information@family-options.com

• Family conflict
• Marital problems
• Parenting issues
• Discipline difficulties
• Substance dependence
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Adjustment problems
• Weight management
• Incest and sexual abuse
• Surviving trauma
• Assertiveness training
• Grief and loss
• Goal setting and achieving
• Overcoming childhood abuse
• Sexual problems
• Infidelity
• Anger Management
• Domestic Violence

We are committed to ensuring that each individual seeking assistance gets our best and most personal attention. During your first appointment, we will first listen carefully to your concerns, take note of what changes you wish to make, and then make recommendations as to the best way to proceed. We have many different methods of intervention available to you, and we would be pleased to discuss the potential advantages of each with you. Not every person will respond well to every treatment modality, nor with every therapist. That's why we  will work closely with you, ensuring that we match you with a therapist with whom you feel comfortable, and provide you with a treatment method that best meets your current needs and future goals. While we are the experts in mental health care, you are the expert regarding your vision for your own future. Together, we can work toward making that vision a reality.

In Individual Therapy, you and the counselor meet one-on-one to discuss your difficulties and collaborate on possible solutions. You will work together to set treatment goals, and decide together when the goals have been met.


A standard Individual Therapy session consists of one hour (50 therapeutic minutes), but some people prefer a more extended session (100 minutes), so we offer you that option as well.


Make an appointment for Individual Therapy


Make an appointment for Extended Individual Therapy (100 minutes)

Couples Therapy is designed for married people, those dating or living together, or those contemplating marriage. Couples therapy will assist you and your partner with overcoming the inevitable hurdles within your relationship, and help you to improve communication and understanding. Issues such as infidelity, conflict over money, jealousy, and sexual difficulties can be addressed in a supportive, therapeutic environment. Counseling sessions focus on ensuring that both partners' needs are met.


Make an appointment for Couples Therapy

Make an appointment for Extended Couples Therapy

Regardless of the number of participants in the session, Family Therapy has as its primary focus the functioning of the family unit. Although one family member may be the "identified patient," the focus of treatment is assisting each family member in acheiving his or her full potential.


For children's issues, often the best method of treatment is family therapy, because it allows the clinican and the parent(s) to work together in creating a home environment that is most likely to produce a change in the child, or in his behavior.


A standard Family Therapy session consists of one hour (50 therapeutic minutes), but some people prefer a more extended session (100 minutes), so we offer you that option as well.


Make an appointment for Family/Couples Therapy


Make an appointment for Extended Family/Couples Therapy (100 minutes)

We are pleased to provide Animal-Assisted Therapy services with Psyche, our therapy dog. Psyche is a miniature longhaired dachsund who assists clients experiencing such issues as depression, the aftermath of trauma, anxieties, phobias, agoraphobia, or other difficulties. You can read Psyche's profile under the "About Us" tab.

Please contact our office for further information regarding Animal-Assisted Therapy.

In addition to providing in-house Animal Assisted Therapy, we are pleased to work with psychiatric service dogs and their handlers to develop a closer working relationship between canine and human, and further the therapeutic bond. We also provide assistance to clients who wish to obtain a psychiatric service dog, in terms of locating and choosing an appropriate animal, and working with the client to train the animal to the client's specific needs.

Some people find that they are most comfortable with a group of other people who are struggling with the same issues. A sense of support and accountability results as people share their challenges and triumphs with other group members. Group sessions are held in the evenings and on weekends to accomodate your schedule.


Our current group therapy programs include the following:


     Explorers Group


This group is for people who are exploring solutions to a variety of challenges, and seek a dynamic group opportunity for change and growth. Members hold one another accountable for making progress toward individual goals, and provide feedback regarding other members' struggles, and encouragement regarding acheivements. This is an ongoing group, open to existing and new clients.


Make an appointment for Explorers Group Therapy


The following groups are for exisiting clients only; please contact the office at (954) 665-4115, or at information@family-options.com, to schedule an intake, or sign up for an initial consultation appointment:


     Effective Parenting


Focusing on integrating logical consequences and positive discipline into your parenting regimen, this program will assist you in setting appropriate limits for your children, while helping to foster postive relationships with them. It IS possible to be in charge of your home, without harming your child's self-esteem!


     Turning Anger and Aggression into Assertiveness


For people who have a hard time standing up for themselves, or those that let their anger get the best of them. This program can assist you in getting what you want, without getting yourself into trouble.


    Help for Sexual Addiction


Sexual addiction can be devastating. It can create destruction of familial relationships, career goals, social standing, and personal freedom. If you are struggling with issues of excessive use of pornography, unsafe or excessive sexual activity, infidelity, or difficulties with intimacy, this group can assist you in creating more healthful belief systems, and lead you in developing a more fulfilling lifestyle.


     Overcoming Addiction


Whether you have problems controlling substance use, eating, gambling, or some other behavior, our Overcoming Addiction group will empower you to solve your behavioral and mental challenges.


     Coping with Anxiety


If you find yourself unable to enjoy your life or fulfill your obligations because of excessive worry, or simply would like to have more peace of mind, this group is for you. Change your life for the better by learning skills to help focus your thoughts and shape your behavior in a productive way.


