security, health) Divorce recovery Assertiveness Training Forgiveness Depression Spiritual Issues Adult Children of Alcoholics Adult Children of Addicts Family of Origin Issues Foster/Adoption Blended Families Personal goal achievement Relationships (pre-marital, marriage, couples, friends, family, siblings, co-workers) Teaming (helping co-workers work together more effectively) Family and parenting issues Coping with illness and/or chronic pain Codependency • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

5. Feeling stressed out by in your relationship all by yourself? Do you ever find yourself the only one in the relationship who senses something is wrong or a bit out of sorts? Or are you the only one who sees the proverbial “elephant in the room”? Are you wondering if you can go it alone to improve the relationship? You may find yourself saying, “It’s hard being the only one motivated to get help!” Many couples end up “between a rock and a hard place” where one or both feel stuck and struggle to make sense of their relationship and try and find hope in getting things to change. However, more often than not, this attempt to get things to change falls onto one of the spouses or partners who is much more motivated to find answers to their relationship problems than the other who may not be ready for whatever reasons. The motivated spouse or partner sometimes battles within themselves to see how they can ever get help to improve the relationship without the support of their partner. Sandy is trained in relationship counseling to address your situation in a private, compassionate and supportive way. We have helped many individuals improve the quality of their relationship by listening first of all to their pain, struggles, frustrations, and longings in order to help guide them through the difficulties. Further, we help our clients see how their actions and attitude have affected them and their relationship and helped them learn how to engage positively to promote getting their relationship needs met.

6. Don’t plan to skip the holidays. It’s impossible to wish the day away. It will come, no matter what you do. Instead of trying to ignore the holidays and hiding your feelings, accept that it’s normal to feel sad and blue during these days. Meet your feelings head on and work out some strategies to help prepare you, as much as possible, for the holidays and parties. Plan Ahead. When you are grieving, no doubt you do not like to be surprised. After all, your emotions are already like a roller coaster, up and down, and unpredictable. Plan ahead. Ask your family members and friends to tell you about the festivities they are planning so you know what to expect. Strategize about who you will go with and which parts of the planned festivities you feel you can participate in comfortably. Predictability reduces the element of surprise and increases coping skills. When you don’t feel comfortable, tell a trusted friend or family member about your feelings and ask them to support your decision not to participate or ask them to help you find an alternative way to make it more comfortable. Make tentative plans. Because your emotions are so unpredictable during the time of grieving, it is hard to know ahead of time if you will be having a good day tomorrow, or next week. When you are invited to a party or other holiday gathering, tell your host, “I would like to come, put me down as a “maybe”. This way you are not obligated to go if you change your mind because you’re having a tough day. Give yourself grace. Do only those activities which are special and meaningful to you. What do you feel comfortable doing? Which activities do find supporting? Do only those things. It’s your grieving period, it’s okay to put yourself first. Be kind to yourself. Get plenty of rest and eat healthy foods.

7. Tension, irritability, angry outbursts, feeling out of control? If You Love Me, Then Why Do We Fight? Guest Writer, Dr. Jessica Dorland, MS MEd LAC DBH “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything!” “Don’t talk back to me!” “Don’t raise your voice to me!” There is a belief that you shouldn’t feel angry with someone you love, but it is irrational to expect two unique human beings (no matter how much they love each other) not to have some conflict. As kids we are all taught that expressing anger is wrong, we are taught that angry feelings aren’t acceptable but this only teaches us to be ashamed of a natural response that can’t be avoided, and ultimately an appropriate expression of anger is not learned. Kids who are ashamed of their feelings don’t learn how to fully express themselves. These kids grow up to be adults who can’t express their anger. We often struggle in jobs or relationships because people don’t understand what we aren’t communicating. But anger and love do mix. It is important to communicate anger in a healthy way to people you love, and it’s important to teach our children to do the same so that they can express their desires and dislikes without emotional chaos. If you are struggling to be understood, counseling can help. A licensed therapist can help you communicate more effectively. Schedule an appointment today… learn to express your anger in a healthy way.