     Fighting Depression


If you struggle with depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, or thoughts of helplessness and hopelessness, it's time to make a change. We can help identify specific behavioral strategies to help you overcome your daily struggle to enjoy life.


If you would be interested in a group therapy program not listed here, let us know. Email us at information@family-options.com

Some people prefer a therapeutic counseling experience based on Biblical principles and spiritual beliefs. Please let us know if this is your choice, so that we can match you with a therapist that specializes in this area.


Make an appoinment for Christian Counseling

Our Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediators can assist you with determining solutions that best meet your family's needs, rather than leaving those details up to an impersonal court process.


Make an appointment for Family Mediation

We offer comprehensive evaluation services specifically geared to your needs. We can test for any (or all) of the following, depending on the referral question: Achievement, intelligence (IQ), personality, skills development, cognitive processing, depression, anxiety, addiction. We also offer pre-employment testing, and work closely with employers to develop a testing protocol to best meet individual needs.

For our current clients, we have an on-call therapist who is available for emergency consultations at any time; the fee for emergency consultations is $25/quarter hour. To access this service, simply call the office number and request an emergency consultation; the on-call therapist will be paged and will contact you promptly. In case of a life-threatening emergency, you may call 911, or contact the nearest emergency room and ask for the psychologist or psychiatrist on call.

When you are seeking a therapist, it is essential that you find someone with whom you are comfortable. Research has shown that the quality of the relationship between the therapist and client is a critical factor in determining successful psychotherapy outcomes. If you feel uncomfortable with a potential therapist, it is best to keep looking for the person best suited to help you. If necessary, we will be happy to provide referrals to another therapist within this practice, or elsewhere, in order to ensure that you receive the appropriate care that you deserve. If at any point you or your therapist feel that a medication evaluation might be helpful, we will provide you with a referral to a psychiatrist.

Fees are due and payable at the time of each session. We accept cash, check, cashier’s check, money order, and major credit cards. If you would like us to bill your credit card at the end of each month for all sessions used for that month, please fill out our “Pre-Authorized Healthcare Form.”

Your appointment time has been reserved for you. 24 hours notice is required for cancellation or you will be charged a missed session fee.

There are some concerns regarding the use of managed care systems (health insurance) for mental health services because of the decrease in confidentiality, the risk of "over-diagnosing" to meet an insurance company’s requirement of demonstrating medical need, and the direct involvement of managed care case managers in determining the number of sessions to which you are entitled. The following information will provide you with additional details regarding these concerns.

All managed care plans (MCPs) involve direct clinical management by the plan’s case managers. If you access therapy through your MCP, it makes it necessary for your therapist to disclose anything and everything related to your case to your MCP. This information is used by the MCP for determining benefits, which they allocate at their own discretion. This impacts your right of confidentiality, and it is possible that your information will be stored in a computer system which could be accessed by anyone. It has been reported that the FBI and law enforcement officials can access your insurance information at any time. This information could be used to your disadvantage should a legal problem arise.

Furthermore, this lack of confidentiality could impact your minor children even more negatively. Should they ever desire to apply for certain jobs or educational programs, such as law enforcement or the military, the information in their insurance files could be used against them.

Some MCPs will not cover treatment unless it is a "medical necessity." This may mean the client has to "pretend" they are "sick," or worse off than they are, in order to receive their benefits. Most MCPs do not cover marriage counseling, family counseling, or adjustment counseling, unless they are part of the treatment plan for a serious mental disorder or drug/alcohol problem. This situation puts both the therapist and client in a negative situation. Often the "assessment" sessions that are initially authorized are not sufficient to give an accurate diagnosis, yet the MCP will not authorize more visits without one. The therapist may be inclined to "make up" or "guess at" a diagnosis, which is not in the best interest of the client.

Most importantly, you, the client, should not be given a mental illness diagnosis that is not correct, or is more serious than what is true, simply to get treatment paid by the MCP.

Due to the direct care management by MCPs and their desire to keep costs to a minimum, getting therapy sessions authorized often becomes cumbersome and time-consuming. Every plan has different requirements and standards for authorizations. Some will deny therapy in lieu of taking prescription medications.

MCPs allow a certain number of treatment sessions per year for each plan. Let’s assume your MCP allows up to 20 sessions per year of outpatient psychotherapy. This does not mean you can automatically access your benefits. Often you first have to be referred by a primary care physician member of the MCP. Then you may have to go through a phone interview with an MCP case manager. Then you may have to contact several plan providers to find one who is accepting new clients, who has a convenient location, or who has expertise in your issues. Once you have found a provider, there may be a long wait for an appointment due to pre-authorization requirements. Then you are often given only one to three sessions to start (50 minutes per week - though you may feel you need more), as an assessment. Then you may need to wait for more visits to be authorized - often weeks of phone calls and paperwork flow back and forth between your provider and the MCP. Then the MCP may only authorize three sessions at a time, with this continual waiting period in between. This causes your treatment to be inconsistent, broken up, and can cause you more anxiety not knowing if you will in fact get your benefits authorized at all. Some clients give up on their treatment due to these frustrations.

Furthermore, some MCPs want to control the treatment plan. Some will even dictate the specific treatment plan, which is often very subjective and may even be anti-therapeutic. Some plans will determine when it is time to terminate treatment, even when the client continues to be in distress, or their problem has not been sufficiently solved.